Gourmet Prep Meals Really Delivers in Houston, Texas

Do you ever get tired of going out to eat? I know sometimes I just want to sit down to a good meal, a glass of wine, and enjoy myself while relaxing in my own home. Sometimes it seems like it is more work than it is worth to get dressed, pack items for the children and then deal with waiting for a table and my food while keeping the kids entertained. This could be why delivery services have become so popular. It's easy to order subs, wings, pizza and pasta for delivery, but who would have thought you could actually get gourmet meals delivered to your home? There's a new delivery service in Houston called Gourmet Prep Meals, which isn't just a new kid on the block when it comes to home food delivery but a whole new concept on delivery and prepared meals on the go.

Gourmet Prep Meals provides on demand delivery of ready-to-cook meal kits that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Plus, 100% of Gourmet Prep Meals' profits are dedicated to training youth aging-out of the foster care system in entrepreneurship.

What does Gourmet Prep Meals offer? First, it offers an alternative to other prepared meals, to go and delivery options with the types of foods it delivers. No microwaving these meals that are all ready for you to simply cook. All the ingredients are there in the kit; including the main entrée (like Pan Seared Ribeye Steak), side dishes and even the spices and sauces. You don't have to shop, chop or even dig around in your kitchen only to learn you don't have all the ingredients you need to cook your dinner.

Second, Gourmet Prep Meals offers an inexpensive alternative to gourmet dining. You can do it from the comfort of your own home without all the other expenses and without the wait for a table. Serve your own favorite beer or wine and you can even order enough to serve for dinner parties or other special events.

Third, this pre-packaged delivery service offer anti-biotic free chicken and tons of fresh vegetables and ingredients, all of which are healthier for you. With all these ingredients you get simple, easy to follow instructions for preparing your meal.

Fourth, while this is a gourmet food service, it provides a special service to the Houston community by donating 100% of Gourmet Prep Meals' profits to a service that is training youth aging-out of the foster care system. According to Stefanie and Gur Tsabar, who conceived Gourmet Prep Meals as the commercial fund-raising arm of their burgeoning non-profit, Gourmet Prep, "We created Gourmet Prep Meals as an empowering and affordable chef-driven alternative for busy Houstonians who might be struggling like we were to put good wholesome food on their dinner tables. And while we were at it, thought this would be a great way to serve a very vulnerable and neglected segment of our population. In short, we intend to solve a real social problem by solving a real consumer problem first."

I guess your next question is who creates these seasonal menus, meals and kits? The menu offerings are developed by Chef Justin Turner, a culinary school trained and pedigreed toque who also serves as the personal chef for the Houston Rockets' Shane Battier. The kit arrives at your home and you do the cooking.

How is the food? The Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Blue Cheese, Pine Nuts and a fresh balsamic vinegar dressing was a very large portion which could serve between 1-3 people depending on how you use it. It was my lunch one day and I loved having it all to myself!

Other menu items I have tried includes: Seared Aged Ribeye Steak with Blue Cheese Sweet Potatoes and an Orange Demi-Glace and Vegetarian Pad Thai with Roasted Spiced Tofu and Crispy Peanuts, Honey Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry over Jasmine Rice, Chicken and Sausage Etouffee, and Blackened Tilapia over a Sweet Potato and Andouille Hash finished with a Citrus Drizzle. Be sure to visit the full menu, as the items change occasionally, I found something new just today.

I admit my two favorites were the Ribeye Steak and the Chicken and Sausage Etouffee. Eating off my plate with either one of those meals would have gotten a spouse or child in serious trouble. The Ribeye Steak was tender and juicy, the potatoes were fresh and just required a few dashes of this and that (all included) and there were lots of delicious fresh vegetables. No steak sauce" needed on this steak!

The children loved the Honey Sesame Chicken Stir Fry, it was just the right amount of sweetness to get children to eat it but it was loaded with chopped and slices zucchini, red peppers, and onions.

The least favorite was the Vegetarian Pad Thai, but that is an acquired taste for many people, and I do recommend that they include a small container of spicy chili sauce (it was the only thing missing).

Remember you are cooking these items yourself, so there will be mixing bowls, plates, pots and pans to be cleaned up after dinner, but just think of all the work you saved in avoiding the grocery store and chopping, slicing and dicing.

Prices range from $2.00-$5.00 for sides and salads, full meals approximately $8.00-$15.00. However, many of these dishes say one serving, but I know for our family it was more like 2.

Are you hungry yet? To get one of these meals delivered to your home visit Gourmet Prep Meals online to place your order online or call in. Gourmet Prep Meals charges a flat $4.95 delivery fee - deliveries currently available Monday through Friday within the Beltway - and encourages customers to make multiple orders at one time, as the raw meal kits, free of additives and preservatives, can be refrigerated for an average of five days - with expiration dates clearly noted.

Not only are these perfect for any dinner, from a romantic dinner for two at home, to the whole family they are also perfect gifts to send to someone who just had a baby or for a special birthday or other occasion.Though I have tried six of the dishes they currently offer I look forward to trying many more, as well as ordering the Etouffee again real soon. We all know you just can't make that in 30 minutes without a little help from a "gourmet."