Easy meal ideas when travelling

The recipes below are some easy meals to cook when travelling, and are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, sesame-free, all but one are egg-free, all but one are fish-free. I've included a few that do not need soy sauce.

They can be made with the following staples:

- salt

- pepper

- oil (olive oil or as an alternative, vegetable oil or sunflower oil if your kids can tolerate this)

- soy sauce (if your kids can tolerate soy) - but I tended to bring gluten-free soy sauce when my little one was allergic to wheat, as I couldn't guarantee that it was easy to find gluten-free soy sauce at various destinations.

- rice (rice tends to be widely available, but sometimes if you want a quick meal, it's easier to have a little on hand. If cooking in a pot, add equal pots rice and water to the pot, then bring to boil; once boiling, reduce to a simmer on low fire (the lowest setting possible) for about 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked to your preference). Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn.

- gluten-free pasta (I've managed to find this at most city destinations, but tend to also bring some just in case, and obviously you may need more if visiting a more remote destination like a beach destination in south-east Asia).

- sugar

And then as condiments for your sides (salads, potatoes), also get:

- margarine as needed (note that this was hard to find in Asia, so we had to do without)

- balsamic vinegar or other salad dressing.

1. Honey soy chicken wings with rice

Marinate 1kg fresh chicken wings (chicken wingettes / wing nibbles if available) in 2 full tablespoons of honey and 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, to taste. Serve with rice and side of salad or steamed veggies.

2. Salt & pepper lamb cutlets with veggies and potatoes (either roast, mash or as chips)

Season lamb cutlets with salt and pepper, and shallow fry in a small amount of oil or if you have access to an oven, you can roast. Serve with mashed potatoes, or chopped potatoes, and veggies (you can even chop potatoes and pumpkin into squares and season with oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven) or salad.

3. Stir-fried beef with soy sauce

Saute either crushed garlic or chopped onion (about 1 tablespoon) in a small amount of oil, add 500g thinly sliced beef (I prefer beef fillet as this is soft), and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce. I sometimes use oyster sauce (if your little ones can tolerate - sometimes you can find gluten-free oyster sauce, but obviously check the ingredients).

4. Fried salt & pepper chicken wings

Season fresh chicken wings or wing nibbles/wingettes with salt and pepper to taste; drain in a colander to ensure it is dry (can leave in the fridge for a few hours to minimise moisture), then deep fry in oil. Reducing the moisture by putting in the fridge beforehand reduces the likelihood of oil splattering. Service with rice.

5. Spaghetti bolognese (can be made with gluten-free pasta)

I think everyone knows a good bolognese recipe! But for completeness: saute some garlic and onion in a small amount of oil, then add 500g of minced beef and stir. Once fully cooked, add 500mls passata and/or tomato paste and stir. Add salt and peppper to taste. Serve with cooked pasta (gluten-free as required).

6. Steak, veggies and potatoes

Season steak with salt and pepper, cook in a small amount of oil. Serve with mashed potatoes, or chopped potatoes, and veggies (you can even chop potatoes and pumpkin into squares and season with oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven) or salad.

7. Quick caramel fish (salmon)

Add 500g salmon that has been scaled and chopped into chunks, into a pot. Add a tablespoon of oil, tablespoon of sugar, and two tablespoons of soy sauce and stir through. Cook, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t burn at the bottom.

8. Fried rice

Heat a tablespoon of oil, add chopped ham, steamed veggies that have been chopped into smaller pieces, cooked scrambled egg (if your kids aren't allergic to egg), and pre-cooked rice (best if the rice has been cooked the night before and cooled in the fridge overnight). Add a drizzle of soy sauce and/or salt and pepper to taste. Please check the ingredients of ham in the destinations you are travelling to - some countries cure their deli meats in dairy (as was the case in Japan). Another alternative is to make fried rice with tuna if your kids can have fish (and sometimes handy to bring a couple of cans).

9. Tacos

You may want to bring a taco kit from home as it is then easier to read the ingredients to ensure it is free from the allergens you are needing to avoid, and also means you don't need to bring or look for cumin, paprika and coriander and the salsa and taco shells.

Note: The pic on this post is a cake that I made, and I suppose could be made while travelling (I used a can of Betty Crocker frosting and Woolworths Free from Gluten Vanilla Cake Mix), but only if you are really keen on baking while travelling! I don’t tend to take a pic of the “quick meals” above, as they are usually prepared while we are busy travelling, but if I manage to take some, I will post!