Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Place all but 2 tablespoons of the Oatmeal in a bowl with flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; stir until combined. Add butter and stir until evenly distributed. With a fork, mix in water, just until moistened. If dough is too moist add a little extra flour. Pat dough into a ball, and then flatten slightly.
3. Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons oats on a board. Roll dough out 1/4 inch thick. With a 2 to 3 inch round cutter, cut dough into rounds. Re-roll and cut scraps. Place oatcakes about 1/4 inch apart on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake until Scottish Oatcakes are golden, approximately 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Enjoy plain, serve with jam or cheese, or use them to build hors d’oeuvres.

Directions:

1. Heat the broth in a small saucepan.
2. In a large pan heat olive oil and saute onions over medium heat stirring often, until golden brown and caramelized.
3. Stir in the rice and saute for about a minute.
4. Add the wine and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed (about 2 minutes).
5. Add 3 cups of the stock and cook, stirring often, until it is mostly absorbed (about 8 minutes). Keep adding the stock as it gets absorbed until the rice is tender. If it gets too dry add more stock. (about 10 minutes). The rice should have a creamy consistency.
6. Stir in the butter and add the Kale, mixing well.
7. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
8. Break up the roasted Salmon into chunks and add into the risotto to warm it up.
9. Sprinkle with some shredded or grated parmesan.
10. Serve with good bread and a crisp green salad

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour (or use Pam) a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix (with a hand mixer) the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add half of the melted butter mixture and mix until completely blended. The mixture will be thick. Add the remaining butter mixture and mx until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until completely blended. Mix in the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

5. While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate glaze. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan and simmer until melted. Whisk in the  liqueur over low heat. Stir until smooth.

6. Generously drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cut into pieces and serve.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and peanut butter and simmer until butter smooth. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Press into an 8 x 8 non stick pan and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool and cut into bars.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.

  Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a 9-inch pie plate; bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Cool on a wire rack.

  Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté for about 15-20 minutes until golden. Add celery and cook until tender. Stir in browned flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in stock and next 6 ingredients (stock through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.

  Add the chicken thighs and simmer until tender. Remove from pot and shred with 2 forks. Add back to the pot.

  Stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve gumbo over rice and a side of cornbread.

• 8 ounces Brussels Sprouts
• 1 package each of Kale, Broccoli and red Cabbage (you can also buy at Trader Joe’s already shaved which saves time.)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup balsamic Vinegar
• parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Directions:

• Wash and pat dry the Brussels sprouts and kale. Cut the bottom stem off Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, finely slice the Brussels sprouts crosswise to give you fine ribbons.
• Wash and remove the tough stems from the kale leaves and discard.
• Shred cabbage, slicing thinly.
• in a large bowl place all the veggies and toss with Olive oil and balsamic. Add walnuts (you can also add some golden raisins for a sweet taste). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
• Spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 400 for about 12-15 minutes or until crisp.
• Sprinkle with Shaved Parmesan cheese.

• 2 apples thinly sliced (I used Envy)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground roasted cinnamon
• 1 tsp. roasted ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat an oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan.
• Core and thinly slice the apples, leaving the skin intact. In a bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, butter and egg. Stir in two-thirds of the apple slices.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture along with the raisins, stirring until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the remaining apple slices in a pattern on top, pressing them gently into the batter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake until the cake is golden and springy to the touch, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Serves 8 to 10.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 thinly sliced onions
• 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon (I used yellow tail Big Red Roo)
• 1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté in batches until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. In another large pot heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add onions. Caramelize onions until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add onions to meat. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl.
• Serve over polenta, mashed yukon gold potatoes or gnocchi.

• 1 cup All Purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.

In a medium bowl, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

In an electric griddle 375 degrees, add just enough vegetable oil to coat the griddle. When the oil is hot, add the batter in batches to the pan using a 1/4 cup measure to make each hoecake. Gently spread into a circle, if needed. Flip the hoecakes when the air pockets begin to pop on the surface of the batter and a peek underneath the cake reveals a golden rim and surface, about 2 minutes. Keep hoecakes warm in the oven until ready to serve.

These would also be good for breakfast with some maple syrup.