Travel the World in 11 Delicious and Easy Recipes
With as much as I have traveled, I have collected memories that will stick with me for a lifetime. Along the way, I have also picked up recipes from around the world, and have done my best to replicate them at home. What I found, however, is that some recipes call for ingredients that most people either don’t have, or don’t have access to. With a strong desire to create the meals I savored in my travels, I tested flavor combinations, and tried dupes for known flavors, all with the intention of creating easy international recipes.
Below has been a labor of love, my ballad to bites, and my symphony to seasonings. I have adapted recipes from my travels and other bloggers I have found after my trips that get me so close to the real thing, I could squeal. Keep reading for my renditions of some of the most popular dishes in the places I have visited, and allow yourself to travel through cooking as I do every day in my kitchen. Follow these easy recipes from around the world, and find a little bit of our planet in every bite. Bon Appetit!
1. Healthy Greek Chicken Bowls
If there is one item on this list that to me is the epitome of heath and happiness, it is this recipe. As with most people, I am OBSESSED with Mediterranean food…like lick my finger after running it on the bottom of the hummus bowl obsessed. When I visited Greece, I was in heaven. I ordered one of everything at most places, and even wrote an ode to the delicious food I dined on here.
After returning home, I was not willing to let my cravings go, and I decided I needed to come up with a recipe that would curb my cravings, but would also be healthy enough to eat two days in a row if I wanted. When I thought about the things I love to order from my preferred Greek restaurant, it was simple. I love the grilled chicken that is savory and full of flavor. I love the crunch of the lettuce and onion when I bite into a wrap. I love the coolness of the tzatziki that contains a medley of herbs, creating a burst of flavor at the end of a bite. But how would I deliver all of these things to my mouth, especially if I had no pita bread?
This is where the idea of throwing all of this in a bowl on a small bed of rice entered my brain. This would be an easy way to get all of the flavors I love, without worrying about getting the correct pita that wouldn’t rip apart in 2 seconds flat, leaving my lap a mess of yogurt, chicken, and vegetables.
Not only is this meal delicious, but I also love this recipe because there is always enough for leftovers, which store and commute on my morning transit well. Heating this up in the microwave at work is one step closer to Greece, and I think we can all agree, that’s where we all need to be. So, let’s get cooking…opa!
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast (or more for larger crowds)
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp dill
¼ cup shredded cucumber
Salt
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 ½ cups of lettuce, cut in skinny strips
½ cup of red onion, cut into thinly sliced rings
1 cup Kalamata olives
1 cup of “Easy Peasy Greek Tzatziki” (recipe 8 of this list)
¼ cup feta (make sure to use the brick and not pre-crumbled feta)
2 cups of your favorite variation of cooked rice
Marinade 1 pound of chicken breast for 8 hours in a bowl or bag filled with plain Greek yogurt, oregano, thyme, dill, shredded cucumber, and a pinch of salt. Keep in the fridge all day until you are ready to prepare the bowls.
Cook rice per package instructions. I prefer to cook 1 cup of uncooked Calrose Rice in 1 ¾ cups of boiling water. Once a rolling boil is reached, reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Pro tip: for the last few minutes before assembling bowls (and once rice is fully cooked through), turn the stove heat off completely, and let the rice unstick from the pan. The moisture from the rice with no added heat helps unstick the rice from the bottom of the pan, and makes cleanup a breeze.
While rice is cooking, turn on your grill to medium heat, and grill chicken until completely cooked through. If not working with a grill, chop your chicken into bite sized pieces, and prep to cook them in a nonstick pan on the stovetop over medium heat, keeping a constant eye to not overcook.
While both the chicken and the rice are cooking, dice tomatoes, slice red onion into thinly sliced rings, cut kalamata olives in half, and chop lettuce (I prefer romaine) into thin, bite sized strips. Prep your “Easy Peasy Greek Tzatziki” found later in this list.
Once chicken is cooked thoroughly and rice is cooked, assemble your bowls. Layer rice on the bottom of the bowl, and build on top of the base with chicken, vegetables, olives, and tzatziki. Enjoy while still hot.
2. Easy Thai Inspired Ramen
Whenever I am sick, and I mean EVERY. TIME. I. AM. SICK. I order Tom Kha Gai, a chicken and coconut soup that I discovered in Thailand. I was THAT tourist in Thailand, picking up my bowl and knocking back every last drop of this creamy and satisfying broth, letting none go to waste, and collecting stares from other restaurant patrons.
Now that I am back home, I am spending enough on Tom Kha Gai from my favorite Thai restaurant in San Francisco (thanks for being in business, Krua Thai!) to book another ticket to Thailand, so I wanted to figure out a way to make it for myself. I found recipes that came close, but left me hungry after even a few bowls. I have played with this recipe quite a bit, and found the secret sauce to make this filling, totally Thai inspired, and savory in every spoonful. This recipe is adapted from the original recipe by Rabbits and Wolves.
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast or thighs, cubes into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger
½ yellow onion, cut into thinly slices rings
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 8 oz can of water chestnuts
1 15 oz can of baby corn
2 cups of water
4 cups of miso broth soup (if not available, use chicken or vegetable broth)
1 14 oz can of low-fat coconut milk
¼ cup of soy sauce
2 packages of dried ramen noodles
Sambal or sriracha (to taste)
Fresh cilantro (to taste)
1 lime, halved
In large pot, cook thawed chicken on medium heat in olive oil with ginger and onion, until chicken is fully cooked. Once cooked, add red pepper flakes, water chestnuts, and baby corn to the chicken, and toss in the pan, heating vegetables through.
To the pot with chicken, add water, broth, and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring heat back to low, and allow to cook in the pot for an hour. After an hour, add soy sauce to mixture, and stir through soup.
When you are ready to serve soup, drop two packets of ramen noodles into the pot, not using the flavor packets that come in their packages. Stir noodles until fully cooked.
In bottom of bowl, dollop desired amount of sambal or sriracha. Ladle broth into bowl to dissolve sambal or sriracha, then ladle in noodles and vegetables. Douse more soy sauce to taste on top of soup, squeeze half of lime into bowl, and garnish bowl with a fresh sprig of cilantro. Eat while hot.
3. Grandma’s Sopa de Fideo
Have you ever been traveling, and you have no idea what to order from a menu? This happens to me a lot, deferring to my husband, asking if I will like something or not (he’s gotten quite good at this game).
A few months ago, I had the privilege of travelling through middle Mexico with my husband’s family, stopping and meeting family still in Mexico while there. One day, we stopped for lunch, and the menu was huge, I’m talking 12 pages of items to choose from. I looked across the table to what my husband’s grandmother ordered, and followed suit. Throwing in an empanada for good measure.
What came was sopa de fideo, which translates to soup of noodles. A tomato-based soup that delivers on cooked all day flavor, and has a homey feeling, like what tyou would get from American chicken noodle soup. In fact, in our house, sopa de fiedo is the new chicken noodle soup when somebody is sick, and is an awesome weeknight dinner that will produce leftovers for the rest of the week.
Ingredients:
1 package of fideo, or angel hair pasta
2 tbsp of olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, or 1 cup freshly diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
Cilantro to garnish
In a large pot, add olive oil and pasta. Brown pasta on all sides without burning by cooking at medium heat and constantly stirring. Pasta should turn a toasted brown color; this means it is done!
After pasta is browned, add onion and garlic to pan, cooking until onion is translucent. Once tender, add tomato to pot. Allow flavors to mesh for a few minutes in the pot.
Add chicken broth to pot. I liked to add water and bouillon cubes as I find the flavor payoff is better and more savory. Allow to heat through fully, and serve. I like to serve mine with a a tablespoon of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro at the bottom of my bowl. When the soup is poured over the top, the sour cream will melt and incorporate into the soup better.
4. No Take Out Take Out Chicken and Broccoli
It’s Friday night, I’m exhausted, and don’t feel like cooking dinner. I want to order out Chinese food, but also don’t want to spend the money on the food and delivery fee. What a 21st century predicament to be in.
We have all had those nights, and resort to a cold bowl of cereal and toast, going to bed woefully underwhelmed. Here is where I swoop in with a recipe that is so easy, delicious, and includes ingredients that EVERYBODY has, that I am sure it will become a week night staple for anybody who reads this.
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice, chilled overnight
1 lb chicken, thawed and cubed
2 cups corn starch
1/4 cup flour
3 cups of vegetable oil
4 tbsp sesame oil (can also use canola oil)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp ginger paste
4 cups chopped broccoli
½ tsp salt
¼ cup soy sauce
Red pepper flakes
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
In a large wok, put enough oil to fill it 1-inch high (approximately 2 cups). Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil and heat oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
Mix together the 2 cups of corn starch and ¼ cup flour in small bowl. A few pieces at a time, coat the chunks of chicken in the flour/cornstarch mixture.
Place approximately 4-5 pieces into the oil slowly. Some of the pieces of chicken will be above the oil line. After 2-3 minutes or until the coating is browned, turn the chicken to cook on the other side, frying chicken evenly on each side. Once the chicken is fully browned, remove and set on a platter layered with paper towels to catch the grease. Sprinkle kosher salt on the warm chicken. Repeat for the remaining pieces of chicken, cooking 4-5 pieces at a time. If the oil gets too low, add the remaining oil to refill to 1-inch. Wait until the oil reheats to 375 degrees- it should be shimmering.
Once all chicken is cooked, set aside, and wipe down wok, disposing of the oil properly. Reoil the pan with 2 tbsp of sesame oil, and bring to medium heat. Add sesame seeds and ginger paste to oil, and toast seeds briefly.
While toasting seeds, steam broccoli until vibrant in color, but still crunchy to the bite. If cooked too long, broccoli will wilt, and become mushy. Remove broccoli from heat once steamed, and add to wok with toasted seeds and ginger paste.
Salt broccoli in wok, and add soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and hoisin sauce. Allow to simmer over medium heat, and allow soy sauce and hoisin sauce to coat broccoli.
Once incorporated, add rice to wok, and toss. Incorporate broccoli, rice, and sauces until all rice has sauce on it, and is light brown in color. If this is difficult to achieve, add soy sauce slowly, until the color change can be achieved. Add chicken back to wok with rice and broccoli, and toss together.
Once mixed, serve in bowls with soy sauce and sambal/hot sauce to flavor.
5. Bali Dream Acai Bowl
If you scroll through Instagram photos of Bali, see a model eating an acai bowl, and don’t immediately think, “Damn that looks good,” then you’re lying to yourself. When I had the great fortune to travel to Bali, I was in acai heaven. My favorite spot, Acai Queen, had so many options to choose from, most of which could be ordered to be vegan. The first time I tasted one, I had a borderline spiritual moment, bouncing up and down in my seat as I ate. The freshness of the fruits mixed with the gorgeous colors looking back at me created an entire experience. It didn’t just taste good, but it was a full-on flavor adventure. Who knew so much sweetness could be packed in one little bowl, and contain so many vitamins and wholesome nutrients?!
The first Saturday after I returned to San Francisco, I was on a mission to recreate that same experience in my own kitchen, and knew I had some experimentation ahead of me. While I have access to things like acai packets and berries in California, I wanted to recreate the acai bowl so my parents who live in the middle of a cornfield in the Midwest (no really, they do) could make this too, and taste the bright flavors I did. After many attempts at perfecting this bowl, I think I have found the perfect combo that not only delivers on flavor, but also delivers on health.
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen cherries
1 banana
½ cup of milk or favorite milk alternative
2 tbsp of favorite protein powder or peanut butter
1 tbsp of chia seeds
2 tbsp favorite granola
Fruit to garnish
In a blender, combine cherries, ½ of a banana, ½ cup of milk (more if you like a thinner consistency, I tend to like mine thicker), and protein powder (I prefer peanut protein powder as it is less calories, but has the same protein payoff, but using regular peanut butter works just as well). I also like to use frozen fruit such as the frozen cherries because it helps create a thicker consistency without adding ice cubes, which tend to water down the flavor, and also separates as the bowl warms to room temp while eating. Blend to a smooth consistency.
Pour blender mixture into a cereal bowl, and garnish with chia seeds, granola, the other half of the banana that was used in the blender, and favorite berries. Other garnishes may include flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chocolate nibs/chips, and other fruits. Your imagination is the only limit here! Enjoy right away with a spoon while cold.
6. Cali Style Veggie Burger Salad
Okay, I lied a little bit on this one. The idea comes from a restaurant I used to hang out at when I lived in Atlanta. A coworker and I stumbled upon it one day, and decided to have a leisurely lunch. We scanned the menu, and both quickly decided on an interesting item: Burger Salad. Not really knowing what we were getting into, we shrugged, both ordered it and waited for our plates to arrive.
And arrive they did. A bed of lettuce with a big, juicy burger was set down in front of us, along with ketchup and mustard. All the fixings of a burger, only deconstructed on a plate. We dug in, and vowed to grab a burger salad once a month to catch up, and partake in this deliciously filling salad. That’s right, a filling salad.
Shortly after, I moved to California. I didn’t know anybody, and had no real idea of where to eat or go, so I craved comfort. Remembering sitting on that Atlanta patio and indulging in a burger salad, I decided to make a meal that I knew would satisfy me, and make me feel cozy inside. Instead of just adding the simple burger ingredients, I wanted to liven it up, and make this salad pretty. In my own rendition of burger salad, I have given a Cali flair to the vegetable base, and topped it off with a veggie protein burger. How Cali of me, right?
Ingredients:
Lettuce, I prefer romaine or butter lettuce, but any kind works
1 Roma tomato
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup corn
¼ cup dried cherries or cranberries
2 tbsp of feta cheese
1 veggie burger patty
½ of an avocado
Salad dressing of choice, I prefer Newman’s Own Parmesan Balsamic
Set your oven to broil, place oven rack on second from the top level, and place veggie patty in the center of rack. Allow to cook thoroughly.
While heating your veggie patty, combine roughly chopped lettuce, diced tomato, onion, corn, cherries/cranberries, feta cheese, and avocado in a serving bowl. Once veggie patty is heated through, remove from oven and chop into bite sized pieces. Toss veggie patty pieces on top of salad, and toss salad. Once ingredients are mixed, add dressing to salad in desired amount. Enjoy right away.
7. Vegan Dalgona Coffee
Some days I fancy myself a chic Parisienne sitting on my Juliette balcony, watching people pass by, munching on croissants with a baguette slung over their shoulders. In reality, I know myself as a chronically tired caffeine fiend, woken by her dog barking at a noise in the hallway. If for just one moment I can be the former person, it is when I am drinking a coffee-based drink, extra hot and with tons of foam.
When the Instagram coffee, the Dalgona coffee, became popular, I was super excited to try it myself, and find a cheaper alternative to Starbucks (sorry Starbs!). With only 4 ingredients, this is quite possibly the easiest thing on my list to make, and has become a morning staple in my house. Give this recipe a try, be transported to a café along the Seine, and tell me your day doesn’t get a little perkier because of it.
Ingredients:
2 tsp Nescafe instant coffee
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp hot water
1 cup of your favorite milk alternative (I prefer Oatly oat milk)
Heat milk in microwave in 1-minute intervals. If you prefer your drink to be iced, simply pour milk over ice cubes in a glass.
While heating milk, in a 2-cup measuring cup, combine coffee, sugar, and hot water. Using a hand blender with the whisk attachment, whisk ingredients until stiff peaks form, and the mixture is a light brown color, about 2 minutes. Spoon fluffy mixture onto the top of milk, and enjoy.
8. Easy Peasy Greek Tzatziki
In Greece, tzatziki is used not only on sandwiches, but also as a side dip for bread, pita, and anything else that could use a little yogurt on it. Often my favorite part of a gyro, tzatziki is easier to make than it is to spell. This gooey concoction is often the garnish to a deliciously savory wrap, adding coolness to salty lamb or chicken that has been cooked over a spit all day.
Having a pretty good sense of taste, I bookmarked every flavor in my brain with every bowl I consumed during my trip around the Greek islands. From fresh lemon, to pungent dill, to the hidden garlic, I stowed away an ingredient list at the back of my brain, and began experimenting upon my return home. What turned out was a fresh, bright tzatziki that is the perfect dip, condiment, hell even best friend a cook can have in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
¼ cup grated cucumber
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp of dill
½ tsp of oregano
½ tsp of thyme
½ of 1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp of garlic powder
Salt to taste
Use a cheese grater to grate about ½ cup of cucumber (I use the side of the grater that will give me medium sized strands. Too small and the pieces turn to mush, but too big and it makes the tzatziki chunky), and toss with a pinch of salt in a small ramekin to “sweat” the water out. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, dill, oregano, thyme, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Once thoroughly combined, add fully sweated cucumber, and stir together. Serve cold on top of gyros, or with crackers and vegetables as a dip.
9. Itty Bitty Baleadas
If I could give an award for “Best New Breakfast Recipe”, baby this would be it. Combining savory, salty, spicy, protein, and healthy, this little breakfast innovation packs a powerful punch.
When I researched Honduras, I read multiple places to not expect much from the food, and that it is more of a destination for beaches instead of gastronomical pursuits. Truthfully, I gained little to no information on what to try in Honduras, so I went in cold turkey. For breakfast, I saw on every single menu that there was a dish called a baleada. After my first baleada, it quickly became my new go to breakfast while on the island of Roatan, with zero complaints. A baleada is typically a thicker pressed tortilla with refried beans smeared across it, and topped with eggs, crumbly cheese, sausage or bacon, and avocado. I was hooked.
Flash forward a few months, and I am staring at an empty fridge with little more than my leftovers from taco night the evening before. That’s when I got the idea. Baleadas are the perfect breakfast the morning after taco night given that there are inevitably always leftovers in the random sides and fixings that accompany taco night. My version is a little healthier, but still just as filling!
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 English muffin
2 tbsp refried beans
2 tbsp of favorite salsa
2 tbsp of favorite sour cream or crema
In a flat top griddle or frying pan, place two egg rings, and turn stove heat to medium. Once heated, crack eggs into egg rings and let cook until white, but the yolk is still runny. Once this is achieved, remove egg rings, and flip eggs to cook other side. If the yolk breaks, that is fine (I prefer it this way!)
Once eggs have been flipped, toast English muffins in toaster to desired crispness. Once English muffin is toasted, smear refried beans on each half. Top with one egg, salsa, and sour cream on each half. Enjoy hot with a fork.
10. Midwest Mom Fresh Baked Bread
On a recent phone call with friends I have known since grade school, we got onto the subject of some of the funny things we did as kids while hanging out at each other’s houses. Apparently, my house was known for our backyard pool and the steady supply of pizza rolls we always had on hand. Another friend always had amazing Italian goodies sitting around, waiting to be munched on at 2am while talking about boys. And our third friend had the oddest pairing from us that we all agreed was AMAZING.
We could always count on the fact that we could go to her house and watch episodes of Sex and the City, pretending we were much more mature than we actually were, and that her mom made amazing bread. It was always coming out of the oven, and we could pile it high with butter, enjoying the fluffiness of the bread, but also the hint of sweetness we detected. When I say this bread belongs on this list, I mean that this bread belongs at the top of this list, if not for the memories alone.
Ingredients:
¾ cup water
2 tbsp of melted butter
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
2 cups bread flour
1 tsp fast acting yeast
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Sift flour, sugar, and salt into mixing bowl, and stir, incorporating dry ingredients together. Add yeast to dry ingredients, and incorporate by stirring again. Add water and melted butter, and thoroughly mix all ingredients together, until the bread dough makes a thick, homogenous mixture.
Allow bread to rise for 60 minutes, or until it doubles in size, and then knead into the shape you prefer, either in a bread pan, or by braiding dough on a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until crust is a nice, golden brown. Serve hot out of the oven with butter, or room temp with olive oil and herbs.
11. Leftover Rice Nasi Goreng
Being an American, breakfast for me as a child, and most of my adulthood, has consisted of cold cereal with milk, pancakes, toast, or a bagel on the run. When I visited Indonesia and the island of Bali a few years ago, I searched menus for Lucky Charms and an Everything bagel, but came up with no dice. Realizing that I would have to expand my palette for my stay, I opted for a dish that sat at the top of every menu: Nasi Goreng.
Completely unsure what it would be, the picture next to it showed rice and an egg, two things I generally like, but had never eaten for breakfast together before. When the steaming plate came out of the kitchen, I was still a little unsure. Rice shaped in a dome with a fried egg plopped on top, I grabbed my cutlery and dug in.
Met with a flurry of flavors, I was a convert. The buttery-ness of the rice, the sweetness from the tiny pieces of vegetable in the rice, and the saltiness of the fried egg all married on my tongue. With every bite, I found a new flavor, and shoveled more rice off my plate for another taste.
When I returned home, I craved nasi goreng one Saturday morning, and was completely unconfident in my ability to recreate the dish. With a little imagination and a few ingredients I found in my fridge (including some leftover rice from my Chinese takeout the night before), I was able to transport myself back to Bali in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sesame oil (can use canola as well)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp sesame seeds
½ cup frozen carrot, green bean, and corn mix
2 cups leftover rice from previous day
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 egg
Sambal, or favorite hot sauce
In a large wok, heat oil, and sauté sesame seeds and ginger paste. Once heated, add frozen vegetable mix, and heat through entirely. While vegetables are cooking, in another pan fry an egg (or as many eggs as there will be plated and served) in a buttered pan.
Once vegetables are heated, add rice and soy sauce, allowing to fry and soy sauce to be absorbed by rice. To know when the rice is frying, you should hear crackling in the pan. Be sure to keep stirring to keep rice from burning to the bottom of the wok. Add ground black pepper and butter to rice mixture, and incorporate throughout rice and vegetables completely. The butter will melt throughout the rice, and give it a shiny look, and help it create a form on the plate.
When rice mixture is heated through and soy sauce is absorbed, use a spatula to pack rice into a ramekin or small, rounded cup. Place the used side of a plate on top of the ramekin, and flip over, so the ramekin forms a dome on the plate. Remove ramekin, leaving the shaped rice mixture on the plate. Place fried egg on top of rice, and serve with sambal, or favorite hot sauce.
These recipes have found a way into my life, and into my kitchen on a weekly basis. Some have been in my life for decades, and some for just a few weeks. All of them fill a small spot in my heart, either reminding me of the most turquoise water I have ever seen in Roatan, or the Mariachi band that serenaded me for my birthday in Guanajuato, Mexico. I hope you love a few of these just as much as I do, and that you find them easy and accessible, delicious and homey, and a round the world journey for your taste buds.
