Cranberry Sauce with a Croatian twist

I love making the holidays extra special with my homemade cranberry sauce with a Croatian twist. The depth of flavour will have you adding this cranberry sauce to everything. This past summer while in Croatia I made sure to add Prošek to my list of things to bring back with me. Prošek is a sweet dessert wine that is traditionally from the southern area of Dalmatia, Croatia. It is made using dried wine grapes in the passito method. This method of winemaking is made from grapes that have been dried off the wine to concentrate the juices.

My cranberry sauce is the perfect accompaniment with turkey or lamb.

Ingredients

1/4 sugar or your sugar substitute I used coconut sugar

1/2 cup of Prošek

1 1/2 cups cranberries

1 orange (juice of orange)

Directions

1. Rinse and wash cranberries in a colander.

2. Place the sugar and Prošek in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves.

3. Add the orange juice

4. Add the cranberries and cook until they burst about 5 -8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that it doesn’t overbuild or burn. Stirring often.

5. Take off heat and allow to cool (Note: the cranberry sauce will continue to thicken once cooled) If you find it a little thick add a splash of water and mix.

I love cranberry sauce with appetizers as well. Here I took some gluten-free crackers, added Boursin truffle cheese and topped with my cranberry sauce.

Octopus salad on Croatian island Palmižana

Palmižana- near the island of Hvar off the Dalmatian coast is one of a chain known as the Pakleni islands. Once a place where only few would venture off to escape the busyness of life. 

Today, many flock there to seek a quality experience and immerse themselves in nature's bed of tranquillity.  Frolicking on the island is as much about stimulating all five senses as it is about allowing nature to heal our bodies and minds from hustle culture. The botanical gardens of Palmižana are surrounded with tree-like opuntias (aka prickly pear),  cacti, olives and many different kinds of aromatic herbs and plants.

I sought out this peaceful island to fully experience the Croatian art of Pomalo that I write about in my book. Once our boat docked, I made my way on a path surrounded by eucalyptus and succulents instantly allowing my mind to focus on the present moment. Nothing else seemed to matter except for the lush and enormous botanicals in my sight of view. The windy path led us to the beach where we planted ourselves for a day of relaxation.

Once in a rested state, I began to seek out a casual laid-back restaurant.  Fresh, simple and tasty were on my mind.  I got exactly what I craved at Toto’s restaurant. 

Bursting with Adriatic flavours, my octopus salad with crunchy celery, parsley, lemon juice and local olive oil perfectly satiated my hunger.  The staff at Toto’s were attentive allowing us to take our time perusing the menu.  They were knowledgeable and adaptive while making plenty of room in the shade for our family. 

Palmižana is the perfect retreat that brings my book Pomalo: Croatia’s Secret to Happy to life in vivid colour.

Peach, Prosciutto and Parmesan

It’s peach season and I wanted to make a dish that is reminiscent of Croatia.  As many of you know I love buying food products as souvenirs, and this Dalmatinski Pršut is the gift that keeps on giving.

My new creation is a take on a TikTok trend.  Remember the parmesan-crusted roasted potatoes?  Well, instead of the potatoes I added cauliflower and prosciutto.  I  grated parmesan cheese and spread it evenly on a baking sheet and then added cauliflower slices.  This allows the cheese to get crispy!

Step 1: Grate the parmesan cheese and add fresh slices of basil.  Spread the cheese evenly on the baking sheet.

Step 2 Take the cauliflower slices and place them on the cheese.  Brush each cauliflower steak with olive oil.

Step3:: Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F then remove from oven and add prosciutto around the bread.  Placing it back in the oven for 10 minutes until it gets crispy.

Step 4: Layer the ingredients.  Take out the cauliflower and add prosciutto, peaches and fresh basil leaves

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower cut into 1-inch thick slices

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh basil

5 prosciutto slices

1 peach sliced

warm honey (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F

On a baking sheet mix the parmesan cheese and basil.  Spread evenly on the baking sheet.  Put cauliflower on top of the grated cheese, and brush a little bit of olive oil on each cauliflower.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and add slices of prosciutto around the cauliflower steaks. Place back in the oven and back for 10 minutes longer

Using the spatula remove the cheesy cauliflower from the baking sheet and add to a plate, arrange the prosciutto on top and then add peach slices with basil, and drizzle warm honey if using.

Crolicious Pizza

Croatian cuisine is influenced by its neighbouring countries like Italy and Hungary. As such, the famous Italian pizza made its way into the hearts and stomachs of many Croatians. One of my favourite pizzas to order on the Adriatic Coast is a pizza Margherita. I’ve heard Italians call it a simple pizza originating from Naples. The Crolicious way to savour this bubbly crusted pizza with homemade sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil is with a generous drizzle of Croatian extra virgin olive oil. I made my low-carb and gluten-free version using fresh zucchini as the crust. Now join me and let’s make this Crolicious pizza.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh zucchini grated (about 3 cups grated)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 parmesan cheese

• 1/4 almond flour

Preheat over to 400 F

1. For best results, add salt to the grated zucchini, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. In batches take handfuls of grated zucchini and squeeze out access water. Repeat this process until most water is out of the zucchini.

2. Add eggs, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and almond flour to the zucchini and mix them.

3. On a circular 10-inch pizza pan add a piece of parchment paper and begin spreading the zucchini mixture to resemble the pizza crust.

4. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before adding your favourite toppings.

6. Add pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes until cheese melts

8. Once out of the oven drizzle your extra virgin olive oil and Enjoy or Dobar Tek.

Mushroom Risotto

We move through our days so quickly. We tell ourselves we don’t have time for the mundane things, like grating fresh cauliflower resembling rice. Oh please I’ll buy the prepared, frozen bag. While I do buy and use frozen cauliflower rice, I found freshly grated cauliflower elevates my dishes to a new level and taste.

I love risotto, and I enjoy it when it’s low carb and gluten free as a way to lower my risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions such as arthritis an autoimmune and inflammatory disease which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. While I do suffer from chronic lower back pain, I found that sticking to mostly a lower-carb, gluten free diet helps with my overall health and mental well-being. That’s not to say that I never eat carbs, I do but in moderation. This balanced approach to eating has helped me tremendously, as I move through my days with more ease and overall happiness. Moderation is key. Now back to my mushroom cauliflower risotto.

Risotto reminds me of the Adriatic as it’s mostly served with squid, or as a vegetarian dish with lots of seasonal veggies. I opted to make my version with mushrooms, shallots and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Ingrediets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mushrooms chopped into quartered

1 teaspoon fresh herbs I used dill and basil, you can also use parsley, cilantro, oregano

1 head of cauliflower grated (approx 3 cups)

1/2 cup of mushroom broth or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

-Place a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and shallots. Saute for 5 minutes until shallots become soft and translucent.

-Add quartered mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes , mixing often as not to burn

-Add cauliflower rice, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes stirring often.

-Remove from heat and add fresh herbs, I used dill and basil, butter and parmesan cheese. Mix through and serve right away.

-Optional- drizzle some extra virign olive oil on top.

What are the benefits of bone broth?

Croatian families have been consuming bone broth for-Ever. Typically, if you enter a Croatian home on a Saturday morning you will smell ‘goveda juha” (beef broth) slowing simmering on the stove top. When I was a young girl I remember my Mother telling me the importance of juha, but I quickly dismissed her and thought this flavoured water was boring.

Of course, it wasn’t unlit I noticed a trend in the food blog scene that I found myself leaning in and listening. Turns out there’s a lot of health benefits and nutrients in the bones and tissues of the animals that make up a tasty broth.

According to Medical News Today, bones themselves are rich in vitamins and nutrients like calcium. magnesium and phosphorous. Also, brewing the connective tissue’s into bone broth provides the body with natural compounds from the cartilage. Cooking collagen turns it to gelatin which provides the body with amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.

The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, states that bone broth is great for gut health. The nutrients in bone broth, collagen, glycine and glutamine, have all been shown to sooth gut irritation and inflammation.

Traveling to Croatia, especially the countryside you will find Juha on most menus. It’s a great way to start your meal as it has a low glycemic index, which helps to control blood pressure and insulin. Plus, it gives your skin a beautiful glow and your body a burst of energy. Simply request bone broth without noddles for a lowcarb or gluten free option.

So if you’re traveling to Croatia this summer remember to “Ladle Up” on the Juha-aka Liquid Gold- your gut and skin will thank you.

Croatian Blackened Cod

How to make a traditional Croatian fish dish as a low carb version? Come and see….

In Croatia, cod is known as “Bakalar” and is usually served at Christmas as a hearty stew with potatoes. I decided to make this Croatian delicacy into a low-carb gluten free option and enjoy around the pool this summer. Cod is an easy and delicious fish to prepare. I decided to make it into a one sheet pan meal for easy prep and clean up. This dish is perfect for any night of the week. I added some radishes and broccoli along with lemon slices to make the dish pop.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

2 pieces of Cod about 15 ounces or about 1 pound

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of your favourite cajun seasoning

1 lemon cut into think slices

4 radishes cut in half

1 head of broccoli

Salt/Pepper

THE PREPARATION: SO EASY

Directions

Set the oven on to 400 F

1. Clean and cut broccoli, and radishes. Lay the vegetables evenly on the sheet pan. Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Making sure to coat all the vegetables and season with salt.

2. Clean fish and pat dry with paper towel. Season with cajun spice. Rub two tablespoons olive oil onto the fish and set evenly on the sheet pan next to the vegetables.

3. Add the lemon wedges.

4. Back in oven for 15 minutes.

Serve

Remove sheet pan from the oven and place on nice tray. Remember to add charred lemon wedges and enjoy.