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

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. :)

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

Wild Asparagus Risotto

I used the wild aspargus I bought on Dolac market, you can get them only at this time of the year, so I have included them in a beautiful risotto, prepared in under 15minutes, it can be served as an appertiser or as a main dish.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1tsp butter
180g risotto rice
1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
200ml vegetable stock
1tsp mascarpone
Grana Padana (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 bunch of fresh wild asparagus

Method

On melted butter, saute finely chopped red onion and garlic. Add the risotto rice with salt and pepper and gradually stir in the vegetable stock until the rice is half cooked*.  Add asparagus tips (approx. 3cm long)  and stir in with the risotto rice. Add the mascarpone cheese and grana padano and stir well to finish. Garnish with a few drops of olive oil.

Texture of fully cooked risotto should be sticky in texture and hold its shape when presented on the plate.

Try it. Share it.

Zoran

Parmesan Dough Balls

You can find these in Mario Mar d.o.o bakery inside Dolac.  These are hit and miss, sometimes they’re FANTASTIC, other times not so tasty, but a must mention! On their good days their soft, warm and oozing with flavour, they are also gluten free and light on the tummy. Good luck. Try it. Share it.

Fresh Tortelini with Cheese Sauce!

Very fast to prepare and a great lunch idea.  The tortelini was bought fresh from Tjestenina Italjana, Dolac, Zagreb. Boil the tortelini in salted water for 6 minutes and serve onto a bed of bechamel sauce.

Base Bechamel Sauce. Serves 2.

• One scoop of butter melted in a small pan.
• Stir in 50g of flour.
• Add 300ml of milk and stir.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bechamel with cheese sauce

• As above +
• Stir in 70g gouda cheese and parmesan shavings
• Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Try it. Share it

Tjestenina Italjana

Fresh Salmon and Chips!

I bought all the ingredients fresh from Dolac this morning, the salmon fillet was grilled for 2 minutes on each side after leaving it for 15 minutes in rock salt.  The potatoes were cut into wedges and deep fried for 10 minutes, (until golden brown).  The rucola and fresh tomatoes were the perfect accompaniment to this healthy and fast lunch.  To finish, the dish was drizzled with fresh lemom juice and a few drops of olive oil. Bon apetite!

Rosemary for Easter Sunday marination

The abundance of Rosemary on Dolac this morning was mouthwatering.  I am using the rosemary to marinate the 1kg of lamb I bought fresh from IVIS PROM tonight in preparation for Easter Sunday. It's going to taste beautiful.

Marination method - an approximation, it really depends on the quanitiy of meat :)

• Rub some rock salt into the lamb and then chop some garlic and rosemary leaves and mix with roughly 2tbsp of good olive oil and rub this also into the meat, cover in tin foil and place in the fridge until Sunday. Smells yummy!

Wild Asparagus

Wild asparagus season is here and has arrived on Dolac. The ones featured here came to Dolac from Zadar.

IVIS PROM 94 - Dolac

#Goodfriday Early morning que for fresh meat at IVIS PROM 94. I bought lamb from here for an Easter Sunday roast, marinating tonight :)

Strawberries!

Dolac is simply over flowing with these naturally sweet and very versatile beauties and they taste as good as they look. Heres a few quick and easy serving suggestions.

• Served with your morning museli
• Blended as a smoothie with yoghurt and fresh mint leaves
• Tossed into a healthy fruit salad
• Delicious with crepes/pancakes
• Dipped in warm melted chocolate
• OR simple as they are!