Butternut Squash Patties

This is Matt's recipe and they're the best things ever! He made them for lunch and since this is partly how I keep my recipes, I'm putting it up pretty quickly.

• Sage (chopped finely)
• Butternut squash cubes
• Salt/pepper
• Gram Masala
• Sesame seeds
• Panko bread crumbs
• Green onion (chopped finely)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash in oven-safe dish and coat with olive oil.
2. Roast squash 40 minutes.
3. Mash roasted squash.
4. Add salt, pepper, gram masala, sage, onions and sesame seeds. Mix well.
5. Add breadcrumbs, mix well and form into patty.
6. In a saute pan on medium heat, add patty and brown on both sides.

Sweet Herbed Pasta

I'm sure I've gone over how much I love sweet potatoes and Italy and pasta. Viola!

Servings: 2

2 small sweet potatoes
1 oz. chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried Italian spice blend
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, divided
1 1/2 oz. spaghetti
1 clove garlic
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Chop sweet potatoes and toss in olive oil and Italian spice blend.
2. Drain excess oil, sprinkle on half of the rosemary and put in to roast, about 20 minutes.
3. make pasta.
4. Meanwhile, saute fresh sage, rosemary and garlic.
5. Combine.

One of my favorite preparations of this pasta replaces sweet potatoes with butternut squash and adds butternut squash pasta sauce. I use Dave's, but you should try this recipe from food network.

Curried bean and corn salad

I am not really a savory chef, really more of a pastry one. So this is complicated at all.

1/2 cup Cannellini Beans
1/2 cup corn
1/2 red pepper diced
1 cup lettuce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons curry powder, divided
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Curry beans and corn by heating them in a little water with 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
2. Add to lettuce and pepper.
3. Blend last 5 ingredients in blender, adding vinegar white blender is on to make a vinaigrette.
6. Toss salad and dressing.

Swiss-wich

Since Switzerland is historically divided into various French, German and Italian regions, it is no wonder that each country's cuisine has had its influence. Here I mix up ingredients from all counties and put it on typical Swiss bread.

2 slices Zopf Swiss braided bread

6 slices Mortadella lunch meat

2 tablespoons German whole grain mustard

2 lunch slices French raclette cheese

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F.

2. Make two sandwiches: bread >spread> meat>cheese

3. Place on baking sheet on the top rack of the oven for 5 minutes.

White pizza

I really shouldn't admit this, but I really do hate rolling dough out. I'll make it, because i don't have to get all sticky, since I make it in the stand mixer. But, when it comes to flouring the dough and your hands and making sure there's enough flour or else everything else will get sticky, I'd rather pass. Especially when I flour way too much and the counter is about an inch high in flour and I have to spend 5 hours cleaning.

2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
5 slices of Provolone
1 handful of fresh basil
1 pizza crust
4 slices prosciutto
1 handful spinach
1/3 cup Ricotta
Italian seasoning blend

1. Preheat oven to 450 F and smear cornmeal on your pizza stone.
2. Chop your garlic and shallots and sprinkle on crust with Italian seasoning.
3. Lay fresh basil on top, then provolone, then smear Ricotta, than prosciutto.
4. Bake 7 mins.
5. Layer spinach.
6. Bake 3 mins.

Mojito twist

5 sprigs of thyme

1teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons key lime juice

1 oz. spiced rum

Tonic water

1. Place thyme, sugar and lime juice in a glass and muddle. 

2. Top with rum and tonic water. 

Stuffed Cornish Hen

So, Matt's putting his apartment together and guess what we have. A. PROFESSIONAL. TABLETOP. YAY!!!!

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hr 45 min

Servings: 2 half hens


1 Cornish hen
2 tangerines
1 big stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pinches fleur de sel
2 pinches orange peel spice mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cover hen all over with oil. Rub with pepper and fluer de sel.
3. Take 1 clementine, peel and remove all strings. Cut each slice in two width-wise.
4. Stuff hen with clementine pieces, cinnamon stick and cloves.
5. Place hen in roasting pan breast-side up, place slices of second clementine around bird and sprinkle with orange peel spice blend.
6. Roast for 1 and a half hours.