Kelly's Rolls

2 ½ cups warm water
½ cup sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. quick rise yeast
½ cup oil
2 eggs
2 ½ tsp. salt
6-8 cups flour

Add first 3 ingredients to mixing bowl, then add oil eggs salt and 3 cups flour.  Mix with dough hook until all the flour is mixed in scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Add 3 more cups of flour while mixer is going, adding more flour until the dough starts to pull away from the sides.  Divide flour in half and mix out with rolling pin, cut into round circles (I use the top of a cup for my circle).  Melt ¼ cup butter on a jelly roll pan, place cut dough on the pan dipping in butter and folding in half.  Cover with a dish towel, let raise 1-3 hours.  Bake 425 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Hummus and Avocado Toasts with Roasted Tomatoes

6-8 slices of bread [gluten-free, whole wheat, etc.]

1/2 cup hummus [store bought or homemade]

1 avocado – halved, pitted and peeled

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on your baking sheet, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to caramelize.

While the tomatoes roast, toast your bread. Using a cookie cutter or circular object, cut out 1-2 circles per toast, depending on how big the piece of bread is.

Spread ½-1 tablespoon of hummus on each circular toast.

In a bowl or plate, mash avocado with a fork, leaving large chunks.

Layer the mashed avocado over hummus, season with salt + pepper, and then top with a roasted [or fresh] tomato.

Serve immediately.

Optional: top with goat cheese or feta or serve on the side.

Beef with Barley Soup

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound Beef Cubes (for Stew)

1 whole Large Onion, Medium Diced

2 cloves Minced Garlic

2 whole Carrots, Smaller Ends Cut Into Rounds, Larger Ends Diced

2 whole Potatoes, Large Dice

1-½ teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 teaspoon Salt (or To Taste)
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
5 cups Beef Stock
1 cup Water Or As Needed

½ cup Pearl Barley

½ teaspoon Thyme

1 whole Bay Leaf
1 can (14.5 Oz. Size) Diced Tomatoes (I blend them so they are smooth)

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil.

Brown the beef cubes for three minutes in the oil, then add the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium low and cook until the onions are cooked and just start to caramelize. Stir as needed to keep onions and garlic from burning. Lower heat if necessary; drizzle a little more olive oil if needed to keep food from sticking.

Add everything except the tomatoes to the pot and stir well. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat as necessary to keep soup at a slow simmer. If the soup thickens too much, add a little more water or broth.

Taste to correct seasonings, then add tomatoes and simmer for another hour. Remove bay leaf before serving.