A traditional roast with a Mediterranean touch

Do you want to add a Sicilian touch to your traditional roast? Why not? Either you are having turkey, beef or pork for your Sunday dinner, I would like to suggest you a different and very tasty way of cooking the potatoes that will match just perfectly with any meat.

I am talking about this lovely Mediterranean flavored side-dish, perfect to spice up your meal. It is juicy, tasty and creamy. It makes me think of one of my favorite tv shows: "Blue Bloods" (on Cbs), where the Reagan family gather every sunday for lunch. This would be the perfect dish to serve!

Very easy to make, you just need the right ingredients. For 4 people I usually consider 8 medium sized potatoes, plus 2 onions, a can of peeled tomatoes, salt, oregano, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation: 
1. Preheat the oven at 200 C°;
2. Peel the potatoes, wash them under running water and cut them in big pieces. 3. Peel the onions as well and chop them in thin slices.
4. At the bottom of an oven tray spread some olive oil, place the potatoes and the onion and add the can of peeled chopped tomatoes.
5. Mix all the ingredients very well, then add abundant salt, oregano, a pinch of black pepper and some more oil on top. 6. Place in the oven for about 35-40 minutes (depending on how big the pieces of the potatoes are), but remember to check them and turn them after 15-20 minutes, and then again after 30 minutes.

These are usually the potatoes that you buy here in western Sicily with the chicken roast, so some of you may have recognised them. If you want to propose a new recipe with an old ingredient this is definetely the perfect solution. Enjoy! :-)

A white focaccia with onions: can I please have some more?

Do you know how to prepare a lovely rustic white focaccia with white onions and caciocavallo cheese? (We call it white because there is no tomato sauce.) Apart from the bread itself to prepare this recipe you will need:  high quality extra vergin olive oil, salt, oregano, 2 white onions, 50 gr. caciocavallo cheese (Sicilian local cheese).

First of all, to make the focaccia bread: you can prepare it on your own by following this simple recipe unless you can find a very good dough ready to be cooked in a deli or market. Follow the instructions, then, while the dough is rising, cut in rings and scald the onions and cut also the caciocavallo cheese in little cubes. 

With your thumb do little imprints into the dough and brush some olive oil on top, the onions rings previously scalded, the cheese in cubes, a little salt because the cheese is very tasty and finally sprinkle with oregano.

Put in the oven at 180°c (should be 425 degrees) for about 15-20 minutes. Have a look at the bottom to be sure that under is brown and not white. If too pale let it cook for 5 more minutes until golden brown. 

That's it!!! You made your lovely white mediterranean focaccia! Now you just have to eat it and enjoy, and you will agree with me... it won't be enough!!! :-)