What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Cinco de Mayo Edition

On May 5, 2021May 3, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Home Improvement, What's On Your Plate80 Comments

Way back in April, I had an entirely different post planned out for the May “What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge”. Last week however, it dawned on me that this month’s challenge falls on Cinco de Mayo (click on link to see what May 5 is all about and how to celebrate), so I decided my initial idea could keep. This month I am bringing you a Mexican-themed dish instead.

I was hoping to make it something to do with tacos….I do love me some tacos. I even ordered a tortilla press, so I could make my own from scratch (and gluten-free). However, it was not to be as my tortilla press did not come in on time. Es muy malo!

Instead, let me bring you my version of a deconstructed burrito…aka a burrito bowl.

It all started with a pork shoulder that had been taking up valuable freezer real estate for far too long, and now needed to be turned into something, STAT. When I bought it, I had been thinking of pulled pork but that obviously hadn’t happened. I came across this recipe, for carnitas…and with that, I was off to the races.

Finished carnitas, fresh out of the broiler

I wanted to make some of those tasty pickled onions to go with it, and that led me to this recipe. (And you better believe I will return to it for the Barbacoa 😉 ).

Well worth the walk to The Bulk Barn to pick up coriander seed and whole allspice, to make these pickled red onions.

And lastly, I had to find a recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice (my fave!). Here it is, and it turned out wonderfully. This is how it all came together on the plate:

My burrito bowl! With black beans, salsa, sour cream and guacamole added too.

Alas, no frosty margarita to accompany it, only a glass of white wine. This dish was delicious!

You may have noticed in the above photos that my balcony spruce-up for 2021 is now complete. My privacy screen is now up.

And my comfier cushions arrived too! Now all we need is a few more degrees of heat for optimal balcony enjoyment to commence. In the meantime, I just grab a sweater and a comforter. And splash hot sauce all over my burrito bowl. 🙂

Thanks so much to everyone who enjoyed and/or participated in last month’s inaugural blog challenge! My, that was fun! Hope you had as much fun as Donna and I did. Check out Donna’s post for this month, here!

As with last month, please let us know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments of either Donna’s or my post. 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!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, from my hammock in the woods of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park!

Rock on, and ¡Salud!

The WB

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

On April 7, 2021April 5, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate80 Comments

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…

On March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate106 Comments

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.