by amvandenhurk | May 18, 2019 | vegetarian
Plant-Based Eating – Not Just for Hippies I’ve been down this road before regarding cutting down on meat in our family’s diet. It is a struggle to come up with varied, filling, and tasty vegetarian meals to serve to my guys that they will eat... 
by amvandenhurk | Jan 7, 2019 | dinner, Meatless Mondays, soups, vegetarian
Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi with Kale Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi is one of the only recipe where I can get my guys to eat kale without faces of pure disgust. The menfolk in my house are not fond of kale or any other bitter greens regardless of how it is prepared. You... 
by amvandenhurk | Jan 4, 2019 | dinner, sides, vegetarian
Nothing Beats Homemade Gnocchi Being Irish with the DNA test to show I have no southern European genes, pasta came out of a box and the sauce from a jar growing up. Fresh pasta was unknown. In the late 70s and early 80s, my mom learned how to make tomato sauce... 
by amvandenhurk | Dec 30, 2018 | Holiday, pescatarian, Seafood
Warning: this layered shrimp dip is addictive. Be prepared to embarrass yourself at parties by hovering over it. Or at least that’s me when my sister would make this wonderful party-friendly layered shrimp dip. Imagine me sitting in front of it on the porch of... 
by amvandenhurk | Dec 26, 2018 | Bread, breakfast, dessert, Holiday
Don’t regift that Panettone or Pandora Breads Ever since watching the British Bakeoff Master Classes where Paul made the Italian sweet yeast dough, Pandora Bread, I wanted to make it since it looked tasty and lovely. It is a rich bread made with what flour,... 
by amvandenhurk | Dec 23, 2018 | healthy eating, Meatless Mondays, vegetarian
Quick and Easy Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Attempting to lead hardened meat-lovers towards a plant-based diet is difficult. Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes goes a long way in getting them to stop saying, “some chicken would taste nice in... 
by amvandenhurk | Dec 2, 2018 | Holiday, sides
Cranberry Chutney – A Multipurpose Condiment Most American holiday tables from Thanksgiving to Christmas have some sort of cranberry dish. I grew up the jellied kind that came out of a can. Just slice it up and serve it. Sometimes my Mom would make a... 
by amvandenhurk | Oct 7, 2018 | dinner, slow cooker, slow cookers
A Fresh Classic Beef Bourguignon Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is simple and elegant While I use my slow cooker year round, the fall and winter are the perfect times to use the slow cooker. And the perfect time for the French classic of bistros, Beef... 
by amvandenhurk | Jan 12, 2018 | dinner, healthy eating, Meatless Mondays, vegan, vegetarian
Turkish Eggplant Tomato Casserole One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant. I am always looking for new ways to cook eggplant. I can never eat enough of Turkish cuisine. It is one of the cuisines I hope to explore more of in the future to cook. So when I came... 
by amvandenhurk | Jan 9, 2018 | sides
Yes, Perfect Roasted Potatoes. Growing up with an Irish mother, roasted potatoes were served on a regular basis along with boiled potatoes. Bisto Gravy was a must in our house. Getting perfect roasted potatoes can be very difficult. I know since growing up, I had... 
