"No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers."
-Laurie Colwin

Last year, the Morale Department asked you to share your favorite fall recipes. This year, we're asking you to do it again. The idea is simple; share a recipe, and try a recipe. The food we make tells a story, tell us yours.
Happy Eitreih'hveinn,
Pazma

Here's my pizza dough recipe, mind you - I never measure these and just play it by ear so these are just approximates.
You'll need:

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon yeast (One packet)
• ~5 cups flour (Primarily white so it sticks, but you can add different types of flour)
• ~1L of warm water (NOT boiled - If it's too warm for you to touch, it's too hot for the yeast)

In a large bowl, mix the warm water with sugar, salt and yeast. Stir them in, then cover with a washcloth and leave the bowl in a warm place for ~30 minutes.
Once the yeast multiplied somewhat, add the flour gradually into dough. You will probably need to add more flour, then put the bowl away to rise until you're ready to make dinner.

The trick is to start your dough earlier in the day, say around lunch or in the morning so that it's mostly ready when it's dinner time.
You can also prepare dough ahead of time and then freeze the dough balls.
I usually end up with 3 large pizzas worth of dough after I do this.

When it's go time, spread the dough on a greased pan using a rolling pin or a cup, then put on sauce, cheese and toppings of choice.

For the sauce, you can just use a premade one, but if you want to do it from scratch, mix:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• spices to taste

I personally like to add a little olive oil and spices to a premade sauce regardless because that's how I roll.
It is a little work, but if you plan ahead it's easier to manage.

Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

This recipe is designed for a slow cooker/crockpot, but can also be made in a large pot on the stove on a low heat.

Ingredients

• 250g red lentils
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped 
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 1 medium leek, finely sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
• 2 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes
• 1.2l boiling water
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• a pinch sea salt
• a pinch freshly ground black pepper

Preparation Method

1. Rinse the the lentils under running water until the water runs clear and place in the slow cooker
2. Sautée the chopped onion, carrot, leek, and garlic in a little vegetable oil until softened and add to the slow cooker.
3. Dissolve the stock cubes in the boiling water and add to the slow cooker along with the chopped tomatoes.
4. Finally, add the salt, pepper, and chilli powder to suit your taste.
5. Place lid on cooker and turn on to High; cook for an hour.  Reduce the heat to Low and cook for another 4-6 hours.
6. If preferred smooth, the soup can be blended.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Tuna Burgers:

170g of tuna (One large can or two small ones)
1 large onion
2 tbsp relish (Optional, you can use any other wet sauce)
1/4 cup celery (Optional, you can use corn or garlic for filler instead)
~1/2-1 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Spices to taste

Dice vegetables, then beat the eggs for being nerds and combine all ingredients in a bowl. Shape into patties and cook for ~3 minutes on each side on medium heat.
Enjoy on bread of choice!

They're very cheap and easy to make. Depending on onion size, we usually end up with enough for about 10 or more small patties. You can put the mixture into a fridge overnight and cook them the next day. They're remarkably filling

Ingredient list:

1. Bell peppers x3 (green, red, yellow)
2. White onion x1
3. Chicken breast (approx 450 grams or 1 lbs)
4. Hot Italian sausage (1 package)
5. Whipping cream aka double cream (200 mL or 0.8 cups)
6. Salsa (3 tablespoons)
7. Penne noodles  (250 grams)
8. Shredded cheese to top
9. Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Julienne slice the three bell peppers into thin slices
• Finely chop the white onion
• Slice the chicken breasts into bite sized cubes
• Slice the sausage into thin, bite sized pieces
• Place everything in it's own container in the fridge until you're ready to make the meal!

Instructions:

• Boil salted water in a pot & cook penne noodles
• While noodles are cooking, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large, non-stick plan
• Cook chicken pieces in pan and sprinkle 2 tsp of salt & 1 tsp of pepper
• Remove chicken from pan and set aside
• Add 2 tbsp of oil into the pan
• Cook sausage until browned on all sides
• Remove from pan, set aside & wipe pan clean
• Add 2 tbsp of oil into the pan again
• Add bell peppers & onion into the pan & saute
• Add 1 tbsp each of cumin, paprika & chili powder and stir to coat
• Add 3 tbsp of salsa and stir to coat
• Return chicken and sausage to pan
• Add double cream to the mixture and stir to coat
• Add 250 grams of your cooked penne noodles and stir to coat
• Add shredded cheese and stir into the mixture
• Serve into bowl and top with freshly chopped parsley and pepper, if desired