Josephine Maggio's Regina biscotti cookies!

Pro Zia Josephine Maggio's Regina biscotti
(sesame cookies)

Ingredients for Cookies

1 cup Crisco oil              

3 tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar            

3 eggs                           

½ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla          

3 cups flour                   

½ lb. sesame seeds

Directions

Mix well the first six ingredients, then add flour. Shape dough into balls about the size of a walnut. Dip each ball in milk ( or cream) then roll in sesame seeds and shape like a football and place on cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven on bottom rack for 10 minutes. Then move up to top rack and bake additional 10 minutes. Place next sheet on bottom rack and rotate accordingly until all dough is baked. I cheat and bake them on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes...amen!

Sometimes they're shaped more like a fat finger! 

Sunday morning muffins good anytime of day!

Ingredients for a dozen Lazy Sunday morning 

or just about anytime muffins

2 shredded carrots

2 mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of butter

1/4 cup vanilla or plain yogurt

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla 

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 cup packed plus 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon ground or grated cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream cheese or vanilla butter icing optional! 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups—or line tins with pretty

paper liners.

Mix carrots, banana, zucchini, vegetable oil, butter, yogurt, and eggs

together until totally amalgamated.

Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Mix brown sugar, oats, coconut, pecans, cherries, cinnamon, salt, and ginger

into flour mixture until all ingredients are coated in it.

Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until just combined. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups to fill about halfway.

Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean and edges are slightly brown, about 18 to 22 minutes.

Leave in oven for one minute more if more color is desired.

Cool muffins in pans for about 10 minutes, then move to cool on a wire rack.

Happy 4th!

Happy Fourth and the entire weekend!!!

Here are the ingredients for a lovely cool summer salad of fresh corn and grape tomatoes pictured on the right side of my picture of fireworks in the Canyons, Park City:

4 cups of corn scraped fresh from the cob
2 cups of grape tomatoes--halved
1/3 cup thin sliced red onions
olive oil as needed
a splash of red wine vinegar 
1/3 cup of chiffonade of basil
coarse ground sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cuban-style Chicken Salad

Chicken salad Cuban style...Ingredients only! 
1 cooked roasted chicken cut up in pieces--no skin
2-3 large Yukon gold potatoes cooked and cut up 
1/3 cup pitted small black olives whole, or Greek sliced
1/3 midget gherkins cut in thirds
1/3 diced onion
1/3 diced celery
1/3 diced pimento
1/3 cup fresh or frozen petite peas
3-3 1/2 cups of mayo
a drizzle of EV olive oil
1 big splash of cider vinegar
fresh ground Mediterranean sea salt & black pepper to taste

Decorate as desired with this garnish:

5 hard cooked eggs, quartered

1 large skinless red roasted pepper, sliced thin
1 bunch of steamed asparagus--use tops only
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen petite peas
26-30 grape tomatoes 
smoked paprika, if desired