Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the oil from domestic olive groves obtained from the most aromatic sort of domestic olives, grown on the best microlocations.

An important part of our brain consists of fat, of which approximately one third are fatty acids. Their large amounts are also present in the most active parts of the brain responsible for memory and thinking processes.

Zvijezda Margo IQ is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA and ALA), so its sponsorship of this year’s Week of the Brain dedicated to the promotion and popularization of topics related to the brain and nervous system is no surprise.

The ninth Week of the Brain is being marked from 15th to 21st of March, organized by the Croatian Institute for Brain Research of the Medical Faculty and the Croatian Society for Neuroscience, as a part of an international initiative called Brain Awareness Week.

In all major Croatian cities, Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split, there will be lectures, presentations and forums. In order for  everybody to learn something new about the brain, a part of the program will be tailored to the pre-school children.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 130 g truffles and mushrooms (squirrel’s bread)
• 20 g dried mushrooms
• 1 kg Zvijezda gnocchi
• 80 g Zvijezda margarine
• 250 ml cream for cooking
• 30 g Parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper

Directions:

First of all, soak dried mushrooms in a bowl of cold water to soften. Then put the gnocchi in a pot with enough boiling salted water and cook according to the instructions on the packaging. Meanwhile, in a saucepan melt margarine, add soften and drained mushrooms and fry a minute or two. Then, pour the cream into the pan, add the mixture of truffles and mushrooms, mix well and wait to boil. After three to four minutes season the sauce with salt and pepper, as desired and serve. Drain the gnocchi and put them on plates, sprinkle all together with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese and decorate with fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 60 g ground black truffles
• 240 g tagliatelle pasta
• 80 g pitted black olives
• 120 g cherry tomatoes
• 100 ml vegetable broth
• 50 g rucola salad
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt, pepper

Directions:

In a pot with enough boiling salted water put the tagliatelle and cook according to the instructions on the packaging or less to stay al’dente. Meanwhile, warm a spoonful of olive oil in a pan, add pitted black olives sliced into rings, cherry tomatoes cut in halves, and fry over medium heat for about a minute. Then add the vegetable broth and cook on low heat for five minutes or until the sauce reduces by half. Drain cooked pasta, move into the pan with cherry tomatoes and olive sauce, add ground black truffles, and turn off the heat. At the end, add gently the rucola and arrange the prepared food on plates.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

• 450 g minced veal
• 800 g peeled tomatoes
• 125 g goat cheese (pecorino)
• ½ purple onions
• 6 leaves fresh basil
• 125 g bread crumbs
• 60 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons crushed parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

In a pan, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add chopped onion, crushed garlic, a pinch of salt, and fry over low heat until the vegetables are tender. Then add peeled tomatoes, fresh basil cut into strips, combine the ingredients and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl with bread crumbs, add milk and mix the ingredients. Put this mixture in a bowl over the minced veal, add scrambled eggs and combine all together with a fork. Then add grated goat cheese, chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper and blend all together in a homogenous mixture. Form meat balls and put them in a pan with the tomato sauce. Cook all together on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and then serve.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

• 800 g veal steaks (4-5 mm thick)
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Beat the veal steaks with jagged side of a mallet, season with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil and put to fry in a hot pan with oiled side turned down. After 1 to 2 minutes, turn the meat over on the other side and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. Put the meat aside in a warm place. Add some olive oil in the fat from frying; add the crushed garlic, capers, chopped parsley and when the garlic starts to smell add chopped tomatoes. Mix well, season with salt and pepper and simmer over the low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Put the steaks on a serving plate, top with the tomato sauce and serve.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 800 g white fish fillets
• 200 g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 200 g button mushrooms
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 50 ml white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 30 g Zvijezda margarine
• 20 g plain flour
• 250 ml fish stock
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

First, peel the potatoes and chop them into dices. Clean the mushrooms and slice into slices, chop the onion and cut the garlic in thin sheets. In a Pyrex dish pour some olive oil, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Top the potatoes with chopped onion and garlic, arrange the sliced mushrooms over, and top with the fish fillets. Cover all the ingredients with chopped tomatoes. Then add the white wine, season with salt and pepper, if desired and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Put in the preheated oven to cook at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Before done, melt the margarine in a pan, add the flour and fry briefly until the flour becomes lightly brown. Whisking continuously with a whisk, add the fish stock gradually until you get an evenly creamy mixture. Season the sauce with salt, pour it over the ingredients in the Pyrex dish and put all together back in the oven at the same temperature for another 30 minutes, then serve.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g cuttlefish
• 2 onions
• 200 g tomatoes (peeled)
• 800 g Zvijezda canned peas
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10 g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and black pepper

Directions:

Clean the cuttlefish and slice it in strips. Squeeze the ink out of bag, put it in a glass, add some olive oil and mix so that the ink does not crystallize. In a pan, put sliced cuttlefish, cover with some olive oil and enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then add drained and chopped tomatoes, drained canned peas, season with salt and pepper, mix all the ingredients and when comes to the boil remove from heat. In a separate bowl, add three tablespoons of olive oil, crushed garlic, plain flour and fry over low heat until it turns brown. Then add chopped parsley and enough water to get a tender smooth sauce. Mixing with a whisk, add the ink and wait until the food starts to boil. Add the sauce in the pan with cuttlefish and peas and when all together starts to boil again, the food are ready to serve.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 60 g smoked bacon
• 1 l meat soup
• 20 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon red paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated marjoram
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 2 bay leaves
• 200 g sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

First of all, peal the potatoes, cut them in dices and put in a bowl with water. In a pot, heat three tablespoons of olive oil, add chopped onion and smoked bacon cut in dices. Simmer briefly over low heat until the onion is tender. Meanwhile, pour approximately 200 ml meat soup in a separate bowl and add the plain flour, mix with a whisk taking care not to make clots. Then add red paprika, chopped fresh marjoram, fresh grated ginger and put all the ingredients in the pot with onion and smoked bacon. Also, pour in the remaining soup and add cut potatoes that were previously drained. Add a bay leaf in the soup and when all starts to boil simmer for another 30 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, put the cream in a separate bowl; add chopped parsley, crushed garlic and a few drops of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix until you obtain an even mixture. Add the mixture in the soup with potatoes and wait until comes to the boil. Put the soup in deep plates, arrange with chopped dill and serve.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g fusilli pasta
• 150 g smoked salmon
• 4 teaspoons salmon caviar
• 250 ml cream for cooking
• Zvijezda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt, white pepper

Directions:

In a pot with enough boiling salted water put pasta to cook and cook as requested in the instructions on the packaging. In a not overheated pan, put two tablespoons of olive oil, add smoked salmon cut in pieces and fry approximately one minute, turning it over. Then pour in the cream and when it starts to boil continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Now, add cooked and drained pasta in the pan and mix all the ingredients. Put the pasta with salmon on plates and arrange with a teaspoon of caviar on the top of each serving.