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Nearly every DinnerSelect meal contains both grains and vegetables. Meatless dinners often include a protein substitute, like a type of bean or soy. Read more shopping and cooking tips below and see www.MyPyramid.gov for more information on balanced meals.
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GRAINS
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Bread. Shop for whole grain breads.
Pasta. Buy good quality pasta (look for “durum wheat” in the ingredients). Cook the pasta only until “al dente” – this is the point at which the pasta is tender, but still retains some resistance when you bite into it.
Rice. Our recipes use primarily two different types of rice: Basmati rice (for Indian and Thai dishes) and long-grain enriched rice (for everything else). Check the label that cooking time is no more than 15-20 minutes. Instant rice has been precooked and dehydrated, so it cooks in a little less time, but it is expensive and bland.
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VEGETABLES
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All of the DinnerSelect recipes include vegetables. Choose produce that looks appealing…if our dinner suggests green beans, for example, but the green beans at your grocery store aren't in season or just don't look great, then substitute another favorite vegetable. |
FRUITS
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DinnerSelect weekly dinners do not include desserts. We recommend you buy seasonal fruit and serve along with dinner or as a sweet after dinner. This will contribute to the daily recommended fruit servings for the whole family. |
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OILS
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We recommend olive oil or canola oil for most recipes. Both oils contain the best fat composition. Occasionally recipes call for oils such as sesame or peanut oils for their high flavorings. |
DAIRY
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Some DinnerSelect recipes include milk or cream (for sauces or creamy soups) and a variety of cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan). |
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PROTEIN
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You can choose to receive a variety of meat and meatless dinners each week or select any combination of chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, or fish/seafood. Vegetarian dinners usually offer a protein substitute such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, or soy products. |
SEASONINGS
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DinnerSelect recipes offer a wide variety of flavors. Here are some of the most common you will see:
Garlic. Don't even think about substituting with garlic powder. You can't beat fresh garlic. And it's easy to work with. Just cut the top and bottom off the clove and place your chef knife (flat) on top of it; give it a gentle tap to loosen the paper. Then peel off the paper and mince it with a chef knife. Alternatively crush the clove with a special garlic mincing tool.
Broth. You can make your own soup stock, but it takes a long time. Instead we recommend bouillon paste. When a recipe calls for 3 cups chicken broth, simply stir 3 teaspoons of chicken paste with 3 cups of water.
Fresh herbs. Cooking with fresh herbs gives a lovely flavor and aroma, often not matched by dried herbs. If you do substitute dried for fresh, the general rule of thumb is to substitute one part dried for three parts fresh (dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh). Remember to gently crush the dried herbs in the palm of your hand to release the flavors (oils) of the herbs.
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Do you have the right equipment?
Besides the usual pots and pans and measuring cups and spoons, there are a few other things that make it easier - and more fun - to cook at home.
See our top 5 picks below.
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1. Sharp chef and paring knives. Cooking with fresh herbs and vegetables requires a lot of chopping (Dinner Select meals can be prepared in less than an hour including chopping time). Invest in a high quality chef knife and paring knife. We rarely use any other knife.
2. Big cutting board. Give yourself room with a nice big cutting board, but be sure it can still fit in the dishwasher.
3. Pasta pot with steamer basket. We recommend steaming vegetables rather than boiling to preserve more of the nutrients and to help retain the color and flavor of the vegetable. A big pasta pot with a steamer basket is especially useful when boiling pasta anyway.
4. Handheld electric blender. We recommend a handheld blender in lieu of a food processor. It doesn't do all the jobs a food processor does, but takes a lot less storage space. We use ours to purée baby food, make breadcrumbs from day-old crusty bread, and to purée soups to give them a creamy texture.
5. Meat thermometer. Nothing fancy…look for a simple digital meat thermometer that gives an immediate temperature. This takes the guesswork out of knowing when the meat is cooked. It gives you confidence so you aren’t tempted to visually check doneness by cutting into the meat and losing the juices.
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