What to Cook at a Vacation House
Simple crowd pleasers to add to your holiday meal plan.
Greetings everyone, and a happy Independence Day! Forgive this newsletter for being a day late and landing in your inbox on a holiday - it’s been a jam packed week for me. Thankfully, today we are having a lowkey Fourth celebration - no real plans, maybe a local hike to a waterfall, backyard BBQ (lately we are loving these burgers) and s’mores by the fire pit. Our town wide fireworks celebration was earlier this week, so we got our festive fill already.
If, by chance, you’re heading out of town to a vacation house or rental, lucky you! I love the feeling of packing up the car to head somewhere close to nature, whether it’s the beach, a lake or the mountains, where you can relax and not think about anything other than good books, board games, happy hour and what to cook for dinner. Pure, simple bliss. I know that for many people, cooking dinner on vacation doesn’t quite qualify as relaxation, but it helps to focus on the element of adventure in it. Exploring new supermarkets and using a different kitchen can be fun. Plus, there’s something so uniquely wonderful about taking a shower after a long day at the beach/pool and then heading into the kitchen (hair still wet!) for snacks, something cold to drink, and dinner prep.
When I’m cooking in a vacation rental, I try to keep the meal planning loose and flexible, just so I have some semblance of a plan when I head to the grocery store but nothing too rigid in case I can’t find a certain ingredient, or, conversely, something stunningly fresh catches my eye at the farmer’s market that I want to incorporate into dinner. I’ll sketch out my rough ideas for the week, make a corresponding grocery list and hit the supermarket after we’ve settled in.
Some vacation kitchens are very well stocked, equipment wise; others, not so much. As such, I always bring a few things with me to ensure my basic needs are met: my own sharp chef’s knife (in a sheath, of course), 1-2 sheet pans (for roasting tofu, vegetables, potatoes, baking pizzas, and, of course, chocolate chip cookies), my citrus squeezer (for vinaigrettes, drinks), a jar of kosher salt (for pasta water, seasoning food - little clumpy salt shakers will not suffice) and a large fine mesh strainer (for rinsing grains, lentils, beans). As long as I have these things with me, I can usually make-do. (If you’re curious about a longer list of kitchen items I can’t live without on a regular basis, check out this past post). If you have the room, a full set of measuring spoons, measuring cups and liquid measuring cup can be a saving grace.
There are a few meals I typically make every single time I go away, and for good reason:
They’re crowd pleasers. I want to make sure that everyone in the rental will eat what I’m cooking, whether it’s a bunch of kids, omnivores or vegans. I try to make sure that I’m serving something that will be appealing to most people.
The ingredients are widely available. I am lucky to live in New Jersey, where we have abundant supermarket choices and a wide array of ingredients available. However, I know this is not the case in many areas of the country/world. I try to choose meals where the ingredients are available nearly everywhere, so I’ll stay away from specialty plant-based ingredients when possible, as well as hard to find spices, ethnic foods, etc.
No special equipment required. I would definitely never plan a meal where I absolutely had to have a Vitamix, food processor, Instant Pot, etc. All of the meals I plan can be made using standard kitchen appliances and equipment.
They’re forgiving and adaptable. Expect the unexpected: the rental kitchen has no measuring spoons, the grocery store you went to is completely out of broccoli, etc. - sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got, so these meals will allow for some substitutions and/or approximations while still giving you very edible results.
So if you’re traveling, here’s some dinner inspiration for you - have fun with it! Turn on some music and bonus points if you can eat outside under some twinkle lights.
Meal 1: Homemade Pizza
When we make pizza at home, it’s somewhat of a production (my husband has a multi-day process for the dough), but when we are on vacation, we streamline things a bit: store-bought pizza dough (most supermarkets carry it, or you can usually buy it from a local pizzeria - just ask!), canned crushed tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and whatever toppings we’re in the mood for. Crank the oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit; while the oven pre-heats, lightly flour the dough and let it come to room temp for at least 30 minutes. Lightly grease a sheet pan and using the tips of your fingers, gently press the dough toward the sides of the pan. Spread crushed tomatoes evenly over the dough (leaving about an inch of perimeter for the crust), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and top with your toppings. Bake at 500 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve with a simple green salad (or this one!) and some very cold beer (preferably something local, or my favorite non-alcoholic variety).
Meal 2: Tacos
We are big fans of the taco in my family - they make everyone happy, they’re endlessly customizable, and can usually be whipped up with things you already have on hand. For all these reasons, they almost always make an appearance at a vacation rental. Grab a package of tortillas or a box of hard shell tacos (or both!). A few ripe avocados (to mash up with salt and a squeeze of lime) or storebought guacamole is a must. A few cans of black beans and some veggies to roast/saute (corn, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower). Salsa or pico de Gallo, fresh cilantro, finely chopped jalapeños and thinly sliced cabbage, lightly tossed with vinegar and salt, for slaw. Put everything in separate serving bowls and set up an assembly line: dinner is served!
Meal 3: BBQ Burgers
If your rental has a BBQ, burgers are a must! We grab a few packages of our favorite plant based burgers (most supermarkets now carry Beyond Burgers), plus some pillowy buns, lettuce, red onion, sliced avocado, pickles and ketchup. Corn on the cob and green beans for your veg. No burger night is complete without fries, so don’t forget a few bags of frozen french fries (it is vacation, after all!).
Meal 4: Pasta
Pasta is one of the few things I can think of that everyone has probably cooked at some point in their lives. It’s affordable, widely available, filling and pretty much adaptable to every diet and palate out there. Pick up a few boxes of your favorite shape at the market, your favorite sauce (Rao’s marinara, store-bought pesto or just some good olive oil and fresh garlic), fresh vegetables to sauté (broccoli rabe, kale, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli) and whatever else you want to toss in (canned lentils, chickpeas or white beans, fresh basil or parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and/or capers). A fresh baguette is great for making garlic bread or mopping up sauce. Serve with a simple arugula salad, tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toasted nuts.
Meal 5: Stir Fry Bowls
Stir fry is the perfect way to use up all of those beautiful veggies you couldn’t resist picking up at the local farmer’s market (or, maybe you just have a lot of veggies in the rental fridge that have to be used up). Choose your stir fry “main star” - I love tofu or tempeh, but if they’re not available at the local market (or there are skeptics in the household), eggplant paired with cashews or peanuts are amazing together. Choose any accompanying veggies (ginger, garlic,
mushrooms, onions, bok choy, green beans, bell pepper, broccoli) and saute until just crisp. Toss everything in a simple stir fry sauce and add to cooked rice or steamed rice noodles (capellini/angel hair pasta also good in a pinch). Top with crushed red pepper flakes or chili crisp packed from home, and serve with some very cold bubbly.