You remember these rolls don't you? Big, fluffy, yeasty, and delicious? I made pitas for several weekends in a row, and was tired of being "chained" to the stove during the final cooking process. The dough was so delicious that I thought they could be easily adapted into an easier yeast roll. Even on my first try, they were a success. I hope you'll give them a try.

Big Fat Yeast Rolls

Ingredients

Makes 8 rolls

Adapted from Serious Eats (www.seriouseats.com)

1 cup warm water (between 110 and 115 F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (one packet)
3 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

Mix the water and yeast together and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough is formed.

Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes total, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface; try to be sparing. It is better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before you finish kneading.

Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and film it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it is coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in size, 1 - 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently roll into a ball. Place them in a lightly oiled 8 x 8 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel, and let them rise for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 425°, adjust the oven rack to the middle. Bake rolls for approximately 20 minutes. Tops should be golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes them remove, serve warm. They also reheat easily in the oven.

This recipe is an easy side dish or meatless main. Top rice, noodles, or serve along with a bit of lean protein and you've got dinner. I love eggplant, but decided to come up with this recipe for an easy way to cook it-no salting required. Keep an eye on the oven rack height to get the cooking just right.

Trader Joe's makes Soyaki. There are many imitations on the market, but you might as well buy the real thing because it's soooo good.

Eggplant Soyaki

Ingredients

1 large young globe eggplant
1/4 cup Soyaki
1/4 cup hoisin

Directions

Adjust oven rack to approximately 5 inches below broiler. Preheat broiler to high. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile with a vegetable peeler, remove stripes of the eggplant skin. This will help keep the eggplant together, while removing some of the tougher skin (it also gives a nice appearance). Cut off the top and end of the eggplant, and cut into 1/2 inch slices and place in one layer on the foil-lined sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine the Soyaki and hoisin. With a pastry brush, apply the Soyaki glaze on one side and broil on high for 5 minutes. Flip eggplant and apply glaze, broil for another 5 minutes. Repeat two more times for a total cooking time of 20 minutes. If eggplant is browning too quickly lower the rack height. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.