Elis Caffe- A micro roastery and espresso bar

If good coffee is what warms your heart then look no further than Elis Caffe.  This is a micro roastery and an espresso bar with no detail overlooked.  The interior is simple, clean and efficient and the light features are brilliantly quirky.  They pride themselves on sourcing and importing roast and sell 'what we believe is among the best coffees from coffee producers around the world'. I ordered an espresso and a soya latte..YUM, drink in or take away (a service not so widely offered in Zagreb for professionals on the go) and to crown this caffe they also provide training for the public as well as for professionals.!

Summers Tea

Instead of sugar filled drinks..I shall name no names :) I find the best non-alcoholic drink that hits the spot on a summers day is a chilled glass of fruit tea. I like to buy loose tea from the Green Tea House (Illica 14, Lovački Rog), my most recent purchase (pictured) is their lemon and ginger tea.  The selection in the Green Tea House is extremely vast and the servers are more than willing to recommend to you a tea based on your preference if you find the selection overwhelming.

The ingredients for the tea I bought are:

Ginger
Lemon Grass
Cinamon
Apple

Brew a large jug full, keep it in the fridge and help yourself! Great to share with friends and the family!

Zoran

Amelie

Amelie is a very quaint and cosy patisserie, beautifully decorated with chic rustic furnishings. The cakes, pasteries and macarons are all home made, they are deliciously mourish and light.  A must visit!

Vlaška 6, Zagreb, Croatia

Salad

To avoid cooking on a hot day I like to put togther a hearty salad base full of fresh findings on Dolac, like tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, yellow peppers and parsley. Prepare enough for 2-3 days, cover and place in the fridge and serve each time with young salad. Other serving suggestions include, adding tuna, chicken breast, ham or boiled eggs. Look out for my tuna salad tomorrow!

Zoran Osmokrović

How to check your oil is hot enough?

Wondering how to check your frying oil is hot enough? Sprinkle a very small amount of flour into the oil and if it goes golden brown then you have reached the correct temperature :)

Zoran Osmokrović

Chicken Pate

Overview

Very versatile dish! Great as a starters to an evening meal, a light snack or fast breakfast. Dig in and enjoy!

Zoran’s Tip!*

The sour cream is the main ingredient for the consistency of the pate, too much and you create soup, so we shall stick with the same theory, ‘less is more’.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1. 1 medium sized chicken fillet
2. 1 tsp sour cream
3. 40g butter
4. 2 cloves of garlic
5. 1tsp mayo
6. Salt & pepper (to taste)
7. few sprigs of parsley

Preparation

1. Grill the chicken fillet in a frying pan on a medium heat until fully cooked.
2. Leave to cool and then cut into cubes
3. Place them in a bowl and add the sour cream*, butter, finely chopped garlic and mayo to the bowl and blend well with a hand blender, until the texture is smooth
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste
5. Add freshly chopped parsley
6. Serve on brown french bread with cherry tomatoes and young baby salad

Try it. Taste it. Enjoy it.

Zoran

Fresh Fried Sardines and Young Salad

Overview

Very cheap, very health, very fast lunch, dinner or snack!

Ingredients

• Cooking oil
• 3 tbsps flour
• 500g sardines
• 500g young salad
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon

Method

1. Clean the sardines, by removing each fishes insides, scales and head
2. Wash the sardines and leave them to drain for a few moments
3. Heat the cooking oil in a deep frying pan
4. Cover the sardines in flour and place them in the hot* oil for 4 minutes, until golden brown
5. Remove the Sardines from the oil and place them on kitchen towel to remove excess cooking oil
6. Serve with young salad and drizzle with fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

Try it. Taste it. Enjoy it.

Zoran

*How to test if your oil is hot enough?

Sprinkle a very small amount of flour into the oil and if it goes golden brown then you have reached the correct temperature. :)

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Fast. Healthy. Versatile.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of chinese cabbage
• 1/2 tin of bamboo shoots
• 5 Small mushrooms. I used Portobello and Champignon
• 1 Spring Onion
• 1 Chicken Breast
• 2tbsps Sesame Oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Soya Sauce (to taste)
• Couple sprigs of parsley

Method

1. Add sesame oil to wok and throw in the garlic and vegetables (sliced into thin strips) and stir for 5 minutes on a high heat.
2. Add the chicken (also cut into thin strips) stir together with vegetables for 5 minutes
3. Season with salt and pepper (to taste)
4. Add soya sauce (to taste)
5 Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley

Try it. Share it. Enjoy it

Zoran

www.zoranosmokrovic.com

Pea and Barley Soup

Great to prepare in advance as a 'Go-To' meal when your hungry and looking for a healthy, warm option quickly.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 150g barley
• 400g of green peas
• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 spoon of Ajvar*
• Tomato paste
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsp white flour
• 3 litres of water

Method

1. Boil the barley in salted water until tender.
2. Saute finely chopped onion and garlic in the cooking oil for 3minutes.
3. Add green peas and season with salt and pepper, stir and leave to simmer for 5mimutes.
4. Stir in 2 spoons of tomato paste and pour in 3litres of water.
5. Add 1 spoon of ajvar and leave to cook on a medium heat for 20minutes
6. Add the barley to the soup and leave to cook for an additional 15 minutes
7. Take the flour in a seperate bowl and stir in 100ml of water, then pour the mixture slowly into the soup, stiring continuously until you feel the soup begin to thicken slightly.
8. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.
9. Serve or store for later.

Try it. Share it. Enjoy it.

Zoran

*Ajvar is a mixture of roasted and peeled vegetables such as aubergine and peppers which have been cooked for approx 30minutes (small quantity only) with onion, garlic  and a litle bit of chillie.  It's a traditional South Eastern Europe relish. Delicious!


www.zoranosmokrovic.com

Fresh Fish

On saturday i went to Dolac looking for lunch ideas.  The choice of fresh fish was superb and I decided to buy 0.5kg of Sardines for 5kn (70cents!). Fish tends to be an overlooked option, it's fresh, healthy, cheap, fast to cook and simple delicious! Recipe to follow :)

Zoran

www.zoranosmokrovic.com