Cooking While Traveling

When you travel with kids, even for a short time, sometimes it’s easier to open a bottle of wine and cook at “home”. Ever since we had Sage and our little family became a big one (oddly enough with the addition of just one small kid), we have chosen to opt out of going to restaurants in exchange for cooking at home. This is true for our home life in NYC but also for vacations and trips. The cooking while traveling has been a more noticeable shift. I think once we were a family of 5 we started renting homes more often than staying in hotel rooms, and this setting allows for much more enjoyable cooking while on the road. My go to recipe is a super simple and versatile lentil salad. I first started making this salad in St. Barths. Funny, before Sage we had all our meals for the week mapped out, where and when we would have lunch and dinner on any given day. When our little baby was 3 months old we rented a small villa in St. Barth’s. The setting really could not be more ideal for staying in rather than going out: a large open outdoor area overlooking Caribbean sea and glorious sunsets. We would put Sage to sleep at her normal bed time, the big kids would be busy swimming laps in the small pool, E was the DJ and I was in the open kitchen. Not bad, especially if you enjoy cooking.

Ok, back to lentils. There are a few super delicious take out places on the island and they all seem to have a lentil salad on the menu. That’s what originally inspired me to recreate it myself. The recipe is super easy and required minimum cooking ingredients and tools. All you need is a large (or really any size) pot, salt, water, lentils +any vegetables that are in season or available, fresh or dry herbs, oil and vinegar (optional) and a creamy cheese (feta, goat cheese, or even parmesan) helps, but again not necessary.

My friend Dawn has a really good recipe that’s a bit more involved and has a longer list of ingredients, but totally worth every bit of chopping because it really is that good! I hadn’t even realized that her recipe was also inspired by the same exact place as mine until I went back to get the link for y’all. Great minds think (cook) alike.

If you are actually on the road and don’t necessarily have access to all the ingredients and want a smilar experience with a bit less hassle, follow me:

Lentils, preferably french green or beluga. these are smaller rounder lentils that are harder to overcook. they keep their shape and therefore are great for salads. I always soak my lentils, either overnight, or for as long as you can, even a couple of hours is good. Cook according to package instructions. I tend to cook lentils, especially for a salad, like pasta vs. like rice. Meaning I don’t wait for the lentils to absorb all the water. I follow the time, taste for doneness, and then drain and rinse. Use plenty of salt and any other spices you like in the water. If you’re in a bind and only have the regular brown lentils, they will work too, just be super careful not to overcook them.

While the lentils are cooking, get your veggies ready. Since I’m usually making this salad in a warm climate I like to use green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, peppers, but really anything goes! If using green beans, break them into bite size pieces and add to the lentils about 2-5 minutes before draining them. See: you only need one pot! Chop any raw veggies to about the same size (bite size). Mix with a bit of salt, shallot, or fresh garlic. If you have olive oil and/or vinegar mix it all with the veggies so they start releasing their juices and the flavors meld. If you have any fresh herbs on hand: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, pick one or two and chop lots and add that too! Now drain the lentils and mix with all the vegetables. If using cheese: crumble, mix, and taste for salt. Adjust accordingly. I normally make this salad pretty veg heavy, but there are no rules! the lentil to vegetable ratio is totally up to you.

My other go to dish while traveling E has named “Travel Day Pasta”. I first made this pasta the day we left Sardinia. I didn’t plan for lunch because I guess I didn’t realize what time we were flying out, but our flight wasn’t until later in the evening. On our way home from the beach we picked up some tomatoes. We had some pasta, salt, olive oil, garlic, and basil at home. that is all you need! Thus making this the perfect dish for evenings after a long, or even short travel day. I was inspired by my friend’s grandmother’s bruschetta which is beyond beyond delicious. We had spent an evening talking about the magic that happens when you mix fresh tomatoes, salt, and olive oil. How the tomatoes release their juices creating the most perfect sauce.

Ingredients:
250-300 grams of pasta. I like to use chickpea or lentil pasta as it’s gluten free (for E) and is higher in fiber and protein than regular wheat pasta, but the recipe works great with any pasta that you like.
~300 grams tomatoes. I like cherry tomatoes because I’m lazy and they are easier to chop but also because they are the most concentrated in flavor.
Handful of basil
1-3 cloves of garlic
Sea salt
Good quality olive oil

Instructions:
-Chop up the tomatoes, pretty small. If using cherry tomatoes I quarter them. Make sure to keep all the juices, and set aside in a large bowl.
-Salt the tomatoes with a generous pinch of salt.
-Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
-Smash or chop the garlic finely. If you don’t love the taste of raw garlic, smash one clove and let it flavor the oil without having to bite into it. If you are like me, and love raw garlic, finely chop 1-3 cloves. Add to the tomato mixture.
-Rip or cut the basil and mix it with the tomatoes.
-Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous amount of salt and cook pasta according to package instructions. If you are using one of the legume pastas, like chickpea or lentil, the most important part is to not overcook it. My trick is: if the box says cook for 7-9 minutes, I do 6. Cook the pasta one minute less than the lowest number.
-Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix with the tomatoes.

That’s it! Enjoy!

**Note: In addition feel free to add any veggies that you have on hand. It’s august and surprisingly zucchini are really delicious in Finland, so I’ve been adding some to the cooking pasta about 2 minutes before I drain it. I have also used raw baby arugula. I would imagine some grilled or roasted eggplant would be delicious too.

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