Vacation Cooking – Improvised!

By Katie Barreira

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

Ever booked a hotel room that claimed to have a kitchenette or some such access to cooking equipment only to find yourself in a bedroom with a mini-fridge and a microwave? No need to give-up and go out for every meal. You can still save big and have a few meals in, even with barest-boned kitchen.

Micro Magic:

Dish-Free Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is a low-cal and microwave-friendly pasta substitute. Plus, it doubles as it’s own mixing bowl and serving dish, so you won’t be scrubbing dishes in the bathroom sink!

Serves 2 to 4

1 medium (3-pound) spaghetti squash
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. With a sharp knife, pierce squash all over. Place on paper towel in microwave oven and cook on high for about 10 to 15 minutes, rotating once or twice during cooking, until the squash gives slightly when pressed. Let stand 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
2. Halve the squash and discard the seeds. Using a fork, scrape the flesh of the squash into strands while still in the shell; season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cheese. Serve in the shell.

To get the Dish-Free Spaghetti Squash recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Micro-Toasted Nuts
Freshly toasted nuts add a gourmet bite to packets of oatmeal or bagged salads. Place a handful or two of nuts (any variety) on a microwave-safe plate (the actual microwave tray works great; just give it good wash first) and cook for 1 minute on high. Continue cooking in 30-second increments, just until the nuts begin to sizzle and smell toasty. Remember, the microwave cooks from the inside out, so don’t go by the nuts’ outside color, or they will be burnt.

Toaster Tricks:
They’re not just for toast or frozen waffles (that freezer in the mini fridge doesn’t work anyway!). Make a pressed sandwich or pizza pocket with the press of a lever.

PB Banana and Honey Pressata
Makes 4

4 brioche rolls
2 bananas, peeled and halved crosswise, then cut lengthwise into thirds
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey

1. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a slit in the side of each roll to form a pocket, being careful not to rip the sides. Press each roll with the palm of your hand to flatten.
2. Spread each banana slice with some peanut butter and honey then stuff 3 slices into each pocket. Press the sandwich flat enough to fit inside the toaster, wiping any excess filling from the outside. Toast, slit side up, on the lightest setting, until crusty, about 1 minute.

To get the PB Banana and Honey Pressata recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Pita Bread Pizzas
Makes 4

Spread the inside of halved pita pockets with tomato sauce, then stuff with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices. Heat in a toaster, cut side up, until the cheese is melted.

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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5. Sloppy Joe Tacos