Holiday recipes

Cantabria is very well served in terms of accommodation for the independent traveller, with a wide range of campsites, designated camper van zones and self-catering holiday lets. And while enjoying local or international cuisine in the many good quality restaurants the region has to offer may be one of the highlights of your trip, preparing and eating your own food can also be one of the pleasures of your holiday.

The recipes on this page have simple, readily obtained ingredients and can all be prepared on a typical camping cooker or a two ring hob. The majority of the dishes are vegetable based and some involve fish or seafood. Carnivores will have little difficulty substituting or adding a suitable portion of their chosen meat. We have also included a couple of hearty, warming dishes for those days when the Cantabrian weather can be particularly disappointing.

Quantities are appropriate for two people and can easily be adjusted according to preferences, appetites and group size.

 ¡Buen provecho!

Spicy chickpeas

Chickpeas are available in tins and jars and make for a healthy, balanced meal.

Ingredients

One tin or jar of chickpeas; a small onion; one clove of garlic; a small carrot, peeled and chopped; you may also like to add a small potato.

50ml of vegetable oil; 200ml vegetable stock to include any liquid from the chick peas; a squirt of tomato puree; a teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and turmeric (or two teaspoons of curry powder) and one teaspoon of chilli powder. Salt and black pepper to taste. One teaspoon of dried mixed herbs or fresh parsley.

Method

In a saucepan or large frying pan, heat the oil and then gently fry the chopped onion for three minutes and add the chopped or crushed garlic for a further two minutes. Add the spices and black pepper and fry for one minute. Add a squirt of tomato puree. Tip the chopped carrots and potato (if using) into the pan and stir to coat with the spice mixture and then do the same with the chickpeas. Pour in the vegetable stock and gently bring to a boil. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, adding further liquid if necessary and topping with the mixed herbs or chopped parsley.

Serve with 100g of rice and/or warm pitta bread.

Bubble and squeak

Bubble and squeak is often served as an accompaniment to meat but, by piling a whole load of other veg to go with the traditional cabbage, it soon turns into a meal in its own right. You might want to include nuts, such as cashew or walnuts, to add protein and variety. It is best to use the vegetables that you can find and adjust the quantities to best suit your preferences. The vegetables should be chopped into roughly equal sizes.

Meat eaters will be pleased to know that friend bacon, chicken strips or pre-cooked minced meat can also make a welcome addition.

Ingredients

50ml olive oil; potatoes, peeled and cubed; frozen peas; cabbage, shredded; carrots, peeled and chopped; courgette; mushrooms.

Method

First, boil the potatoes until they are soft. Then, heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the cabbage, carrot and courgette for about fifteen minutes. Add the potatoes, mushroom and peas and stir it all together for a few minutes before starting to gently mash the mixture. Continue to mash and cook for about fifteen minutes until you have a solid form, rather like a Spanish omelette. Cook for a further five minutes, squashing the mixture down. Turn out onto plates. 

Prawn and smoked salmon pasta

This is a very quick and easy recipe and can use either frozen or fresh prawns. It can be ‘fleshed out’ by adding onion and/or peppers. In this recipe we use dill which is not always available; it can be replaced by thyme or parsley or any dried herbs.

Ingredients

50 ml of olive oil; 150g prawns; 80-100g smoked salmon; one clove of garlic finely chopped or crushed; one small lemon; teaspoon of dill; half a teaspoon of ginger; black pepper. 100g of pasta – spaghetti or penne work well.

Method

Place the prawns in a bowl and sprinkle over the ginger, a twist of pepper and half the dill. Leave to marinade. Slice the smoked salmon into thin ribbons and sprinkle over another twist of pepper and the remaining dill. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

When the pasta has been cooking for three to four minutes start to heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for one minute (you can choose to remove the garlic at this stage). Add the prawns and cook gently, adding the juice of half of the lemon after a couple of minutes. Drizzle the remaining half of the lemon over the smoked salmon. Drain the pasta and tip in the cooked prawns and the smoked salmon. Return the mixture to a gentle heat and re-heat, stirring continuously. Serve once everything is warmed through.

Mushroom risotto

Risotto bianco is an ideal recipe for holiday cooking and can serve as a base for vegetable, fish or meat dishes. This is a basic mushroom risotto using chestnut mushrooms although it also works well with shiitake, oyster or re-hydrated cep mushrooms. Also, some versions suggest that you pre-fry half of the mushrooms and add them with the rest towards the end. 

Ingredients

500 ml of vegetable stock: 50 ml olive oil; a small onion; a stick of celery; a garlic clove, chopped or crushed; half a teaspoon of chilli powder; a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs; a small glass of dry white wine or white vermouth; 100g Arborio (risotto) rice; 15g butter; 50-60g of Parmesan, grated; 100-120g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced.

Method

In a small saucepan, set the vegetable stock to a gentle simmer.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion and celery for three to five minutes and then add the garlic for another one to two minutes. Sprinkle in the chilli powder and cook for thirty seconds. Tip in the rice and allow it to absorb the oil. Pour in the wine or vermouth and enjoy the aromas. Once most of the wine has been absorbed, reduce the heat and add a ladle of the stock. Continue to add ladles of stock until the rice begins to soften. Then, add the mushrooms. Continue to cook until the rice is very nearly soft and the mushrooms are cooked through.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle over the herbs and parmesan and the butter. Cover and leave for two minutes. Serve.

Minestrone

We tend to think of minestrone as a soup whereas, in its native Italy, it tends to be more like a thick broth. There are countless varieties of this dish – some include a portion of beans such as borlotti or cannellini while others add spinach, bacon or lardons. The quantities in this version are indicative and can be adjusted depending on appetites and the availability of fresh vegetables, making it ideal for either a lunch or evening meal. The main vegetables should be chopped into small squares approximately the same size.

Ingredients

300-400 ml of vegetable stock: 50 ml olive oil; a small onion; a stick of celery; a garlic clove, chopped or crushed; half a teaspoon of chilli powder; a couple of twists of black pepper; half a tomato, a small carrot; about a third of a courgette; slices of multi-coloured peppers, chopped; a small potato, peeled and cubed; half a tin of chopped tomatoes; a small glass of red wine; 30-40g of small pasta such as fideua or broken spaghetti; a bay leaf; a few leaves of fresh basil; parmesan to serve.

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery and cook over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further two minutes. Sprinkle in the chilli powder and twists of black pepper and cook for about one minute. Then add the carrots, courgette and peppers; stir for two to three minutes so that they are coated with the mixture. Add the potato and tomato and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the wine and throw in the bay leaf. Cook for a couple of minutes and then pour in about 200 ml of the stock; you just want to cover the vegetable mixture by a couple of centimetres. Bring to the boil and cover. Cook for ten to twelve minutes. If you think the minestrone is too thick or is drying out, add more of the stock. Then add the pasta and half the basil leaves and cook for a further ten to twelve minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.

Remove the bay leaf and serve into large bowls; sprinkle the remaining basil leaves on top as well as grated parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.

Egg fried rice

This dish is usually prepared in a wok but a large frying pan serves just as well. What follows is a basic recipe and can easily be supplemented with beef, chicken, prawns, fish or a stronger flavoured veg such as artichoke. Similarly, you can adjust the spices depending on availability and preferences.

Ingredients

100g plain white rice; soy sauce, to taste; tomato ketchup, to taste; two teaspoons of five or seven spice mixture or the spices of your choice; 50ml vegetable oil; small onion, chopped; 120g carrots, peeled and cubed; 50g frozen peas; 2 eggs; water, as required.

Method

Boil the rice until soft and set aside. Heat the oil in the wok or frying pan, add the onions, carrots and peas and cook for two to three minutes; tip in the rice and continue to cook, stirring occasionally; in a bowl beat the eggs with about 30ml of water and add the mixture to the pan. Continue to cook until the egg mixture is set and the rice is properly warmed through.

Sorropotún (fish stew)

Bonito, or white tuna is a large, seasonal fish that is hugely popular in Cantabria in the summer months – the fresh stocks usually being available until mid-September. It forms the basis of a number of dishes, including this, sorropotún, which is especially associated with San Vicente de la Barquera where a large vat of sorropotún is served as part of the town’s mozucu celebrations each September.

Ingredients

300g bonito in chunks; 300g potatoes, in cubes; a small onion, chopped; two cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed; half a green pepper, in small slices; 50ml olive oil; 500ml water or fish stock; salt.

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Tip in the potatoes and pepper and cover with water or stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently. After ten minutes, add the bonito and continue to cook until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are soft. Serve with crusty bread.

Pear and walnut pasta

At first sight, this might appear to be an unusual mix of main ingredients but the combination, especially when enhanced by the red onion and blue cheese, makes for a truly delicious meal with the added benefits of being quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

50ml olive oil; two pears, peeled and sliced; 80ml vegetable stock; a small glass of white wine; 15g butter; a small red onion, sliced; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 30g walnuts; dried oregano; half a lemon; 50g blue cheese; 100g of the pasta of your choice.

Method

Poach the pears in the in the stock and wine for about 10 minutes and then keep to one side. Warm the butter in a saucepan and cook the garlic for two minutes. Stir in the walnuts, oregano and the juice from the lemon and then add the pears and enough of the poaching liquid to cover the mixture. Sprinkle in the blue cheese and continue to cook for up to five more minutes.

Serve with the pasta which may be prepared beforehand.

Stir fried cod and mango

Given its lengthy coastline and proud fishing heritage, it is little surprise that common varieties such as cod are readily available all year round in Cantabria. It can be found fresh on fish counters, in freezer compartments and in its salted form which needs soaking and rinsing before use. Other firm white fish such as hake or haddock can also be used in this recipe. Mangoes, too, seem to be in shops most of the year although they can be substituted for papaya or melon if necessary.

Stir fry meals are an excellent, quick holiday alternative and, if a wok doesn’t feature among your cooking equipment, a large frying pan will do just as well.

Ingredients

50ml vegetable oil; 100g carrots, peeled and thinly sliced; a small red onion, peeled and sliced; half each of a red and green pepper, sliced; 250g cod, preferably skinless and cut into chunks; a small mango, peeled and thinly sliced; a teaspoon of cornflour; 50ml soy sauce; 50ml tropical fruit juice; one lime; chopped coriander leaf.

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and then add the onion, carrots and peppers and cook for five minutes. Tip in the cod and mango and continue to cook for a further five minutes. Try not to stir the mixture too much to prevent the fish breaking up.

Meanwhile, combine the cornflour and fruit juice and squeeze in the juice from the lime and pour over the cod mixture. Once the liquid is bubbling and the cod is cooked through, remove from the heat, sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve with noodles or plain rice.

Spinach curry

This versatile recipe can be served with pitta bread, rice, potatoes or – adjusting the spices for a more Mediterranean feel – pasta. For a more substantial meal, it can be supplemented with mushrooms, tofu, prawns or meat.

Ingredients

50ml vegetable oil; 150g spinach; a small onion, peeled and sliced; 100g chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh); 30g feta cheese cubed; 100g natural yogurt; a teaspoon of garam masala or the spices of your choice.

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion for five minutes before adding the spices for a further minute. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Then add the spinach and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the yogurt and, once the mixture is warmed through, remove from the heat, top with the feta and serve.

Chick pea stew

Even the best of summers or the most enjoyable holiday can be disrupted by a day (or more) of cold, windy, wet weather. To help you through such days we have included this hearty, warming stew: a quick, tasty one pan dinner. This recipe suggests gently frying some of the ingredients first but, if you prefer, it also works by throwing everything into the pan at once!

Ingredients

50ml olive oil; a tin or jar of chick peas, drained; 600ml vegetable stock to include fluid from the chick peas; a medium sized potato in chunks; two carrots, sliced; a small onion (chopped); a clove of garlic (chopped or crushed); a stick of celery, chopped; a dessert spoon of tomato purée (optional); a twist of black pepper and a half a teaspoon of chilli powder (optional).

Method

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and celery and fry two to three minutes and then add the garlic and continue to cook for a further two minutes. Add the black pepper and chilli powder if using and cook for thirty seconds. Tip in the potatoes and carrots and stir for about two minutes and then add the chick peas and continue to cook for a further minute. Stir in the tomato purée and, finally, add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, cover and cook until all the vegetables have softened. Serve with fresh, crusty bread.