Moki Poh (What in the World?!)

This is a recipe my MOM used to make when us kids were growing up. She LEFT OUT the onions because we were such PICKY eaters, but boy do they taste GOOD to my "adult" palate! Hope you like it too . . .

Moki Poh
2 to 3 potatoes, sliced  (I like Yukon gold)
1/2 to 1 sweet onion, sliced
1/4 cup water
1 package polish sausages, sliced (about 12-16 ounces)
Salt and pepper

Boil the potato slices until just tender; drain and put back in the hot pan to dry.

In a large saute pan, cook the onion in the water until tender, just a few minutes. Add the potatoes and sausage and let cook until heated through and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP: This tastes excellent with BBQ sauce and/or ketchup on the side for dipping. Oh, and if you like peppers, throw some sliced bells in with the onions!

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

So this is one of my family's FAVORITE salads. And this is coming from the person who wrote 101 Things To Do With Salad, so that's sayin' something! This recipe is actually from a good FRIEND of mine and appears in her book called Baby Showers. Thanks Jen for a FANTASTIC recipe!

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad
1 cup wild rice, uncooked
1 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice (I always use more)
1 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (rotisserie chicken works well here)
3 green onions, sliced (optional)
1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, diced
2 ounces sugar snap pieces, cut into pieces (I always use more)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted (optional)
2 avocados, cut into chunks

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil (olive works too)

Rinse the rice and then cook in the broth until done; toss with the lemon juice. Let cool completely. Stir in the chicken, onion, bell pepper, and peas.

Combine the dressing ingredients and then toss in the salad mixture along with the pecans and avocado.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: I usually drizzle lemon juice over the avocado before tossing in the salad just to make sure they don't turn brown. We eat this for dinner and then for lunch the next two days and it is still just as yummy as the first day! If it does seem a little dry, toss in a little more oil, vinegar, and lemon juice and just give it a stir.

Italian Pork Chops

WOW! Will you even believe how EASY this recipe is? What's even more AMAZING is that it tastes fabulous! My family EATS this with wild rice and a green veggie, like asparagus. YUM!

Italian Pork Chops
4 pork chops

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 (16-ounce) bottle Italian dressing (I use light)

Spray a 3- to 5-quart crockpot with nonstick spray. Put the pork chops inside. Pour the tomatoes and dressing over top. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Stir and break up chops if desired, or just leave whole. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: Sliced onion would be a great addition to this recipe, as well as mushrooms!

The Best Sloppy Joes EVER!

I learned this EASY recipe from my mother-in-law! It is now definitely one of my FAVORITES. I added the bell peppers because that's what my family likes, but these are still DELICIOUS without them.

The Best Sloppy Joes EVER!
1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 can chicken gumbo soup, condensed
1/2 cup ketchup (or more if desired)
3–4 tablespoons mustard (or more if desired)
Hamburger buns

In a frying pan, brown the turkey and then drain. Season with salt and pepper and then toss in the bell peppers. Let cook until peppers start to soften, just a few minutes. Add the soup, ketchup, and mustard to the pan and stir. Give it a taste and adjust if necessary. Let simmer for 5–10 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

TIP: My husband likes to top his Joe with a slice of pepper jack cheese. I have to admit, it is pretty tasty that way, but I don't think it needs it (at least not if you're trying to lose baby weight like me!). He also likes to eat his sandwich open-faced with a fork and forgo the "sloppy" part. :)

Veggie Enchiladas

I once had a TON of spinach I was trying to use up and came up with these little BEAUTIES. Man are they GOOD, and pretty HEALTHY too!

Veggie Enchiladas
1 can green enchilada sauce, divided
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup matchstick carrots or slices
1/2 cup corn
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans

1 can diced green chiles

4 (or more) large handfuls spinach

8–10 whole wheat tortillas

Grated mozzarella cheese (lots!)

White Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Pour a large spoonful of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan; set aside.

Saute the onion, bell peppers, and carrots in a large frying pan until tender. Stir in the corn, beans, and green chiles. Top with handfuls of spinach and then lightly saute until spinach is wilted down. Stir in a large spoonful of enchilada sauce. Lay out the tortillas on the counter. Put some cheese down the center of each. Top with veggie filling and roll up. Place enchiladas seam side down in prepared pan.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine. Let simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens. Stir in the remaining can of enchilada sauce. Pour the prepared white sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes, or until the sauce in bubbling and the cheese is melted.

TIP: You can use cheddar instead of mozzarella if you prefer. You could also add some kind of meat or any other veggie you want—tomatoes, jalapenos, zucchini, whatever!

A Piece of Cake's First Giveaway!

Hey all!

Would you like one of my cookbooks . . . for FREE? It's soooo easy. All you have to do is become a follower! (Scroll down and see the "followers" section on the right side of my blog.) Be sure to leave a comment with your email address on this post too. When I reach 50 followers, a winner will be randomly selected and will receive either 101 Things To Do With A Salad OR 101 Things To Do With Gelatin. Winner's choice! 

Now, follow me and tell all your friends to follow me too! :)

Individual Chicken Pesto Pizzas

I love making these LITTLE pizzas for a quick dinner because they are so much BETTER than the $5 pizza you can buy down the road. These YUMMY pizzas are a CINCH to make, especially if you have some already cooked chicken in the freezer that you can thaw!

Individual Chicken Pesto Pizzas

1–2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed then cooked

1/3 cup pesto

4 pita bread rounds

1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper

1 cup grated Italian blend cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together the chicken and pesto. Spread chicken evenly over the pita rounds. Top with the onion, roasted red pepper and cheeses. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: Other great toppings for this little pizza include sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, or whatever else you can think of! Just mix and match whatever you like. Sometimes I spread a little bit of ranch dressing over the crust before topping. It gives it a little extra zing!

BONUS TIP: Also, you can top a Boboli crust (or even homemade) and make one big pizza that is just as tasty as the individual size!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

This recipe is so EASY and goes together really FAST. It is one of my GO-TO recipes when we need dinner in a HURRY. And of course, it doesn't hurt that it TASTES delicious! 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1/2 pound Italian sausage (hot or mild)

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups spaghetti sauce (or sometimes I just use a jar or a can and call it good)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup half-and-half or cream

12 ounce rotini pasta, cooked according to directions

Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the sausage in a large frying pan. When done, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the spaghetti sauce and water, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half or cream and bring to a boil and cook for about a minute, stirring. Remove from heat. Serve over the cooked pasta and garnish with the cheese.

TIP: Another great garnish would be some pretty chopped parsley or chives! Also, try throwing in some chopped onion or sliced mushrooms while cooking the sausage for more great taste.

Healthy But Oh So Delicious Fruit Smoothie!

This SWEET smoothie is sooooooo good! I make this most MORNINGS of the week, especially when I'm trying to EAT a little more on the HEALTHY side.

Healthy But Oh So Delicious Fruit Smoothie
1/2–1 cup skim milk
1/2–1 container light Yoplait yogurt, any flavor
1/2 banana
1 large handful fresh spinach (I like the baby organic from Costco)
5 or 6 baby carrots
1 handful frozen mixed berries (also from Costco)
4–6 ice cubes

Pour the ingredients in the order listed above into a blender (I use a Vita-Mix). Blend, starting slow, until everything is smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

TIP: Add a scoop of ground flax seed and a spoonful of wheat germ to be even healthier! Also, I suggest blending the smoothie ingredients until smooth, then stop and start again, blending for a while longer. That way any unblended chunks will drop to the bottom and will then be blended on the second go-round. :)