Cavatelli with Sautéd Arugula, Chestnuts and Garlic

Home made Cavatelli

Take about 1.5 to 2 cups flour in a chilled bowl or on a board. Make a well and add 2 egg yolks. Add water slowing until you can get a ball of dough. Shape into ball kneading for a short time and wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in frig. When ready to shape, add some flour onto your board and make a ton of little balls and then roll each one with the fork until they curl. Put into heavily salted boiling water, they will start to float when they are ready. 

• 1/2 lb. Freshly made Cavatelli (can use store bought)
• 1/2 Cup chopped roasted chestnuts
• 2 Cloves garlic chopped
• 3 Pats salted butter
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Bag Baby Arugula
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Shaved Parmesan for garnish
• 1/2 Fresh Lemon

While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a pan and saute the garlic and chopped chestnuts on medium to high heat for about 2 minutes or until garlic is aromatic. Lower the heat and add the Arugula and toss to coat. Put a lid on for about 5 minutes until the Arugula is wilted. Raise the heat and season with slat & pepper to taste. Add the butter and when the butter is melted, you are now ready to add your drained pasta (reserve 1/4 pasta water in case oyu need more moisture).

Plate and squeeze on lemon and garnish with shaved Parmesan.

Easy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Note: You can use regular flour for this recipe as well if you don't need GF.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon  
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• milk

Cream Cheese Icing:½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or 2 round cake pans. 

Beat white sugar and vegetable oil together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix.

Combine baking flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl; mix into sugar-vegetable oil until batter is smooth. Fold carrots into the batter. If batter is too thick add a little bit of milk at a time ( it should resemble a VERY thick pancake batter and it is not as loose as a regular cake mix). Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer; beat in confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until icing is smooth and creamy. (You might not use all of the sugar, so taste as you go along. I use less because I don't like it too sweet.) Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat well. Spread icing onto cake.

Psari Plaki - Greek Baked Fish With Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes

• 2 pounds boneless fish fillets like halibut or cod
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onions sliced thinly 
• 1 or 2 potatoes peels and sliced thin
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 8-oz can chopped tomatoes with juice 
• ⅛ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Grease a baking dish  large enough for the fish in one layer. Pour on the lemon juice. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the onions and potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened and begun to color slightly. Add a pinch of salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, until you can smell the garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, paprika, and dissolved tomato paste, wine, half the parsley and more salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce has cooked down a little bit, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the fish. Sprinkle on the remaining parsley.

Bake until the fish is opaque and pulls apart easily with a fork, about 30 minutes. You can either cover it with foil or baste the fish every 10 minutes if it is not submerged in the sauce.