Vacation Cooking

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Instead of a hotel, it’s quite the “in” thing these days to rent an apartment or home while on vacation. Last spring, we used Airbnb  to find apartments in Paris and Provence.

Renting an apartment or home means more space to spread out comfortably beyond the confines of a hotel bedroom. And having a kitchen enables you to experience local farmers’ markets, not just as a sightseer, but as an active participant, as you shop for meals – a great way to immerse yourself in day-to-day life. Cooking at home also is a money-saver, since you don’t have to frequent a restaurant for all your meals (although, of course, you’ll want to dine out, too).

The trick to vacation cooking is to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. This is where Special Fork’s 30-minute prep recipes (cooking time may be extra) can help. And since you already have your smartphone or tablet at hand, no need to pack a cookbook when you travel.

Whether you’re vacationing in another city, state or country, or simply enjoying a staycation, here are some recipes to help you put simple meals on the table so you still have time for summer fun.

For more recipes, go to Special Fork’s recipe database. To find the quickest recipes, search under the “other/advanced” category, where you can specify the shortest cook and prep times.

• Lemony Orzo Pasta with Kale and Grape Tomatoes is a light and lovely salad for one by Lori Powell; multiply the recipe to serve more. For a heartier salad, add cooked shrimp or leftover rotisserie chicken. Total time: 25 minutes.
• Steeped Chicken with Fresh Ginger-Onion Sauce is a recipe by Linda Anusasananan that ensures perfectly moist chicken breasts every time. This is an Asian-style, main dish salad. Total time: 50 minutes. (Actual prep time: 20 minutes.)
• Herb Frittata by Ben Mims requires just a few ingredients and makes a quick and easy supper; serve it with a simple green salad. Total time: 18 minutes.
• Melon and Prosciutto Salad by Marilyn Hunter can be an appetizer or side salad. Skip the melon baller and just cut the melon in chunks to save time. Total time: 25 minutes.
• Sloppy Joe Tacos is a recipe by Katie Barreira that merges two kid-pleasing favorites in one easy dish. Total time: 30 minutes.

Next Monday starts our annual Special Fork summer hiatus. As usual, we will be off until the Monday after Labor Day, September 8. In the meantime, please check back each week until we return, for a link to a new summer Pinterest board that we’ll be posting on Special Fork each Monday.

Have a great summer!

Sloppy Joe Tacos photo by Katie Barreira

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

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