Lifestyle, Link Ups, Trying New Things

What’s On Your Plate: Mediterranean Smashed Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki Aioli

Retirement Reflections

Thank you for joining us for our official kickoff of What’s On Your Plate. If you missed the original invite posts, you can find them here and here.

In quick summary, fellow blogger Deb and I will be hosting a virtual monthly dinner party (Tagline: No Suit Jacket required)! The goal is to spread meal inspiration and share dishes that we have recently enjoyed. Breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinner, dining in, dining out…all ideas are welcome!

Deb and I greatly appreciated the suggestions sent in last month. The takeaways that we gleaned were that most people preferred:

1) an open, anything goes theme,
2) photos of the final dish/es,
3) links to the printable recipe.

We continue to appreciate your further feedback as we go along.

Since my niece, Brieann, and I have a weekly Zoom cooking/dinner date, I will start here. All recipes that Brieann and I have used so far have been from Angela Liddon’s ‘Oh She Glows For Dinner.’ Recently, we made Mediterranean Smashed Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki Aioli.

Oh She Glows for Dinner by Angela Liddon

Brieann and I both approached this recipe differently. Brieann, who prepares these meals after just stepping in the door from work, used storebought Tzatziki. Thus, she was able to skip some chopping/prepping and jump straight into the main chapter of this recipe.

I (the retired one) followed the recipe as written. Although I often find listed recipe prep times to be aspirational, the stated 20-minutes was fairly accurate. Still, there was a bit of chopping and some minor tweaks to jot down for next time. I would likely cut back on the amount of lemon used, and Brieann would further smash the chickpeas. Regardless, this recipe was a hit. Brieann served hers on toast. I stuffed mine into grilled slices of pita bread. We were both pleased with the results. My husband asked for a (generous) second helping. The following day for lunch, I served the leftovers with crackers for scooping. Equally delicious and fun!

I hope that Brieann (also a blogger) will write a post about this dish or one of the other dishes from our date nights. This would serve as a great reminder of how the same meal can vary significantly from kitchen to kitchen, even when following the exact same recipe at the exact same time. Brie and I love sharing our final photos once our dinners have been prepared. I usually end up saying, “Why didn’t I do that?!”

Another nice feature of this Smashed Chickpea Salad recipe is that the cookbook author has included it as a freebie recipe bundle on her website. You can find that recipe bundle here.

Have a favourite dish or recipe suggestion to share? Please tell us about it below. Or post it via your blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or social media of your choice (#whatsonyourplateblogchallenge). Deb and I will pingback to all posts shared. If you prefer to post a pic of a favourite dish in the comment section below but aren’t sure how to do that, here are some simple tips to help out: Sharing image In Comments or Hugh’s Tutorial.

For her kickoff post, my cohost, Deb, is sharing Chicken Pot Pie with a Gluten-Free Biscuit Topping. You can find that recipe and photos here.

We greatly look forward to you joining us. Here are some other #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge linkups to check out.
Sue’s Vegetable Fritters
Del’s Bean Soup
Janis’ Hello Fresh Review
Cull House Linguini and Claim Sauce (Antoinette)
Malcolm’s Spring Salad (Suzanne)
Jo’s San Choy Bow
Moosehead Pizza Dough (Bernie)
Jackie’s Culinary Delights (there’s many of them)
Donna’s Kabocha Red Squash Curry
Artistic Pension Simply Eggs
AJ’s Chicken Omelette (comment section of Deb’s Blog)

Opening Photo by Alisha Hieb on Unsplash.
All food photography is my own.

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

89 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate: Mediterranean Smashed Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki Aioli”

  1. Pingback: INAUGURAL What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – April 2021 – THE WIDOW BADASS BLOG

  2. Hi Donna, what a great idea and I’m on board! I’ve just added the hashtag to my Vegetable Fritters recipe and linked to both your post and Deb’s post. I’d love to take part in your What’s on your plate. I also love this recipe you have chosen for the inaugural challenge post. https://www.womenlivingwellafter50.com.au/vegetable-fritters-a-quick-easy-way-to-add-more-veggies-to-your-day/ #whatsonyourplatechallenge

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    1. Hi, Sue – Welcome aboard! I’m so glad that you will be joining us. I have included your link in the main part of the post. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. I will let you know how it turns out! Your version looks delicious!

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  3. Hi Donna – delicious looking recipes from both you and Deb – and I love how you once again multi-tasked by combining your virtual cooking night with Brieann with your new What’s On Your Plate post – well played my friend!

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    1. Thanks, Leanne – I have been loving my Zoom Cooking Sessions with my niece. It only made sense that I share them here. 😀 I am very much hope that Brieann chosses to join along.
      Hope that you are having a great week there. You were deeply missed last week!

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    1. Hi, Jill – You have a great eye (always)! I would love to have an attic loft in my current home. Sadly, that pic is from Unspash. But — a girl can dream! 😀
      Thanks so much for stopping by – and for your endless support. You are VERY appreciated!

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Hi Donna – I’ll enjoy the read and the thought of the meal … this one sounds perfect for me … love Mediterranean style meals. also I’ll enjoy everyone’s comments and thoughts – this is a brilliant idea for a blog ‘series’ … cheers Hilary

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    1. Thanks, Hilary – I love this idea too. It was all Deb’s (I enthusiastically tagged along). Deb got the idea from Su and Del who host a monthly Virtual Tea Party.
      https://curlsnskirls.wordpress.com/2021/03/17/marchs-virtual-tea-party/https://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2021/03/18/virtual-afternoon-tea-march-2021/
      I highly recommend checking out their blogs when you get the chance.
      I am completely with you on the love of Medieterranean style meals. They are my #1 favourite!

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  7. What a fantastic idea Donna. Love the Mediterranean recipe you chose for this post and the different ways you could jazz it up. Good thing I’ve already eaten otherwise I’d be feeling hungry!!! 🥰

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    1. Hi, Miriam – It’s wonderful to hear from you. I know what you mean about Food Blog Posts and increased appetite. I’ve just gotten up for my third breakfast snack this morning. (In my defense, they were each quite small). I hope that you are well. I will drop by your site now to see how you are doing. See you there!

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hi, Laurie – Thank you so much for the heads-up on this.
      Note to self: ALWAYS double-check links before publishing. Always! Always! Always! 😀
      I did go back and fix the link so it should be working now. (It is a large PDF so it does load slowly).
      Thanks again!

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  9. I’m pleased to read and see your first post in your new challenge. The dish you made sounds perfect, but the link to the recipe isn’t working for me right now. I like your tray btw. Serving a meal that way always seems casual and classy in equal measures.

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    1. Thanks, Ally – The link is working now – but does load a tad slowly!
      Good eye on spotting the serving tray. Richard and I picked up four of them (all different tile designs) before we left Beijing. Since there are now only two of us in our home, we thought that four would be plenty. Wrong!! We use them ALL of the time for many different things. We now wished that we had brought home more, Ah, hindsight! 😀

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  10. Stepping over from Deb’s post to say how nice it is to have a variety of new dishes to try out – thank you for starting this series! Will ping you both back when I’ve got my recipe suggestion online.
    . . .wonder if my library has this book. . . .

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    1. Hi, Del – Thank you so much for stopping by. I am delighted to join Deb in this series and look forward to discovering new recipes that others have to share. Thanks for adding a recipe online and pinging back to us.
      Good question about the library. I just checked and Angela Liddon’s ‘Oh She Glows for Dinner’ is in our library. Hopefully, it’s in yours too!

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      2. Hi, Del – I received the pingback! Thanks so much.
        I absolutely LOVE bean soup — although I often cheat and used canned beans instead of soaking (horrors, I know)!
        I have added your link in the main part of this posts so that others can enjoy it as well.
        I completely agree – Awwwww Beans!!

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  11. Hi Donna, love this idea and will update my Easter post with a pingback to share the Spring salad recipe that Malcolm made for us on Sunday. For some reason, the link to your recipe isn’t working. It looks like something we would enjoy, so I’ll try to find it. I love your presentation photo – food should always be both delicious and pretty!

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    1. Hi, Suzanne – My apologies about the recipe link. It’s working now (although it does load a tad slowly). This is definitely a recipe that I will make again and again
      I wholeheartedly agree that food should be delicious and look good too (and be somewhat healthy…at least most of the time). 😀 My niece and I now have a thing going about outdoing each other on our meal presentations. She is a professional designer so she definitely has the advantage!

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  12. Pingback: For the Love of Easter – Picture Retirement

  13. Hi Donna, the link to the recipe bundle worked for me. It took a bit to load, that’s all. Looks so yummy! Thank you so much for joining me in this endeavour 💕. I am incorporating more and more vegetarian dishes into my repertoire, and this one looks to be checking all the boxes for me!

    Deb

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    1. Thanks, Deb – Laruie, Ally and Suzanne were correct. The recipe link that I inlcuded here originally didn’t work. (Why oh why didn’t I check that before publishing?) All fixed now.
      Thank you so much for inviting me to cohost with you. I greatly look forward to this adventure!

      Liked by 1 person

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  15. Pingback: awwww, beans ! | Curls n Skirls

    1. Hi, Janis – Thank you for joining in with such a timely post. i have long been curious about Hello Fresh (and similar boxed food companies). With COVID (+variants) currently raging more than ever where we live, it may be a great time to give it a try. Your post helped answer many of my questions, I have also included its link in the main body of my post. Did you have a favourite Hello Fresh dish?

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  17. This looks and sounds top good to be true, so I will have to try it. Stay tuned for my post.

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  18. Pingback: What’s On Your Plate ? Blog Challenge – Stories Served Around the Table

  19. I love seeing the recipes you are making with Brieann, Donna. You make a great point how the meal will differ each time and in different homes. Also a form of creativity. Colourful, tasty, healthy….what’s not to love. 💕 A great post and a fun series!

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    1. Thanks, Erica. Richard just mentioned that he is loving my Zoom Cooking Sessions with Brieann, and this new What’s On Your Plate blog challenge. Hmmmm, I think he believes somethings in it for him. 😀 Tonight we had Deb’s Chicken Pot Pie with Gluten-Free Biscuit Topping. Absolutely delicious. See you soon!

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  20. Donna,
    I knew that I would love this post and I really, really did. I’m a hopeless foodie and a guy who enjoys cooking. Next time around, I’ll share my Seafood Gumbo when I have pictures to share. I was intrigued by Antoinette’s Linguine and Clam Sauce, and Del’s Bean Soup and thank them both for sharing. Again, big fun! Joe

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    1. Hi, Anabel – I am completely with you on the love of chickpeas. I now add them to so many different types of dishes. Tonight, my niece and I are making Greek Pasta Salad. The recipe suggests throwing in a handful of chickpeas which sounds great to me!

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    1. Thanks, Natalie – I am greatly loving my virtual cooking/dinner dates with my niece. For anyone interested in trying a Zoom Cooking session with a friend or loved one — I highly recommend it.
      I hope that all is well with you and your Spring is warm and dry!

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  23. Such an interesting and creative idea! What’s On your Plate challenge is also a great way to add new food ideas and recipes to my collection. SO glad I came across your post.

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    1. Thanks, Kritika – Shaking up our food routines, and sharing new menu ideas is exactly the idea of this monthly feature. So glad that you enjoyed it. Thank you for the virtual road trips in your recent post.

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  24. Hello Donna. I love that you and your niece have this virtual cooking/dinner date and that you both adapt the recipes to fit your lifestyles and tastes. Nice work.

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    1. Hi, Christie – Virtual Cooking + Dining is an awesome way to be with family and friends despite distance or pandemics. It is a fun way to catchup and shakeup regular phone or Zoom calls. I highly recommend it!
      I hope that all is well for you.

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  25. That sounds good and I will try to include it when we go veggie next week. We try once a week but with two freezers full of locally raised meat my dish will probably star one of those items. Your recipe sounds like a great excuse to make naan bread — so easy and so tasty!

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    1. Hi, Bernie – What I love about Angela Liddon’s recipes is that they are usually extremely flexible. Although her cookbook exclusively lists vegan dishes, I seldom prepare them completely that way. Cheese is my downfall so real cheese usually has a way of sneaking into many of my recipes.
      Your homemade naan bread sounds delicious!

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  27. Pingback: San Choy Bow – Brookford Kitchen Diaries

    1. Hi, Jo – I am so glad that you are enjoying my weekly Zoom Cooking sessions with my niece, Brieann. They are an awesome way to catch up and share a meal (and a glass of wine) at the same time. In fact (since I am a safe distance away) please let Sars know that I think it would be a great idea for the two (or three) of you to test out. Please let me know her response!!

      Our next episode of What’s On Your plate will be on Wednesday, May 5. We hope that you will join in then as well. See you soon!

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      1. I’ll diary the date for the next one… and yes, that would be such a cool thing for us to do. I’ll let you know what her response is!

        Liked by 1 person

  29. Pingback: 5 things – Saturday April 10, 2021 – And Anyways…

      1. So glad it worked! Turns out it is easy and seems you added the tutorial link I felt you’d be ok with it. That’s my normal “table” view. Being a big chocolate fan I have 3 old tins!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. The few times I do blogs about food I always feel like I have to add a disclaimer that I am not a food blogger just a lover of food. I don’t take a zillion angles of it but nor do I have about 60 advertisements in a blog post so I guess there is that about adding food blogs with recipes.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. I never want to see multiple angles, or annoying ads, when I am browsing food posts. I much prefer one enticing shot that makes me want to sit down and enjoy that meal. Your post did exactly that!

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    1. Hi, Jackie – It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome aboard! I just dropped by your site and can relate to so many things in your most recent post. I loved all of the food ideas that you shared – especially the mashed potato pancakes with turnips and carrots. I absolutely adore anything with the word ‘potato’ in it! 😀
      I have also added our link to the main section of this post.
      Deb and I plan to post ‘What’s On Your Plate’ on the first Wednesday of each month. We hope that you will continue to join along!

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    1. Hi, Donna – Thank you so much for joining in. Red Curry Anything is definitely my kind of meal. This combination looks especially fun. I love the addition of the pomegranate seeds and can’t wait to try this dish.
      WOYP is perfect. It would also make a great hashtag. (Hopefully, it’s not already taken).

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  35. Pingback: Spring Cleaning Blogging Break – Retirement Reflections

  36. I love hearing about your Zoom cooking experiences Donna and you always seem to create some masterpieces! I enjoy hearing how you go about it and you both seem to use a different approach, glad Richard is enjoying it too!

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  37. Pingback: What’s On Your Plate: Simply Eggs | ARTISTIC PENSION
  38. Pingback: Bun Cha – Brookford Kitchen Diaries
  39. Pingback: Shrimp and Wild Mushroom Cobbler – Stories Served Around The Table

  40. Donna, I think this link up is a fabulous idea, and I intend to contribute something…. someday. In fact, I had a meal all photographed and ready to write up for May, but missed the Wednesday deadline. Ah well, I’ve saved the photos and maybe I’ll get it together for the June “What’s On Your Plate”.

    Jude

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  41. Pingback: What’s on my plate – Beef and Broccoli Soboro – Brookford Kitchen Diaries
  42. Pingback: What’s on my plate – Vegetarian carbonara with mushrooms, miso and parmesan – Brookford Kitchen Diaries
  43. Pingback: Savoury Loaf – And Anyways…

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