6 Things to Cook to Make You Feel Like You’re on Vacation

It’s just that time of spring when it can’t seem to stop raining, and to make things worse, we’re stuck inside. The only thing that can brighten these spirits is comfort food. If you want something simpler and more traditional, feel free to buy a Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie. But if you want a meal that takes time to prep and cook, and not to mention transports you out of your home, butter chicken is the way to go.

This recipe is wildly popular, with over 19-million views on YouTube. It is a process, and could require a trip to the grocery store if you don’t have all the called-for spices on hand (though, I welcome a reason to leave the house), but is otherwise relatively inexpensive to make. Another great bonus: leftovers. Butter chicken day two is always better, as the spices have really had time to soak in. Additionally, this meal is incredibly aromatic, warm and comforting, and definitely an upgrade from the Easy Mac someone in your apartment building accidentally burned. I might just cook it for that reason alone.

We all know, to a varying degree, how to make pasta, and whether the sauce is homemade or from a jar, it’s likely delicious. But something that, if done right, can transport us to an Italian bistro, is the dessert that ends the meal.

Tiramisu encompasses both the dessert and end of meal coffee–it’s the best of both worlds. This recipe, by best-selling author and YouTube favorite Alison Roman, allows for varying degrees of effort as you can make components from scratch or buy them pre-made, allowing you to spend as much or as little time on cooking as you please. When complete, this creamy delicacy will have you wondering if a trip to Italy is even necessary anymore (it is).

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but most of us either skip it, declare ourselves a liquid diet-er as we drink our iced coffee and say “good enough,” or grab a protein bar on the way out the door. If you work a 9-5 job, it’s probably not something you have the opportunity to indulge in. Self-isolation is the time to slow down and actually make breakfast. Being home alone all day is not ideal or fun, so starting the day on a positive note can really be something that makes or breaks it: this breakfast is guaranteed to make it.

A Lahoh is otherwise known as a Somali pancake–it’s a breakfast staple with a slight twist, allowing you to break every so slightly from the norm and monotony. This dish, from the incredibly popular Bon Appetit, is on the savory side: You’ve got half an onion and garlic in there. It’s a nice break from the teetering-on-dessert breakfasts that we often favor here in the U.S., making this East-African breakfast far from your typical Eggo.

Curry is perfect for a lot of reasons, but one of the big ones is that it can be altered and adjusted to fit just about anyone’s dietary restrictions. You can substitute meat for chickpeas, or meat you don’t or can’t eat with another meat–the options are endless. A Thai curry, sweetened and lightened with coconut milk, will take you from your kitchen island, surrounded by mail you haven’t opened, to one of Thailand’s tropical islands, surrounded by crystal clear waters.

Though this recipe calls for only vegetables, if you’re an omnivore, chicken, or beef can be added.

There is nothing I am craving food-wise quite as much as something fresh–I’ve reached my canned food breaking-point. Vacation-wise, all I want is a warm beach, and right now, poke is the best we are going to do. Poke is great for take-out, but it’s also something so easy to make at home that there is no reason to buy out and pay for all the extra “add-ons”. Additionally, there is something about working with fresh fish that feels like an incredible accomplishment, no matter how easy it actually was.

There are a lot of different ways to make poke, with variations of how to marinate, the seafood used, and the toppings of choice, but this video from Action Bronson’s F*ck That’s Delicious is a good place to start. Not only does he walk you through how to make his variation of poke, he also takes you to Hawaii (pictures of this dream vacation will have to do for now) to show you where he learned to make it, as well as give you some history.

Our Taco Tuesdays need to be spiced up: No more ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning. What we need is a traditional Mexican taco, something to make the night more exciting than it would have been pre-corona.

These tacos al pastor are incredibly flavorful and not too difficult to make with a pretty simple five-step process. They might remind you of the trip you took to Mexico with your girls, or the food truck you frequented before this whole self-isolation thing. I would recommend a side-dish of margaritas (for this recipe and every recipe mentioned before). Just because you’re quarantined doesn’t mean you can’t have a (one-man) fiesta.