Caprese Pizza with Basil Pesto

I've always loved the idea of a Caprese- Tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, and Basil- but I knew that no one in the house but me would eat it! So, when I made basil pesto, I decided to try this combination on a pizza! And, it was so, so good.

Caprese Pizza with Basil Pesto
The Double Dipped Life

1 pizza crust. I used a premade, but you can make your own as well.
1/2 - 1 cup basil pesto. Homemade or store-bought.
Sliced mozzarella cheese
Sliced tomato

I also sprinkled Shirley J's Pizza and Pasta Seasoning on top of the tomatoes.

Spread the pesto on the pizza crust. Top with cheese and tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the tomatoes soft.  Like this:

Enjoy this right away for maximum freshness!

Basil Pesto

Freshly grown basil is a heavenly thing. Just pull it close to your nose and smell that freshness. It's a very versatile herb. It's most common use is in Italian dishes. It's great in pasta and even in drinks. Here I've made it into a wonderful pesto.  Pesto is yummy, but what do you do with that big bowlful? One of the great things about pesto is that it freezes well. Put the basil into ice cube trays and then just add it to your hot dishes or defrost for use on sandwiches and in dips.   Here are some more ideas for fresh basil.




Mix it with pasta
Mix it in with alfredo sauce
Mix it with ranch dressing for a smooth dip or salad topping
Spread it on sandwiches or wraps
Use it as the base for bruschetta
Mix it into soups
It is fabulous on pizza
Use it to top a baked potato


Basil Pesto
The Double Dipped Life

3 cups basil leaves, gently packed
3/4 cups Parmesan cheese Fresh is always best!
1/4 teas salt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teas red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts


Place everything but the olive oil and pine nuts in a food processor. I just used my blender. Pulse the mixture and stir until everything is processed.  While the blender is running, slowly pour in the olive oil. You can leave it thick, or add more oil until the pesto is thin.  Remove the pesto to a bowl.  Put the pine nuts in the processor, and give it a quick chop. Stir by hand into the pesto. I do the nuts separately to get some crunch in my pesto.

Eat the pesto right away or store in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy! 

Summer Vegetable Pesto Chicken Wrap

It's that wonderful time of year when gardens are producing, and farmer's markets are full of fresh veggies. This is a great lunch recipe using basil, squash, or even zucchini. You could even go all vegetarian by removing the chicken. Enjoy!


Summer Vegetable Chicken Wrap
The Double Dipped Life

Flour tortillas
Basil pesto
Chicken flavored with mexican seasonings, cooked
(Try making your own, or buying the pre-made frozen chicken)
Yellow squash, chopped into matchsticks, or zucchini is good as well
Tomato, chopped
Romaine leaves or spinach

Dip:
Ranch dressing
Basil pesto

Warm the tortillas in the microwave. Layer the tortilla with basil pesto, and then stack the rest of the ingredients on top.  Fold ends of tortilla over the filling, and roll. For the dip, mix 2 parts ranch dressing with 1 part basil pesto.
Enjoy!

Basil Dipping Sauce

 

I love basil. It's so flexible, and makes everything taste fresh. This dipping sauce/ salad dressing is amazing. It thickens as it sits in the fridge, making it a great veggie dip, or a spread for sandwiches. 

Basil Dipping Sauce

The Double Dipped Life

1/2 cup Sour Cream

3 Tb mayonnaise

3 Tb fresh basil, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 clove garlic

1/2 teas Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and ground black pepper


Use a blender or food processor to combine all ingredients except salt and pepper until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Use as a salad dressing, or refrigerate and use as a dip or sandwich spread! Enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

It is finally getting warm here in Utah. It's been quite the "Spring" with cold weather and lots of rain. Now's the time for cold drinks out on the patio! 

I've been hearing of the use of basil in drinks for some time, and always thought it was strange. Then my husband and I went out to a fancy restaurant for dinner, and I made myself order one thing I'd never had before. It turned out to be a cherry basil drink. I instantly fell in love with the crisp freshness that the basil provided. So, here it is in a cold, refreshing Strawberry Lemonade! 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

by The Double Dipped Life

8-10 lemons (1 cup of juice)

3/4 - 1 cup sugar

4 cups cold water

8-10 strawberries

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Juice roughly 8-10 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice into a pitcher. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you want it. Add 4 cups of cold water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Roughly chop the strawberries, and add to the juice. Add basil leaves. With a hand blender, blend the strawberries and basil until you reach your desired consistency.  Serve cold!

Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

I am on a total soup kick this week.  Tomato soup and I don't get along too often, but once in awhile I get a craving for it.  When it hit this time, I wanted something smooth and creamy, and not too tomato-y. I've tried a few recipes in the last few months, and they all ended up tasting like Pasta Sauce instead of Tomato Soup.  But... drum roll please... I think this recipe is the winner!  I took the guidelines from a recipe at Allrecipes.com, and then cut out a lot of the fat, and added some more spices.  I love this soup! The kids ate it with grilled cheese, and I had a BLT. Perfect!


Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or use veggie broth!)
1 Tb Italian seasonings (or sprinkle oregano, rosemary, garlic, etc)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 finely chopped onion
3 TB butter (I cut this down from 1/2 cup!!!)
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
6 fresh basil leaves, or 2 TB dried basil (I used a basil paste- prepared pesto would be fantastic too.)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasonings, garlic, onion, and butter until boiling. Boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and using a hand or immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth.  Add in cream, basil, and pepper, and put the pan back on the heat. Heat on low for 20 minutes. Do not let the soup boil! This will make the cream curdle.  Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

Serve hot with a grilled sandwich, crusty bread, or a green salad!  Enjoy!

Crispy Basil Chicken with Linguine in Lemon Cream Sauce

About a week ago, I was browsing one of my favorite blogs, Barbara Bakes, and came across her recipe for Linguine in Lemon Cream Sauce. As I drooled over the recipe, I thought of the fresh basil I had in the fridge, and how that would be good in the pasta too... or maybe with chicken... or... I'll spare you the thought process.  Here is my final result.

The pasta was really good, but I think I added too much lemon. To tone it down, I added pepper and oregano to the sauce. It was still a little tangy, but it melded well with my Crispy Basil Chicken. So, lesson learned- measure your lemon sauce!

Crispy Basil Chicken 
Recipe by The Double Dipped Life


4 Chicken breasts, cut into strips, or chicken tenders
1-2 cup flour (start with 1, add more if needed)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teas pepper
1/2 teas garlic powder

Heat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
Set up your breading station:
1. Fill a long, flat bowl or pie dish with the flour.
2. Fill a second with the beaten eggs
3. In a third bowl mix the Panko, Parmesan cheese, Basil, pepper, and garlic powder.

Dip the chicken pieces in the flour, coating evenly. Shake off excess. Dip in egg, and then in the Panko mixture. Coat well, and lay chicken on the foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, make your pasta!

Linguine in Lemon Sauce
Adapted from BarbaraBakes.com

14 oz dry linguine
1/2 cup light cream cheese
2 TB olive oil
2 TB lemon, juiced
1/2 teas pepper
1/2 teas oregano
1 TB lemon zest
2 TB chopped parsley

Cook linguine according to package directions.  In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese, oil, and lemon juice, pepper, and oregano over low heat.  Take 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and whisk into cheese mixture until smooth.

Drain pasta, and toss with sauce, lemon zest, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Enjoy!