From spag bol to meat and two veg, if you are anything like me, then you probably stick to the same old tried and tested recipes and dutifully rotate them on a weekly basis. Despite having a cupboard stuffed with cookery books from James Martin to Jamie Oliver, I’ll confess that having to think about what to cook every night of the week can feel like a real chore. Creativity in the kitchen isn’t always my strongest point, and when I do try something new, I usually find I’ve forgotten to purchase a key ingredient.
So you can imagine my glee when into my inbox pops an email from something called Dinner Time, asking me if I’d be interested in having one of their grocery bags delivered, complete with the food and recipes for four days worth of dinners. Eh…let me think about that one. YES please! UAE born Dinner Time takes the stress out of deliberating over your main meal – they design the menus that change on a weekly basis, purchase the groceries for you and deliver it all freshly to your door. All you have to do is follow the recipe and dish it all out. It actually makes home cooking a little more fun and definitely much more hassle free! (Ideal for frazzled, busy people like myself.)
The nice thing about Dinner Time is that it also caters to all tastes, whether you are vegetarian, gluten free, paleo inclined or just enjoy a bit of everything. All you have to do is order online and deliveries are sent out on a Sunday. I was lucky enough to try their Paleo box last week, with meals like Fish with Morrocan Vegetables, Butter Chicken (made with cashew cream) and Chilli Beef and Sweet Potato Nachos. It was also quite inspiring – I discovered new cooking skills and tried things I had never thought of before – cauliflower rice, anyone?
“We want to make it easy for people to get back into the kitchen, so that they can have fun cooking good and healthy food for themselves and their loved ones,” Karin Sundström, Co Owner and Founder of Dinner Time UAE, tells me. As a mother to three fussy eaters, Karin knows all too well the challenges of having to put food on the table every evening. “We do the planning and grocery shopping for them, they just cook and enjoy! Our service is perfect for busy mums.”
The menu I received was designed by fellow Dubai yoga teacher, Elaine Hall, who is just one of the nutrionists that help to whip up the creative Dinner Time recipes. She told me a little more about the Paleo way of eating: “ In an age where meals come ready-made from boxes with a multitude of ingredients we can’t pronounce, the Paleo way is an attempt to turn back the clock, eliminating foods that developed from farming and the industrial revolution such as milk and dairy products, starchy grains such as wheat, corn and barley (i.e. pasta, bread, cous cous, pizza) and refined sugar and processed seed oils (corn oil, soya oil, rape-seed oil). It encourages us to be conscious of the source of our food, choosing local and/or organic where possible and good quality, grass-reared meat.”
Despite battling a totally unrelated stomach virus all week, I really enjoyed testing out the recipes and it certainly gave me food for thought. It was such a nice change to be able to reach into the fridge or cupboard and actually have every ingredient to hand! The husband was also very happy to try new things. Highly recommended if you are in need of some foodspiration and simply don’t want to have to worry about the old “What’s for dinner?” debate (or navigate the aisles of the Spinneys with a few kids in tow.) Check out the DinnerTime website for more details. Readers of The Peace Lily will also receive a complimentary bag of organic fruits with your first order.
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