Mikki's Croatian Kitchen
Mikki's Croatian Kitchen
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Recipes & Ideas

Savoury Recipes

How Mikki uses each seasoning at home — plus a few family recipes to go with them

Homemade Croatian soup with fresh vegetables

Mikki's Kitchen · Župa Valley, Dubrovnik

From slow-cooked Peka to fresh salads

Our seasonings are built for everyday Croatian cooking — steaks, roasts, seafood, soups and more. Below, Mikki shares how she uses each blend in her own kitchen, along with a few of the family recipes they were made for.

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Seasoning Guide

Dalmatian Seasoning

Peka is a traditional Croatian cooking method that uses a large cooking pot, hot coals and spices. Capture the taste of the Adriatic with our go-to mix for Peka — so simple, and all the flavours you need! Dalmatian Seasoning isn't just for meat, it can be used in a variety of recipes — see below for ideas.

For steak and roasts

Massage Dalmatian Seasoning onto your chosen meat, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Cook as usual and enjoy!

For chicken

Mix Dalmatian Seasoning into olive oil, and massage onto the chicken skin. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes before cooking as usual and enjoy!

For spaghetti bolognese

Instead of using a mass-produced packet of chemical and food additives from the store, use 1 tbsp of Dalmatian Seasoning per kilo of mince and cook your bolognese as usual.

Croatian Peka Roast

Croatian Peka Roast

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tbsp Dalmatian Seasoning
  • 1.5 kg veal or pork
  • 200 ml olive oil
  • 800 g potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 3 capsicums, red, green and yellow
  • 2 zucchini
  • 5 carrots, peeled, sliced into 2 cm segments
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 100 ml white wine

Directions

  1. 1Place meat, potatoes, onion and carrots in a flat round tray. Pour olive oil onto the meat and vegetables and massage it evenly into the food. Massage Dalmatian Seasoning into the meat.
  2. 2Place a bell dome over the dish and place the peka in a wood-burning oven, or under hot embers in a fireplace.
  3. 3Check on the peka after 35 minutes to make sure there is enough moisture, adding olive oil if needed. Stir the meat and add the capsicum, zucchini and fresh rosemary sprigs, spooning the liquid onto them. Add white wine. Cover and return to heat for approximately 15–20 minutes.
  4. 4Remove from heat. Serve with crusty bread and a fresh, leafy salad.
Vegan Stuffed Capsicum

Vegan Stuffed Capsicum

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 8 capsicum
  • 2 cups long-grain rice
  • 5 carrots, grated
  • 1 zucchini, grated
  • 1 aubergine, grated
  • 1, finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • Round slices of potato
  • 2 tsp Dalmatian Seasoning (per 1 kilo vegetables)

Directions

  1. 1Preheat oven to 160°C.
  2. 2Mix Dalmatian Seasoning through the vegetables.
  3. 3Gently heat olive oil in a pan on low-medium heat and add rice to the warm oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. 4Add the vegetables and continue stirring for approx. 2 minutes. Take off heat and leave to cool. Once cool, add vegan cheese substitute.
  5. 5Slice the top off the capsicums, remove seeds and loosely stuff with the rice-vegetable mixture. Add a slice of raw potato to the top of each as a lid.
  6. 6Place capsicums into a deep baking dish and pour in tomato passata until the peppers are half covered. Cover tops with aluminium foil and bake until the rice is cooked (approximately 40 minutes).
Čevapi (Skinless Sausages)

Čevapi (Skinless Sausages)

Ingredients

  • 900 g mixed meat (lamb, pork, beef), ground
  • 3 tbsp water or white wine, if using chicken or turkey
  • 20 g (3 cloves) garlic, unpeeled and crushed
  • 20 g Dalmatian Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp black pepper and 2 tsp salt)

Directions

  1. 1Peel and mince the garlic.
  2. 2Put the ground meats into a bowl, along with all the other ingredients.
  3. 3Knead until well mixed, cover, and let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours (best if 12 hours).
  4. 4Take a scoop of the cevapi mixture and compress the meat into a plastic bottle, forcing the mince through the top to shape lengths approximately the size of your index finger.
  5. 5Once shaped, store in the fridge while you prepare the grill or skillet.
  6. 6Grill the cevapi until medium or well done, depending on your taste.

Seasoning Guide

M.C.K Seasoning

The Bura is a northerly, dry wind well known among Croatians — nicknamed the "good" wind. Bura is credited with providing strong and distinctive flavours to Croatian cured meats and cheeses. Bring the flavour of the Bura to your cooking with Mikki's M.C.K Seasoning, a quick, full-flavoured seasoning mix with no preservatives or artificial additives. It will bring out the best flavour in your food!

For large whole fish, octopus, or squid

Generously coat the fish or other seafood with olive oil, and massage the skin with M.C.K Seasoning. Bake, fry, or grill as usual.

For fish fillet, small whole fish, sliced octopus, squid rings or shellfish

Brush with olive oil and fry, bake, or grill as usual. When cooked, sprinkle M.C.K Seasoning generously over the seafood before serving.

For chicken or turkey

Mix M.C.K Seasoning with flour for a tasty crumbed coating.

Cocktails

For a twist of the exotic, dip the glass rim of your cocktail glass into lemon juice and then M.C.K Seasoning to add a delicious flavour to your Margarita or Gin and Tonic. Alternatively, use M.C.K Seasoning instead of regular salt on your wrist for that shot of tequila!

Octopus Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp M.C.K Seasoning or Dalmatian Seasoning
  • 1 kg tender octopus
  • 200 g potatoes
  • 80 ml olive oil
  • 40 ml red wine vinegar
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 small cucumbers, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped

Directions

  1. 1Boil the potatoes. Once cooled, peel and cut into 1 cm slices.
  2. 2Bring 2 litres of water to the boil. Add the octopus and boil for a further 12 minutes. Strain and cool for 5 minutes.
  3. 3While the octopus is cooking, toss the sliced potato, tomato and cucumber together in a serving dish. In a separate container, whisk together the M.C.K Seasoning, olive oil, vinegar and garlic to make a salad dressing.
  4. 4Once the octopus is cool, remove the skin and cut the tentacles into 5 mm slices. Add to the salad and toss through with the dressing.
  5. 5Serve with fresh, crusty bread and enjoy!

Vegetable and Rice Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp M.C.K Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups rice
  • 3 medium onions, diced
  • 6 medium carrots, grated
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 large zucchinis, grated
  • 6 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1.5 litres water

Directions

  1. 1Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add M.C.K Seasoning, onions, garlic, ginger and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent.
  2. 2Add the rice, tomatoes and zucchinis and stir until coated with oil. Lower the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
  3. 3Add the water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then lower to a soft simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes or more, to taste.
  4. 4Serve with fresh crusty bread and enjoy!

Seasoning Guide

Adriatic Seasoning

The Maestral is a summery wind from the northwest — known as the wind that dances between the sun and the sea, and a favourite of leisurely sailors and beachgoers. Maestral is a sea breeze credited with providing strong, distinctive flavours to dried herbs and cured cheeses. Bring the flavour of the Maestral to your cooking with Adriatic Seasoning — a quick, full-flavoured seasoning mix with no preservatives or artificial additives. It will bring out the best flavour in your food, perfect for enjoying the summer year round.

For vegetarian or vegan pasta dishes

Simply sprinkle Adriatic Seasoning over your pasta for that taste of the Maestral!

For breakfast eggs

Add 1/4 tsp of Adriatic Seasoning per person to your egg mix before cooking scrambled eggs or a cheese omelette.

For garlic bread

Add Adriatic Seasoning to your garlic butter before spreading onto fresh, crusty bread and baking as usual.

For an upgrade to homemade Mexican food

Mix Adriatic Seasoning to taste into sour cream for the perfect taco or burrito topping, or stir into guacamole and serve with corn chips.

For baked potatoes

Mix Adriatic Seasoning into sour cream or cream cheese and serve on your baked potato with cheese, spring onions and other toppings.

Kupus Salata (Cabbage Salad)

Kupus Salata (Cabbage Salad)

Otherwise known as Cabbage Salad, a favourite Croatian dish! Finely shred 1 cabbage, leaving the stalk, and place in a medium bowl. Add 1 minced garlic clove, a dash of olive oil, a dash of vinegar, and a tablespoon (to taste) of Adriatic Seasoning, and toss thoroughly to coat. Simple, fresh, crisp, and full of flavour!

Cream Cheese Spread

For a delicious dinner party appetiser, a unique twist on antipasto, or just a delicious snack — simply mix any of the Kitchen Pantry Seasonings to taste into your cream cheese. Serve on a platter with fresh, crusty bread, and a sprinkling of Dalmatian Seasoning as garnish.

Easy Maestral Gnocchi

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

  • 6 large white potatoes, peeled
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 2 cups plain flour

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp Dalmatian Seasoning
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Directions

  1. 1To make the gnocchi, place the potatoes into a large pot of cool water and bring to the boil. Cook for 25–30 minutes, or until tender.
  2. 2Drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle, but still warm. Grate the potatoes into a large bowl. Add salt, pepper and 1 tsp of Dalmatian Seasoning and mix thoroughly. Make a well in the centre, crack the eggs into it, whisk briefly with a fork, then gently mix into the potatoes by hand until evenly distributed.
  3. 3In preparation for cooking the gnocchi, place a large pot of cold, well-salted water on to boil.
  4. 4Put 1½ cups of flour onto a clean surface and turn the potato dough out onto it, keeping the remaining ½ cup in reserve in case you need to flour the surface. Knead the dough quickly, incorporating the flour bit by bit — it will lose its stickiness and become more solid. Separate into 4 even pieces, roll each into a long sausage about the thickness of your thumb, then cut into pieces the size of your first thumb knuckle.
  5. 5Stir the large pot of boiling salted water and add the gnocchi, without overloading the pot — leave space between pieces so they don't stick together. The gnocchi will rise to the surface; after another 20 seconds, remove and drain.
  6. 6For the sauce, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, crushed garlic and 1 tsp of Dalmatian Seasoning. Add the gnocchi and toss until lightly golden.
  7. 7Serve with a fresh, crisp summer salad topped with a generous sprinkle of M.C.K Seasoning!

Looking for something sweet?

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