Preheat oven to 375F. Cover a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, blend yogurt with egg yolk. Add to crumb mixture, stirring until dough clings together. On a generously floured surface, place the dough, and pat into a 9-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on baking tray. Brush top with egg white. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle on top of scones. Baking 15 to 20 minutes or until scones are golden brown.   Makes 8 scones

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper (if using). Drain tuna, then add to mayonnaise mixture. Using a fork, break up tuna into flakes. Add celery, pickles, and parsley and toss to combine; season with salt and black pepper.

Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Top an unbuttered side with 1/3 of the tuna salad, 2 to 3 tomato slices, and 2 cheese slices. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Repeat with remaining sandwiches and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake tuna melts until cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.   Serves 3

Saute mushrooms in butter and garlic over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly browned. Remove from skillet and stir in green onions. Wipe skillet dry with a paper towel.

Lay 2 tortillas on the counter. Spread 1/4 of cheese on bottom half of each tortilla. Evenly split mushroom mixture over top. Sprinkle remaining cheese over mushrooms. Bring the empty half of tortilla over on top of the filling and press down.

Slide one of the tortillas into a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes, checking frequently, until bottom of tortilla is crisp and browned. Turn over, cover, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Repeat this process for remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.   Serves 2

Preheat griddle. Spread softened butter on just one side of the bread slices and put the bread buttered side down on a cutting board. Spread half of the bread slices on their unbuttered side with the mustard and top with half of the cheese. Layer the ham on top, follow with the remaining cheese, and top with a bread slice, buttered side up.

Put the sandwiches on the griddle and toast for 4 minutes. Press with a spatula, flip, and toast on the griddle until golden on the other side, another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, sprinkle with salt, and cook until the whites are set and golden at the edges but the yolks are still runny. Divide the sandwiches among 2 plates and top each with a fried egg. Serve with salad greens.   Serves 2

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and salt and scramble the eggs until cooked through. Sprinkle the cheese on top and remove from the heat. Divide the scrambled eggs among the tortillas and top with some chopped bacon, cherry tomatoes, and diced avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.   Served 2 my way, but 3 the recipe's way

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt, add to the pot and cook, tossing once, until pink and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, reserving the oil in the pot.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir the heavy cream and vodka into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.

Add the pasta, shrimp and 1/4 cup cooking water to the sauce; cook over medium heat, stirring until everything is coated in the sauce and the shrimp is heated through. Add more cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the sauce if needed. Stir in the peas and season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and more red pepper flakes.   Serves 4

(I would break the noodles in half to make it easier to toss, later, with other ingredients.) Cook the noodles following the package instructions and reserve a ladleful of the cooking liquid before draining. Put the butter, pistachios, lemon zest and juice into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Turn up the heat while whisking together until the butter is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Grind in plenty of black pepper, then toss in the noodles. Take off the heat and mix through the cheese and spinach leaves. If the noodles look a little dry, add a splash more of the noodle cooking water.   Serves 2 - 3

Dressing
2 tblsps minced fresh parsley
2 tblsps fresh basil leaves, slivered
1/8 tsp garlic salt
2 tblsps vegetable oil
2 tblsps chicken broth
2 tblsps red wine vinegar
2 tsps Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp oregano

Cook tortellini according to package. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain again, then place in a large salad bowl.

Place cauliflower and broccoli in a microwave safe container with 2 tablespoons water. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Add to the salad bowl.

Add zucchini, bell pepper, carrot, peas, and meat to salad bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad. Toss, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours (I served without refrigerating and it was fine.) Toss again before serving.   Serves 4

Toss cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt in colander and let drain for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken in skillet and cook until well browned on first side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip chicken, add 1/2 cup water to skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and continue to cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Whisk goat cheese, vinegar, tarragon, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large bowl until smooth. Add apple, fennel, cucumber, and chicken and toss to thoroughly coat. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Add lettuce to bowl and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.   Serves 4

Heat the oil in a frying pan/skillet, add the onion, garlic, chorizo and bay leaves and saute over gentle heat for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned. Stir in the toasted pine nuts, if using, and chickpeas with their liquid. Heat until the flavors are combined, mashing a little with a fork. Sprinkle with pepper and the chopped tomato and serve hot, warm or cool, but never chilled.   Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as tapas

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, mushrooms, pimiento, onion and water chestnuts. Saute, stirring frequently, until celery is tender-crisp, approximately 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add peas; heat and serve.   Serves 4

Pat chicken dry wth paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken, add 1/2 cup water to skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and continue to cook, 5 to 7 minutes longer.   Serves 3

Bring meat to room temperature and pat it dry. Preheat the oven to 400° and heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little vegetable oil to the skillet, salt one side of the meat and sear it salt-side down until browned, about 3 minutes. Salt the top of the steak and flip it over, then place the pan in the oven until the meat is almost to your desired doneness. (To check the temperature, insert a thermometer sideways into the thickest part of the steak.) For medium rare, roast to 125°, about 7 minutes, then let rest 5 minutes; the internal temperature will rise.   Serves 1

Bring 8 cups water, reserved chicken skin and bones, and parsley stems to simmer in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Using tongs, discard any large pieces of chicken bones. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much broth as possible. Discard solids then return broth to now empty pot.

Bring broth to simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in noodles and cook until noodles and vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped parsley and cook until warmed though, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.   Serves 4

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add zucchini, eggplant, sweet potatoes; cook and stir 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened.

Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins, if desired, cinnamon, orange peel, cumin, salt, paprika, red pepper and cardamom; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes or so to keep vegetables from sticking to bottom of pan) or until vegetables are tender. If sauce becomes too thick, stir in water to thin. Serve over couscous or rice, if desired.   Serves 4

Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, peel sweet potatoes; cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Peel squash; remove and discard seeds. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Combine sweet potatoes, squash, broth, onion, garlic, curry powder, allspice, salt, and red pepper in large saucepan or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and squash are tender. Add beans and raisins; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Stir in lime juice. Serve stew over brown rice; top with tomato and cucumber.   Serves 4

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Ensure the mixture is free of lumps. Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg white mixture and fold until no streaks remain. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients, and finally stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop eight equal-size portions of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes. The surface of the cookies will appear dry and they will start to crack around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Makes 8 cookies