Easy Yeast Rolls

Difficulty: Easy

Makes: 2 to 3 batches of 24 rolls

• 1 egg


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1 package yeast


• 2 cups lukewarm water


• 5 cups flour


• 3 tablespoons melted shortening

1. Mix together egg, salt and sugar.



2. Dissolve yeast into lukewarm water.



3. Combine the egg mixture and the yeast mixture.



4. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix well.



5. Sir in the other 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix well again.



6. Add melted shortening and stir well.



7. Let rise until doubled, stir down and refrigerate.



8. Take out and form rolls 1 1/2 hours prior to baking. Place in greased pans and let rise in a warm place. Bake at 350F until golden.

This dough will last up to about a week.

French Onion Soup

Difficulty: Medium

Serves 4-6

• 6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced


• Olive or vegetable oil (olive oil is better for taste, but I usually use vegetable oil because its much less expensive and the difference isn’t that great)


• ½ teaspoon sugar


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 8 cups beef stock


• ½ cup dry white wine


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 teaspoon dry thyme (I generally use dry Italian herbs because I always forget to buy thyme and I have this in the pantry)


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 8 slices (or however many slices you have enough soup to go over) of toasted French bread


• 1 ½ cups grated Swiss Gruyere (I use regular Swiss cheese) with a little grated Parmesan cheese (I use fresh Parmesan, not the dry kind)

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer – I usually cook them for about an hour). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the caramelization.



2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.



3. To serve you can use either individual oven-proof bowls or a large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 F or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

I make what I want to have in one serving with the toast and cheese, then put the rest of the soup in the fridge. When I’m ready to have it again (I always use it within a week of the original preparation to avoid foodbourne illnesses), I take the soup out, make fresh toast then repeat step 3. Hope you enjoy it!