Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

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Ahhh... home cooked meals. Traditional goodness passed down from generation to generation. This was the spaghetti sauce I ate growing up. It's thick and chunky, and full of amazing flavor. After trying this, you'll never go back to canned sauce again!

You'll notice that the recipe allows for a few hours of simmering time. This is to get the best taste out of the herbs. Your house will also smell amazing! However, this spaghetti sauce is amazing after a short cooking time as well. Brown the beef, drain, and cook everything together for 30 minutes or so. Serve over hot noodles with warm bread and a salad!

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
The Double Dipped Life


1 lb Ground Beef
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
1 TB Basil
1/4 teas minced garlic
2 TB chopped (or dried) parsley
1 bay leaf
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
spaghetti noodles
Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Brown meat, drain fat. In the same pan, add in onion, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until soft.
Add browned meat and remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. Add water if too thick.

Serve over hot noodles! Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella cheese.
Enjoy!

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!

Grandaddy's Tostado Sauce

I grew up in Arizona, poolside! My memories include long swimming days at my Grandparents with yummy food cooking away on the bbq or in the kitchen. The two recipes that I can attribute to my Grandaddy are his teriyaki sauce and this. Spicy, flavorful, run-down-your-arm goodness of Tostado Sauce. I don't know what it is about this sauce that makes it so addicting, but it's the only thing worthy of topping tostados! Just trust me on this.

Grandaddy's Tostados

Corn Tortillas: Spray each side with cooking spray, and lay on a cookie sheet. Cook in a 450 degree oven for 3-5 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until crisp. Watch carefully!

Tostado Sauce:

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 can diced green chilies

1 small onion, diced

1 Tb white wine vinegar

1 teas ground garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Ok, so here's the trick. Put all these yummy ingredients in a bowl, and mix them up- not with a spoon, mind you, with your HANDS! That's right. Reach in there and squish things up. Somehow, it just works better. I promise. 

Make your favorite tostados. Toppings can include beans, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, lettuce, olives, guacamole, chicken, etc. 

Then, top with the magic sauce.

Enjoy. 

Caution: Will need lots of napkins! 

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!

Summer Veggie Skillet

Do you still have squash and zucchini growing like crazy? This is a fabulous, and fast, recipe to use up those garden favorites! I have made this simple dish 3 times in the last month. Enjoy!


Summer Veggie Skillet
Recipe by The Double Dipped Life


2 TB oil
2 garlic cloves
1 teas red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 large squash- sliced thin
1 large zucchini- sliced thin
2 tomatoes- chopped
fresh parsley
salt and pepper 


Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes; stir to cook 3-5 minutes. Add sliced squash and zucchini, stir, cover, and cook 5 minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to skillet. Cover, and cook until veggies are soft.  Add parsley. Serve hot.

Spinach Feta Pasta

Doesn't this look good? I found this recipe on OurBestBites.com when I had lots of feta and spinach in my fridge. Now, I have to be totally honest and tell you that we liked this dish, but didn't LOVE it- my husband just isn't fond of chunks of tomatoes in the sauce. But... since everyone has different tastes, I'm sure there are those of you out there that will LOVE it!

Spinach and Feta Pasta
OurBestBites

8 oz. Penne noodles
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 c. fresh spinach
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
A handful of fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until tender.

Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add tomatoes, heat through, and then add drained pasta and crumbled feta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve; crumbling a little extra Feta on top!

Serve with Rosemary Foccacia or sweet Challah Bread!