There’s nothing like a warm scone from the oven for breakfast. In England scones are served for afternoon tea, but at my house they’re my morning snack. This recipe makes a lot, so if I’m not feeding a crowd I put them in a freezer bag and pull them out to reheat anytime I need a baked treat. They’re not too sweet, which is my preference, but feel free to add a bit more brown sugar if you’ve got a sweet tooth.

The Spanish tortilla, which is similar to a potato and onion omelet, has been the national dish of Spain for centuries. When sliced into squares or wedges, it made a perfect meal for soldiers to carry with them for nourishment. In Spain (and Basque Country) the tortilla is a popular dish in tapas and pintxos bars and the people take them very seriously.

One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and orange, and these muffins showcase the duo perfectly. I learned to make muffins in high school home economics class, and I can still hear my teacher, Miss Craig telling us to not overmix the batter. We did tests with different muffins that were overmixed and those that weren’t. The ones that were, had big “tunnels” inside and were heavy and dense. The ones that had been mixed just until the flour disappeared were light and airy. It was as lesson I’ll always remember. Make a batch of these muffins for breakfast or dessert, and put the leftovers in the freezer, ready to be heated when you’re craving this marvelous flavor duo.

When you enter the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem you’ll see carts piled high with large rings of crusty bagels. They’re not the bagels we’re used to that are heavy and dense, requiring a thick slab of cream cheese. These are light and airy, and slightly sweet. They’re coated in sesame seeds and sold in a piece of newspaper. Traditionally, they are dipped in the dry spice, za’atar or cumin seeds. I prefer to tear them and smear them into hummus or spicy yogurt. They’re easy to make, but require some time a nd patience, but It’s worth every second when you pull them from the oven, crispy on the outside and light the inside. They’re best served warm, of course!

Traditionally, Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato stew, but I like to make this green version using herbs and Swiss chard. If green tomatoes were in season, they would be delicious is this version too. Make this for breakfast or brunch, and serve it with crusty bread to scoop up all the yolky goodness.

I love scones, whether they are sweet or savory. And they’re wonderful to make ahead by preparing the dough, cutting or scooping onto a parchment-lined platter and freezing. Once they’re frozen just drop them into a freezer bag. Whenever you want a freshly baked scone or two, just pull them out of the freezer and bake. These citrus scones are a big hit at brunches and breakfast on holidays. They require a bit of zesting and juicing, but it’s worth it!

I’ve been making this egg casserole since long before I had children. I love it because it uses roasted green chiles, and it has no meat or bread.  There have been times I have added cooked sausage, and it was good, but I prefer the cheesy goodness with green chiles on their own. I have doubled and tripled this recipe many times to feed a crowd. It reheats really well for several days, and sometimes I freeze individual portions and pop them in the microwave whenever I need this to get my day started.

My sister, Jill owned a Bed and Breakfast in Canyon, Texas for ten years called The Hudspeth House. Every morning she served granola and fruit in pretty little parfait dishes at breakfast. At Christmas everyone in our family hoped to get a bag of her granola as a gift because it was just so good. Last year she and her husband sold The Hudspeth House and she allowed me to share her recipe for granola.

If I could choose a breakfast meal for nearly every morning, I would choose Chilaquiles. In Mexico the tortillas that are left over from the day before are used to thicken soups or fried for dipping into beans or salsa. Chilaquiles is a common breakfast that not only uses leftover tortillas, but also salsas and meat from the previous day’s meal.

Biscotti are hard biscuits or cookies that are popular in Italy for dipping into sweet wine or a cup of espresso. Americans tend to dip them into a mug of hot coffee for an afternoon snack or quick breakfast.

Every morning at the Riad La Sultana in Marrakesh, I ate breakfast in the courtyard surrounded by tropical flowers and towering palm trees. By the third morning of my stay, the waitstaff knew to send me a plateful of beghrir, spongy pancakes covered with tiny holes resembling a honeycomb. On my last day, I was asked if I’d like to meet the chef and learn to make Beghrir in the hotel kitchen. I eagerly accepted the offer and followed my server to the pristine kitchen where four female cooks were busily prepping the day’s menu.