The Little Fox
House Cookbook:
Cheap and Easy Recipes
for your Pilgrim Soul
Tracy Saunders
2015
Published By
Little Fox Publishing
Wisdom,
Humour,
and
Some Really Good Food
Welcome to The
Little Fox House
A ship in the harbour is safe,
But that’s not what ships are for…
Copyright 2015 by
Tracy Saunders
The History of the Little Fox. (So far.)
Over 15 years ago now, in 1999, I was walking the Camino with my new friend, Andrea, whom some
might recognize as the model for Alex in Pilgrimage to Heresy. We were discussing the influence the
Camino had had on us, and how difficult it would be to leave the path and go home.
“What is needed,” I said, “is a sort-of half-way house, somewhere to re-group, rest, read, write, regather, and get ready to go back to “normal life”.
Andrea agreed. But where?
“Well, somewhere between Santiago and Finisterre would be perfect,” I said.
At that time there was virtually no infrastructure for the Camino going on to the end of the world.
Most pilgrims either stopped in Santiago, or went on to begin a very different “Camino” in their daily
lives.
“Pilgrims could stay for 2 to 4 nights,” I said. “We’ll have
a guitar in one corner and a sketch pad in the other…”
It was a dream, a thought experiment; some ambulatory fun, nothing more. We walked on.
In the end, in 2011, Galicia pulled me back once more and she said, seductively: “Why don’t you stay
this time?”
It is closer to Muxia than Finisterre.
And yes: there is a guitar in one corner.
And a sketchpad in another…
In Memory of Bunkle
and seventeen years of
unconditional love
All proceeds from the sale of this cookbook will be used to support The Little Fox House Post-Camino
Retreat.
Carantoña,
Galicia, Spain
A Casa do Raposito
www.thelittlefoxhouse.com
Cover painting courtesy
Stephen Revering
2012
***
A Very Special Thank You
to
Hazel Houston
The author of this book takes no responsibility for the groan factor of most of the jokes selected.
WHEN YOU ARE OLD
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
W. B. Yeats
CONVERTING OVEN TEMPERATURES
1 kilo = 2.2 lbs
A note on cups and grams and things: The hardest part about writing this cookbook was trying to stick
to exact measurements.
You won’t find exactness here. I am a pinch of/pour of sort of cook. Most of the times things work out
fine; but sometimes a change of name is needed! (Salted chicken, Pineapple curry, Shortbread pudding
– you get the idea.) I do not wish you to experience such trauma, so to be sure you can always go on
line to the many conversion charts and find out your 2.6724 grams of sugar or whatever if you like.
Most of these recipes will feed 6 to 8 people.
The Little Fox House Cookbook
CONTENTS:
(GR = Guest Recipe)
SOUPS
Caldo Gallego
Hot and Spicy Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Chicken Soup with Chickpeas and Lemon: (GR Cita)
Cabbage, Bacon and Potato Soup
Broccoli and Swiss Cheese Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Easy Swiss Onion Soup
Chicken and Leek Soup
Chickpea and Squash Soup with Pears
Best Potato Soup Ever
Really Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Chili Soup
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Tomato Bisque
Ciopino
Chorizo Soup with Chickpeas
Crema de Ensalada
Hot Pepper and Garlic Soup
COLD SOUPS
Salmorejo
Vichyssoise
Crocolote Soup
Chilled Lemon Soup
Gazpacho Autentico
Ajo Blanco
SALADS
Tabouleh
Beets with Rocket and Peanuts
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Salmon Pasta Salad
Spinach and Strawberry
Costa Rican Shrimp Ceviche
Phyllis’ Potato Salad
Chicken Caesar with Anchovies
Rocket Man Salad
Green Bean Antipasto
Spiral Pasta Salad
Ensalada Mixta/Garlic Bread
Baba Ganoush
Hummus
Foxy House Coleslaw
Nasturtium Pesto Salad with Walnuts
Salad dressings
Veggies and Dip Canadian-Style
MAIN MEALS
Spaghetti Florentine
Salt and Vinegar Crispy Potatoes
Thai Chicken Pilau
Kusherie
Greek Dip or Pate
Gallo Pinto
Asparagus and Mushroom Crepes
Chicken with Green Pepper in Black Bean Sauce
Merluza with Dill and Orange Sauce
Pork in Pineapple Sauce
Orange Chicken
Almond Pesto
Tomato and Leeks Le Puy
Galician Spicy Fried Noodles
Potato and Spinach Strata
Spinach and Lasagna
Tortilla de Patatas con Cebolla
Spicy Meatloaf
Jambo-Laya
Moroccan Honey Chicken
Mushroom Omelettes
Migas
Steph’s Yummy Pasta (GR)
Scrambled Eggs with Yoghourt and Chives
Chicken Liver Risotto
Stuffed Roasted Zucchini
Chicken and Mushroom Pilaf
Cheese and Onion Spaghetti
Fiona’s Fabulous Kiwi Chutney (GR)
Crusty Garlic Bread
German Vegetable Spread or Dip
Cottage Pie/Fisherman’s Pie
Sesame Kale
Accidental Lentil Burgers (GR Alex)
Stuffed Aubergines
Glastonbury Pate (GR Tracey)
Caribbean Fish
Roasted Chicken Legs with Herbs and Butter
Sesame Noodles with Peas
Spicy Noodles with Cabbage
Peanut Butter Spread or Dip
Steaks with Mustard Sauce
Chicken Granada
Cabbage Galette
Potatoes with Yoghourt
Cita’s Twice-Baked Potatoes (GR)
Prawn Curry
Nettle Risotto (GR: Elisa)
Beef Strong Enough
David and Carl’s Peking Pork (GR)
Cauliflower Cheese
DESSERTS
Blackberry and Apple Fluff (GR Tracey)
Jamaican Baked Bananas
Bread and Butter Pudding
Spanish Flan
Orange Cheesecake with Oat Base and Butterscotch Sauce
Lemon Meringue Pie
David’s Rustic Apple Pie (GR)
Irish Apple Cake
Poached Pears
Saffron Yoghourt Cream
Creamy Fruit Dessert
Quick and Easy Pineapple Apple Postre
Euro Cake
Be-Ro Fruit Cake
Chewy Ginger Cookies
Shortbread Biscuits
Strawberries with black pepper and balsamic vinegar (GR)
Old-Fashioned Coconut Tarts
Rice Pudding
Tiramisú (GR: Damiano)
Tarta de Almendras
Cheese and Chive Biscuits (GR)
BOOKS BY TRACY SAUNDERS
SOUPS
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Caldo Gallego
FIRST THINGS FIRST:
If you ate this dish in five different Galician homes, you would almost certainly enjoy five different
versions. Beans, pork in some form, and greens are the basics that everyone agrees on, but beyond that
it depends on what is in season and what is in the garden.
My own version often substitutes chick peas (garbanzos) for the white beans, and I use either
vegetable or chicken stock cubes. Obviously if you use these you will cut the time for cooking down
substantially. Since many pilgrims are vegetarians, the sausage/chorizo often gets saved for a different
soup!
In Galicia I use grelos, “verduras”, as the main vegetable: every little “huerta” or small garden plot
includes these indestructible cabbages on stalks. But in this recipe you substitute Swiss chard or kale.
Shredded cabbage can be used, or turnip tops, or even fresh spinach.
CALDO GALLEGO
2 cups white beans, or chick peas (or one large jar of pre-cooked ones)
8 small potatoes
5 cloves garlic chopped small
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
1 head kale/chard/ or beet tops, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
6 cups vegetable, chicken or pork stock
4 pork or garlic sausages, or cooked chorizo cut into bite sized slices (optional)
Soak the beans overnight in fresh, cold water. (Obviously if using pre-cooked beans you can skip this
step)
The next day, place the potatoes in a saucepan with salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Cover
immediately.
Remove from the heat, and let the potatoes finish cooking in the residual heat until you can easily
pierce them with a knife, about 1 hour. Drain and let cool.
While the potatoes are cooking, drain the beans. Combine the beans and the salt, herbs and spices and
the stock in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 35 to 40
minutes (or 10 minutes with pre-cooked).
Saute the sliced sausage, the garlic and the onion in olive oil or butter until slightly brown but do not
overcook.
Add to the beans.
Cut the potatoes into eighths and add them and the chard to the large pot with the beans, stock, onions
and sausage
Simmer until all the ingredients are heated through, about 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Serve with fresh bread
HOT AND SPICY RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
2 chopped red peppers
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon or TBS chili powder, as hot as you can take it!
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can canned chopped tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 TBSs tomato puree
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt to taste
chopped fresh coriander or parsley to garnish
Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
Add the onions, red peppers and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
Stir in the chili powder and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, puree, and stock.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to the saucepan, reheat the soup gently stirring all the time.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, garnished with chopped herbs.
GUEST RECIPE: CITA FROM DENMARK
CITA’s CHICKEN SOUP WITH CHICK PEAS AND LEMON
Tobias, my son, walked the Camino in autumn 2012 and as he is always a lucky one, he ended up in
The Little Fox House.
At that time, Tracy was looking for someone who could take care of house and cats while she visited
her granddaughter, daughter and son-in-law over Christmas and New Year.
Tobias suggested to Tracy that he and I could help her out in that, and his Christmas gift for me was
the flight to Spain and back - not to mention the fantastic opportunity for us to spend a lot of time
together in one of the best places in this beautiful world.
The soup was the first meal I cooked at The Little Fox House and is not a traditional Danish one. It is
more a what-do-we-have-and-lets-make-a-feast-out-of-it meal. (Cita may be surprised to hear that
there is a Spanish soup recipe very similar to this one! Ed.)
Rinse approximately half a kilo/ 1 lb. of dried chick peas
Put them in a cooking pot together with
3 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 red chili peppers
2 level teaspoons of salt
Cover well with water and set to boil for 40 minutes
Ingredients should always be covered well with water/soup, so add boiling water if necessary
In the meantime:
Chop up (in nice sizes to eat from a soup spoon)
2 big onions
5 carrots
Add to the pot together with:
2 fresh sprigs of rosemary
The zest of a lemon and juice
Let simmer for 10 minutes
Rinse and cut up 3 chicken breasts in nice eatable sizes, and add them to the boiling pot
Cook for 10 more minutes,
Season to taste
Add a cup of milk, if you prefer a creamier soup.
Great served with slices of bread fried in butter or oil and garlic
The only time I ever enjoyed ironing was
the day I accidentally got gin in the steam iron.
Phyllis Diller
Before fish, all men are equal.
Herbert Hoover
(I don’t have the faintest idea what this means, but it’s sort of a cool thought.)
THE BOY AND THE STARFISH
A man was walking along a deserted beach at sunset. As he walked he could see a young boy in the
distance, as he drew nearer he noticed that the boy kept bending down, picking something up and
throwing it into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things into the ocean.
As the man approached even closer, he was able to see that the boy was picking up starfish that had
been washed up on the beach and, one at a time he was throwing them back into the water. “What are
you doing?” asked the man. “I am throwing these starfish back into the ocean, or else they will die.
"But", said the man, "You can't save them all; there are thousands on this beach. You can't possibly
make a difference."
The boy smiled, then bent down to pick up another starfish, and he threw it back into the sea.
“It makes a difference to this one,” the boy said.
CABBAGE, BACON AND POTATO SOUP
1 kilo/ 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Packet of bacon, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 TBSs cider vinegar
1/4 cup whipping cream
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion tops
In a large pot, cover the potatoes with 5 cups of water.
Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.
With a fork or potato masher, break up the potatoes. Do not drain.
They should be lumpy, not smooth.
Meanwhile, in a deep frying pan or wok on medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp.
Remove the bacon and drain off all but 2 TBSs fat.
Add the garlic and cabbage to the pan and sauté until the cabbage is soft, about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle on the vinegar and add the cream. Simmer on low heat, about 10 minutes.
Add the cabbage, its liquid and the diced bacon to the potatoes and water in the other pot.
Simmer everything together until the tastes are combined, about 5 minutes.
Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chives before serving.
Sometimes the best goal you can set is just to get out of bed every day. If you can succeed at this, then
other things become possible.
Cynthia Patterson
***
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we
don't know where the hell she is.
***
Older people shouldn't eat health food. They need all the preservatives they can get.
Because of their size, parents may be difficult to discipline properly.
P.J. O’Rourke
***
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.
W.H. Auden
BROCCOLI AND SWISS CHEESE SOUP
1 cup chopped ham
2 cups water
1 head of broccoli or package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups milk
3 TBSs flour
2 and a half packed cups Emmental cheese grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash of pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
In a medium saucepan, add ham and water. Bring to a boil. Boil ham for 10 minutes.
Cook broccoli until semi-soft if using fresh.
Add broccoli to saucepan, cook until tender.
Add flour to a small bowl. Gradually add milk, stir until well combined.
Reduce heat to low.
Slowly add milk mixture to soup, stir constantly while soup thickens.
Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add Swiss cheese. Continue simmering until cheese melts.
Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with paprika when serving.
“The rooster crows a lot, but it’s the
hen which delivers the goods”
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
1 butternut squash
3 tart green apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
Sprig of rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon. dried
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 cups of chicken broth from stock cubes or as you wish
3 cups cold water
1/4 cup cream
Chopped fresh parsley or oregano for garnish
Peel squash. Cut lengthwise in half.
Remove seeds and cut into bite-sized chunks.
Add squash pieces, chopped
Add apples, chopped white onion, rosemary, salt, black pepper, chicken broth, and water to pot.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Add soup in batches to blender or blend with hand-held mixer.
Puree until smooth.
Transfer soup back to pot after each batch is blended.
Return to heat.
Stir in heavy cream. Heat through. Serve hot.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.