November 2012 Gluten Restricted Menu Items

Dream Dinners recognizes that many people are allergic to wheat and need strictly controlled meals. Every second Saturday of each month all meals and materials at each station are gluten-free.  November 10th, 9am is the gluten-restricted session for November.  Substitutions, where needed, will be available at this session.

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Dream Dinners also adds new gluten free menu items, recipes and freezer items each month.

October 2012 - Try out Gluten Free Pizzas and Cakes!!  Delicious!

November 2012 Gluten Restricted Menu Items:

Holiday Roasted Turkey
Fast Lane It's our spectacular, simple-to-prepare, delicious turkey! Equivalent to a 16-pound bone-in turkey, this juicy, boneless turkey is simple to carve and makes a great holiday presentation. Combined with our Holiday Family Favorite side dishes, you'll have the healthy,...

Holiday Family Favorite Side Dishes
Fast Lane Save time and money by preparing all your holiday side dishes at Dream Dinners! Your family will think you've spent days in the kitchen! For this one price you choose three of our eight side dishes. Purchase additional family favorite sides during your session.

Old Fashioned Meatloaf with Twice Baked Potatoes
Guest Favorite Savory, satisfying fall flavor. This meatloaf is amazing! Lean, ground beef is seasoned just right, then covered with a touch of sweet, mild chili sauce. (That's your secret.) Serve it with our twice-baked potato skins stuffed with mashed potatoes, Cheddar cheese, bacon...

Chicken Paella
Guest Favorite This Spanish classic dish is now easy to make here at Dream Dinners. Just take our tender white chicken and mild sausage with garlic & butter infused rice, sweet red peppers, artichoke hearts and fire roasted tomatoes and serve up a hearty balanced meal from the...

Chicken & Rice with Lemon & Artichoke Sauce
Guest Favorite Fall freshness! Luscious lemon, Alfredo and artichoke sauce sprinkled with a Parmesan crust to take your taste buds over the top with excitement! This bistro style entree is deliciously balanced and cooks up in just 20 minutes and served with rice.

Slow Cooked BBQ Beef with Baby Bakers
Guest Favorite Slow cooking is the busy person's perfect dinner solution. This one takes a smoky autumn flavor of rich BBQ sauce that slow cooks into the "fall-off-the-fork" beef. It's extra satisfying with our Baby Baker spuds to hit those hungry meat and potato lovers. You can bake low and slow in the oven or crockpot!

Honey Pecan Pork Roast with Cranberry Applesauce
Fast Lane Lean, juicy pork roast is marinated in a garlic seasoned, Dijon honey sauce, then you bake it up with a crunchy pecan crust. Pair it with our festive red cranberry-applesauce (included). Each bite is an explosion of holiday flavors! Plan a little extra time to thaw and bake.

Creamy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice
Guest Favorite Fresh grated carrots. Fresh green onion. Fresh cilantro. Ginger. Garlic. All smothered in a creamy sauce on Thai shrimp. Cooks up in just 30 minutes. Touch up the heat for a little spice or keep it smooth and as mild as you like. Perfectly served over coconut rice for a full rounded dinner.

Steaks with Sweet Bourbon Mushroom Sauce
New Bourbon sauce, mushrooms and bacon smothered over fork tender Choice steaks gives you pure scrumptiousness. Enjoy the 10 minute cook time that brings a comfort style entrée to the table quick & easy. Check out a variety of our Chef Touched side dishes to round out the meal.

Chicken with Honey, Garlic & Orange
Sweet, tangy colorful oranges smoothed with honey make this not only kid friendly, but zesty delicious! The glaze melts garlic into the citrus sauce to make this all natural chicken breast dinner melt-in-your-mouth with each bite. It's a healthy and creative entree to use on your super busy nights.

Steak Caprese
Delicious! Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil smother these marinated sirloin steaks with light fresh flavor and bright colors of green and red. This dish is inspired by the classic flavors of “Insalada Caprese", found in great Italian restaruants. Nice for a quiet "date night" or impress your friends and family with this stress free 20 minute dish.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken
Spice up your life a little or a lot! This healthier version of a New York favorite takes boneless, skinless, all natural chicken breasts in a mild Buffalo wing marinade you cook up in just 20 minutes. Your chef secret happens when you glaze it with a kicked up lite Ranch dressing. You decide the spiciness. Finish with a sprinkling of Gorgonzola cheese and voila!

Sesame Marinated Flank Steak
Hearty tender and juicy flank steak is the perfect way to your family's heart on a cool fall night. Marinated in deep traditional Asian flavors of soy, ginger, green onions and sesame seeds, it's easy to grill on the backyard barbeque or broil inside. It serves up with beautiful ease!

Blackened Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Comfort food with healthy southern flare! Blackened herb dusted fillets cook up in just 15 minutes for big bold flavor your family loves! This salmon is tender and fresh and when you cook it on high you seal in all the natural juices. Colorful pineapple salsa adds sweetness. Plus, the hint of cilantro makes it beautiful for holiday entertaining. Enjoy!

Chicken and White Bean Chili With Corn Fritters
Healthy, hearty chili made with tender white chicken simmers with white beans, fresh celery, carrots and onions. Add a little heat with jalapeno peppers. It's a complete meal with our corn fritters flavored with Gorgonzola cheese. Cooks up in 30 minutes or better yet, simmer all day in your crockpot and come home to dinner already done!

Chocolate Chai Cookies

My entire family knows and loves these tasty little treats. Also, if you make them into small cookies you get around 6 dozen...You would never know that the base is from a boxed chocolate cake...I always add them to my holiday cookie platters!

Chocolate Chai Latte Cookies

• 1 package butter recipe chocolate cake mix (though I use any chocolate type)
• 3 T instant chai tea latte mix (generally found by the cocoas/coffees, I get mine at Trader Joes)
• ½ cup Butter – softened
• 1 egg
• 3 T milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips (they call for milk, I use semi-sweet or white)

Drizzle

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3-5 tsp water

Heat oven to 350F. Combine all cookie ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl. (I start with the butter and chai latte mix, then add the cake mix a little at a time until the egg and milk is needed, but it really doesn’t matter). Beat at medium speed until well mixed and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. It is a thick, sticky dough.
Shape dough into ¾ inch balls. If using your hands, butter them so they don’t stick. I use a cookie scoop and it makes nice little even balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until tops are set and cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
Combine all drizzle ingredients except water in a small bowl. Add enough water for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies (I use a fork and drizzle like mad with all cookies on a sheet so I don’t make too large a mess). Store between sheets of waxed paper in container with tight-fitting lid. I store them in ziplock bags, and they are just fine!

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Dream Dinners is a "dinnertime solution" that helps you serve a great meal to your family easily and with little to no thought. It answers that nagging question... "What's for dinner tonight?"

The ingredients are ready to assemble, but not cooked, we leave that part to you.  If you are interesting in seeing if it works for you and your family, we have an introductory price that shouldn't be missed!  $74.95 for 18 servings!  Take advantage today.

Ordering is easy:

• Click Here 
• Select a session date and time & select your dinners
• Complete your registration & pay
• Arrive & assemble dinners
• Freeze your dinners at home
• Thaw up to 3 dinners a week & enjoy family dinners with less stress!

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How to Hardboil Eggs

It is funny, but sometimes the easiest stuff isn't that easy.  I don't know about you, but I used to cook the heck out of my eggs, boiling them for 15 minutes or so and ending up with overcooked and usually cracked eggs.  It usually wasn't a big deal unless I was going to decorate the eggs, but when I found this recipe from Cook's Illustrated I felt like things finally made sense. 

TIP - Use your older eggs (not expired!). As an egg ages it pulls away from the shell, so the freshest eggs will stick to the shell and be the most difficult to peel.

How to boil an egg:

1. Put 1 layer of eggs in a sauce pan (6)
2. Cover with water (1 inch above the eggs)*
3. Get to boiling (hard boil) over high heat
4. Turn off the flame, cover and let sit for 11 minutes

*Note - I just read online that if you add 2-3 lemon wedges to the water before boiling it will help make the shell easier to peel off.  I have never tested that, but just thought I would share!

Meanwhile fill a bowl with one tray of ice cubes and a quart of water.  Transfer eggs to ice bath with slotted spoon.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.  Refrigerate or use.

IF you need the eggs immediately, before you put them in the bath, pour the hot water out of the pan and then shake the eggs in the pan, cracking the shells.  Put into ice bath and the water can now get underneath the shells making them easier to peel.

End of Year Giveaway - Apple iPad!

HAVE YOU HEARD????

Dream Dinners Ventura is giving away an Apple iPad2!
 

 

There are many ways to enter. Sign up for November at your October session.

Hostess a taste party. Sign up for December at your November session.

Sign up for all 3 months, Oct-Dec and get bonus entries!

 

Be sure to get a ticket in that bowl, the winner is going to get a very nice end of 2012 gift.

 

 

Crock Pot Cooking Tips

Crock Pot Cooking Tips


Many Dream Dinners cook deliciously in a Crock Pot. Don’t you love the aroma of dinner cooking in the house when you get home from a long day, it’s so comforting. 

Having dinner ready to serve when you walk in the door is pretty comforting as well!  :)



Here are a few tips we have learned:



■One hour on High is equal to 1 1/2 to 2 hrs of cooking time on Low.

■Always cook with the lid on and don’t lift the lid for the first 2 hrs of cooking.

■Cut your vegetables in larger pieces than you would if cooking on the stove top. They benefit from slow cooking to develop a richer flavor and will shrink. At the smallest, a 2 inch raw cut of any vegetable is best.

■Fresh herbs should only be added in the last 5 – 10 min of cooking, the flavors will dissipate if you slow cook them. It is best to use dried herbs and add them when you start the cooking. They simmer and hydrate into the dish, imparting richer flavor.

■Only add milk, cream or sour cream in the last 15 – 20 min of cooking time or it can break down and separate.

■When cooking frozen meats or dinner, add 1 cup of room temp or warm liquid to thaw food evenly before it begins to cook. Use stock, beer, red or white wine depending on what the dinner is.

■You can add a cup or so of beans, barley or other fiber rich grains to what ever dinner you are cooking. Its easy and we all need more fiber!

■Always fill the crock 1/2 to 3/4 full.

■Allow to cool to room temperature before cleaning the crock or the lid. Water on a hot surface can cause it to break.

Crock Pot Temperatures: You should check you crock pot during cooking to verify the cooking temperatures. Low setting should cook foods in 4 hours to 160 – 180 degrees. High should cook the food to 160 – 200 in 3 hours. Not all crock pots cook at those even temperatures and knowing your crock pot temp will help you adjust your cooking times and settings.

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

We know, summer is over, but here in California do we really stop using our grills?  One of the easiest and tastiest ways to cook many vegetables is on the grill and one of our favorites is asparagus. 

• 1 lb Asparagus - thick spears
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• Pepper (if you like it)

1. Pre-heat grill for high, direct heat.
2. Prepare the asparagus by washing and breaking off the tough bottom ends.  Place the asparagus in a pan or a ziplock bag and coat with olive oil and sprinkle with a few shakes of salt and some pepper.  (You can also get fancy with 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes or some garlic salt, but it tastes good with just salt and pepper as well.)  If I am making for a lot of people, I use a ziplock bag so that I can get oil on all of the asparagus without using a lot and making a big mess. 
3. Keep oil in ziplock or pan to keep them contained near the grill.
4. Grill the asparagus spears for 6-10 minutes until you develop a nice char and they are fork tender.  Be sure to turn them every few minutes so they brown evenly.  (Watch out for rolling asparagus!  I always lose a few spears through the grate!)
5. Remove to a new tray, serve immediately.

Serves around 4 for 1/4 lb each



October 2012 Schedule

Dream Dinners ~ Ventura: October Schedule Highlights

 

It is hard to believe it is October already, especially considering the weather!  But soon,  we will have cooler nights, shorter days, kids in costumes, fall comfort foods and busier schedules. 

If you are too busy to come to Dream Dinners this month, we assemble dinners each week for a $25 assembly fee.  At our Gluten-free session, we don't mess around, all of the stations are gluten-free!  We realize some of our clients have very strict diets and make it easy to keep your dinners safe for your family.  If you live in Santa Barbara and can't make it to our store, we deliver once a month to keep your freezers stocked. 

If you have any questions, please call the store at 805-644-4478

Gluten-free Session: October 13th, 9am (2nd Saturday of every month)

Made For You: October 5th, 13th, 20th and 27th
     Please order 2-days before

Santa Barbara Delivery: Delivering on Tues. October 9th (order by this Friday, October 5th)

To schedule your session or place your order, please go to the Dream Dinners website here.