INAUGURAL What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – April 2021

What’s on MY plate for April – Chicken pot pie with gluten-free biscuits

In my part of the world, it’s jacket-weather yet. This means comfort food is still on the table…my table, anyways. It’s hard to think of anything more comforting than chicken pot pie (with a gluten-free biscuit topping). Except maybe that viral feta pasta dish, which I may have made a time or twelve since I posted about it here.

Feel free to make this chicken dish using your own favourite biscuit recipe. Wheat gives me heartburn, hence the gluten-free slant to a lot of my recipes. For those of you who might want to try these GF biscuits, I have to say that they turned out mighty fine!

Biscuits made and put on top. Ready for the oven!

If you have turkey or chicken leftovers from Easter weekend, this recipe (courtesy of Zen Belly) would make great use of them. I had half a bag of mixed veggies in the freezer to use up, which I used instead of the vegetables the recipe called for. I also forgot to add the optional dairy…I didn’t have any heavy cream lying around but I was thinking of adding some milk or maybe Greek yogurt. Turns out it’s just fine without any of that.

Hot out of the oven. I wish you could smell this!

For spices, I was pretty liberal with my homemade chicken seasoning blend, recipe given to me by my dear cousin-in-law, Hetty. Here is her recipe for Kip Kruiden (Dutch for “chicken spices”):

  • 2.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.75 tsp savoury powder
  • 0.25 tsp coriander
  • 0.75 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp thyme
  • 0.5 tsp basil

I usually double the recipe to make a big enough batch to last me a while…I do love my chicken! This spice blend is great on pork or on oven-roasted potatoes, as well. I think I put a good teaspoon of the blend into this dish.

The moment of truth. Truth be told, this recipe is DELICIOUS!

Right after I made the pot pie, I chowed down on it. SO. GOOD. Then put the leftovers in the fridge until the rest of my “bubble” could come over and enjoy it with me. It reheated beautifully a couple of days later (the biscuits were still fluffy and tender!), and was very well received. The dish was scraped clean. My daughter said, “It smells like Thanksgiving in your house!” Thank you, Zen Belly and Kip Kruiden. 🙂

Now it’s your turn! Let me and/or Donna (my lovely co-host, who is posting about a delightful vegetarian dish) know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments. And remember if you decide to blog or Facebook or Instagram about it, to use the tag #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge so we can find you out on ye olde interwebbs!

Rock on,

The WB

What’s On Your Plate? Trying to Do a Thing Here…

Some of you may remember a couple of posts ago on Ye Olde Blogge, I casually mentioned the possibility of starting a monthly blogging challenge…similar to the most enjoyable #virtualteaparty, hosted by Su and Del. Well, after seeing the positive responses in the comments and having the idea vetted by Su and Del, I have decided to go ahead. And to have a cohost (the lovely Donna of Retirement Reflections) to bring this to life.

The point of all this (for me at least) is to get meal ideas! I look forward to people posting about a particular supper or lunch or breakfast – some meal you made (or was made for you) that was memorable, for that month. And it’s up to you how you define “memorable”…hehehe! And if you want to link to a recipe (or even have it within the post), that would be cool too. Donna and I have also talked about perhaps having a theme for each month (for the ambitious among us). But for now at least, it’s Commenter’s Choice.

We have decided to host this challenge on the 1st Wednesday of each month, going forward…starting on April 7th. What do you need to do to participate, you may be wondering? Well, we are going to start out very simply (and may well keep to this, as we are lazy busy people!). Donna and I will post what’s on our plates for that particular month, and you are welcome to join in, in the Comments section of our respective blogs with a photo and/or link to your particular blog. Or you are welcome to post a photo (or photos) on your Instagram, and use the hashtag #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge so we can find you! Or do it all – blast it out everywhere on Social Media. Just let us know in the Comments section on our blogs so we can find you.

We’d appreciate your thoughts and ideas on this challenge going forward as we lead up to the inaugural date for it. Would you like to see a monthly theme? Such as: type of meal (e.g. breakfast) or type of cuisine (e.g. French) or style (e.g. comfort food). Any other ideas?

Let us know in the Comments below!

And here to get the ball rolling is Donna herself!

What’s on my plate this week? Tex-Mex Flavour Bombs. They are perfect for making quick fajitas, stir frys, chilli…anything that needs a little extra zing (without the last-minute fuss).  Here’s the basic recipe (from Oh She Glows). 

Tex-Mex flavour bombs (page 314)

from Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals to Keep You Glowing by Angela Liddon

  • Categories: Quick / easy; Spice / herb blends & rubs; Cooking ahead; Mexican; American
  • Ingredients: garlic; jalapeño chiles; red peppers; green onions; garlic powder; dried oregano; Sriracha sauce; tomato paste; limes; chile powder; ground cumin; smoked paprika; ground cayenne pepper; ground coriander.

Steps:
1) Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth(ish).2) Put 1 – 2 tablespoons of mix in silicone mini muffin moulds or icecube tray. Freeze until needed.

Tex Mex Flavour Bombs – easy peasy!

We’re looking forward to reading your ideas and suggestions, and to kicking off this challenge on April 7, 2021!

Rock on,

The WB and Donna (The RR)