Easy holiday meals

[acrossthebeach]

We are going abroad with friends in a villa, and we have agreed to take turns to cook at home much of the time because one of the couples is on a tight budget.

We have a bbq so meat/salads will be a common theme but what simple recipes would you cook if you hadn't got all your spices/store cupboard things to hand?

We will have a supermarket a couple of miles away and I'll get olive oil/lemons/garlic but I don't want to buy tons of herbs/spices/vinegars that I have access to at home, so need recipes with as few ingredients as possible.

I think sticking with the part of the world you're in makes dining in feel more holiday-ish. So, assuming you're off to southern Europe:

Pop some wooden skewers in your suitcase and do kebabs on the BBQ, eg chicken, peppers and another veg, with rice pepped up with lemon juice.

BBQ local fish with salad & lemony garlic couscous.

Paella or risotto stuck in the oven - you could always pack a paella/risotto flavouring sachet to cut down on spices needed.

An easy one for long lunches is of course cold tapas - cold rice or couscous salad, cured meats from the supermarket, normal salad, local breads, jar of local preserved peppers etc, whatever looks yummy on the supermarket shelf.

If it was me, and I had hold luggage, I'd pack a small sharp knife too as self catering ones are always rubbish.

We have a small campervan, so space is limited. I make up a small tub of favourite dried Mediterranean herbs, enough for a week or two, and a tub of spices (cinnamon, coriander, cumin etc). Some people use TicTac boxes for herbs, but ai found some small tubs in a pound shop ages ago. So useful.

I would definitely buy at least one type of vinegar as that's helpful for salads, marinades etc. Also, depending on where you are, it might be nice to pick up something local, including fresh herbs, chilli, garlic, ginger etc. My mum always used to pack a couple of her favourite jars of herbs/spices that she used all the time. If it was me, I'd probably rely on fresh herbs so would just take fennel seeds, paprika, cumin and cinnamon and oregano but that's me.

Assuming good weather and BBQs a lot, I think you can do a lot with salads and a few basic flavourings .eg we did griddled aubergines on the BBQ this weekend and then I made a little dressing of just some olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and fresh chopped chilli and mint and I topped the whole lot with some rocket and mozzarella. Was delicious and those are all ingredients you could buy easily.

An easy marinade for chicken without lots of extra ingredients:
Olive oil
Lemon
Ketchup
Garlic
Paprika
Fennel seeds but skip this if you can't be assed to buy some.

Stir fries are easy and don't need a lot of spices outside of fresh garlic, ginger and mint. Buy a stir fry sauce of create your own flavouring with lime juice and soy sauce.

When we are self catering, we almost always do at least one night of spaghetti bolognaise as it's an easy one to make and doesnt have to have a lot of additional flavourings. I usually add dried oregano and basil, but could swap that out for fresh or just basil.

Chicken tray bakes can be done with very limited additional flavourings. Lemon goes a long way in these situations. Some chorizo or parma ham can add a lot of flavour without the need to add herbs/spices and some fresh garlic goes a long way too.

I'd agree with all the advice above particularly fresh herbs to minimise waste and maximise fresh flavours. Can you say where about you will be.
I love going to markets on holiday and picking from all the beautiful fresh flavours.
I'd probably buy olive oil, lemon, garlic, honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, limes, coconut milk, chilli's and fresh herbs. At home I tend to use individual spices but in your situation I'd probably take a few of the pre mixed seasoning blends such as Cajun, a curry powder, a bbq rub.
If you want a break from bbq meats and fish etc than I think a big fritata would be good and easy enough to make with what ever ingredients you have available.
You could also pick up some pasta and fresh seafood and make a dish with pasta, chilli, garlic, fresh herbs with some salad and garlic bread.

Simple kebabs with either chicken or lamb, coupled with peppers and chunks of red onion. Really simple green salad with cucumber and tomato on the side.
Make a marinade out of natural yoghurt, lemon and garlic, salt and pepper, parsley, if you can get some.

Agree about eating local as fresh produce will be tasty without much seasoning. E.g. Mediterranean tomatoes really just need olive oil and a pinch of salt. If you can find a local deli you'll be sorted.

Fish is a good option because again it has flavour of its own, no need for anything beyond lemon and oil.

Bread is your friend carb wise, you can buy local and daily.

I have a tupperware box with little tubs of herbs that I keep in a suitcase for when we go abroad! We tend to use them on meat/fish throughout the week.

The other thing I do, is at the beginning of the week, make a massive roasting dish of veg peppers/aubergine/courgette/garlic/onion/oil/oregano etc. Then I can turn that into pasta sauce, or serve with the meat x

We always do fajitas with nachos at least once.
I
take a small selection of spices in a pill box (obviously remember to label them).

Pizza would be a quick and easy holiday meal, using ready made bases or flat breads from the supermarket, plus other local ingredients, fresh herbs and tomatoes etc.

If you are going to France you might find the supermarket or butcher offers a traiteur section, of ready made meals like tagine or couscous Royale, that you could serve with extra side dishes if required. Or a platter of ready cooked seafood from the supermarket is an easy meal, you only need to add lemons! 🍋 🍋 🍋

Can you buy some fresh herbs there to use, like 1 packet of thyme to go with the lemon and rosemary?

Or perhaps stick 1/2 sachets if a favourite mix into your suitcase (powdered not liquid if hand luggage). Like Nando's piri piri to marinate chicken in, or some fajita seasoning for a more Mexican flavoured meal another night still using bbq and salad theme.

What I'd suggest bringing from home is a handful of ziplock bags to marinate meats in (and throw once used), and maybe a couple of sachets of seasoning or else I find the most useful spice is paprika.

Don't forget salt and pepper when doing initial shop.

We are in Spain. I'm know we will be able to get things from the supermarket but I don't want to be buying a bottle of this that and the other to make a marinade or dressing.

Actually taking a few packet marinades is something I hadn't thought of so I'll get a few for chicken etc.

A Charcuterie board with bread, cheese and olives/sundries tomato’s etc

Chicken & Veg skewers on the BBQ with some kind of salad/pasta salad

Fajitas

Steak either on the grill or BBQ with potatoes or chips

Paella ( which being in Spain should be easy to purchase in supermarkets so you don’t need to make it yourself unless you want to)

If you are there for a week, take a few of your preferred dried herbs/spices in your suitcase and on arrival buy a large bottle of olive oil and a small bottle of vinegar (in Spain, I'm going for sherry vinegar, every single time) and a pot of salt and pepper. A bag each of fresh limes and lemons. And then a selection of fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary and parsley and of course some fresh ginger, garlic and chilli (if you like heat). That would more than do me for a week or so, particularly if I'm largely going to be cooking on the BBQ.

The basic of any marinade is oil, something acidic (lemon/lime/vinegar), salt, and preferred flavourings from herbs/spices so you don't need lots of variety.

I would BBQ a lot and also do a lot of large fresh salads that don't need complicated sauces. This is the time to explore options beyond just the basic green salad - big tomato salads, grilled veggies with couscous and shop bought pesto, any kind of slaw....

At home, I do a lot of salads with dressings that include tahini or honey or mustard but on holiday, it's lemon juice and olive oil, or vinegar and olive oil and just punched up with fresh garlic or chilli and possibly a pinch of whatever dried herbs I've brought with me.

Oh, and also see what the villa has. I've found quite often that people have left a few things behind or the host does so often there's a bit of this and a bit of that, making it even less urgent to buy a huge selection on day 1.

We were in Spain for a week (just the two of us and a toddler). I think it’s easier to just buy it all out there. We got through a bottle of olive oil and half a bottle of vinegar, nearly a whole jar of paprika and oregano, and we brought the black pepper grinder back with us. Much easier to just bring stuff home than bring it out. A lot of people leave stuff there for you to use. As there are more than two of you, you’ll definitely get through a jar of herbs in a week. We stuck to paprika, oregano, olive oil, garlic and lemon marinades. Used oil and vinegar for dressings. We would have fruit and eggs for breakfast, then if we stayed at home by the pool we would do a bbq around 1600 negating the need for lunch and dinner. We’d have steak, chicken, prawns, sausage, salad, and all the dips! Anything left over would be taken as a packed lunch the next day to the beach.

Home made burgers are quick and easy. Personally I think they are easier to cook in a pan than on a bbq. I don't add breadcrumbs or egg - just chopped onion, cooked til soft then cooled before mixing with mince (of any variety). Form into burgers and pan fry. Don't add salt and pepper to the mix but season each side of the burger before cooking.

Barbecuing is great but it is good to have a change

If you have an oven, Google tray bakes - eg Greek lemon chicken is quick and easy (chicken, potatoes, onion, lemon, herbs, optionally olives)

Fajitas

Spaghetti bolognaise or carbonara

Paella or risotto (again, if you have an oven, Google recipes for oven baked risottos, much easier for large groups).

Pasta with whatever meats etc you have. Buy the cheapest cream cheese, melt and add milk to thin to the right consistency- much easier than making a white sauce. Garlic and herb cream cheese even better

Love the deli type meals already mentioned - hams, cheeses, crusty bread etc but perhaps better for lunch

I take some herbs and spices with me - just mixed herbs and maybe cumin and paprika, salt and pepper. But worth checking with the accommodation as last time I took stuff they had quite a good selection there. I also take a couple of stock cubes.

Don't take paprika to Spain. Buy it there and bring any leftover home. Spanish paprika is great.

Fair point!