A thick homemade pizza sauce bursting with flavor! This pizza sauce uses ingredients from the pantry and is perfectly delicious!
Yield: 

4 cups
Ingredients: 

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onion (or 1 tablespoon dried onion)
1 teaspoon dried basil
8 rosemary leaves, crushed (or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary)
12 fennel seeds, optional
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions: 

1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat over medium-low heat, covered, until boiling.

2. Simmer covered, but with lid vented, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Use on homemade pizza or in any recipe calling for pizza sauce! Freeze leftover sauce, or keep in the fridge for several days.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Rich semi-sweet tomato sauce seasoned with oregano and basil, with chunks of peppers, onions, and garlic
Yield: 

5 pints or 1 pint
Ingredients: 

5 pints tomato sauce (see directions)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped sweet peppers or bell peppers
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons salt
5 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons basil
2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
a little tomato juice (set some aside when draining)
Instructions: 

1.To
make 5 pints of tomato sauce, you will need about 20 pounds of tomatoes
(1.5 pecks, approximately). You can, however, make sauce out of
whatever tomatoes you have on hand and adjust the seasonings according
to how much sauce you have.

Prepare tomatoes as follows: wash and core tomatoes and put into a large pan(s) and cook until soft and mushy (at least one hour). Be careful to stir every now and then and keep the heat reasonable so they don’t scorch… scorched tomatoes taste awful!

2. Using a small pan or large scoop, put hot tomatoes into a strainer
to drain off the watery juice. (We use a mesh wire strainer.) When
tomatoes have drained somewhat (10-20 minutes), run them through a
colander, which will remove the seeds and skins. (Another way is to
drain the tomatoes and then run through a blender or food processor.)
While you process one batch, have another batch in the strainer to
drain.

3. Put sauce into a clean pan, and continue until all tomatoes are
processed. You should now have a tomato sauce, which could be canned as
is, or you can season for pizza/spaghetti, etc. Usually once you have
the tomatoes processed, then you know how much sauce you will end up
with. The above measurements were per 5 pints of processed sauce.

4. Cook onions, garlic, and peppers in a pan on the stove with a little tomato juice until tender before adding to sauce.

5. While you are cooking the onions, peppers, and garlic, add the
white sugar, salt, oregano, black pepper, basil, and arrowroot or
cornstarch, mixed with a little tomato juice (set some aside when
draining). Stir sauce to mix thoroughly and bring to a boil so it
thickens. You may need more thickener depending on how well-drained your
tomatoes were and your own preference.

6. If preserving, put into jars and process for 25 minutes (for
pints; 35 minutes for quarts). (You can open-kettle this, like salsa,
but it gets kind of messy because the sauce is thick and splashes when
it boils.)
Additional Notes: 

So,
you don’t have enough tomatoes to make a huge batch of sauce, but you
want some yummy home made pizza sauce to use on tonight’s pizza? Here
you go:

1. Wash and dice your tomatoes (You will probably need about 6 c
after they are diced), so there are no large pieces of peeling.
(Alternately, wash tomatoes and put into a large bowl. Pour boiling
water over, let set for a few minutes, and remove peeling. Then dice.)

2. Put tomatoes into a pan on the stovetop, and start cooking. Add
some sugar (1.5 T), salt (1/2 t), oregano (1/2 t), black pepper, and
basil (1/4 t). Those measurements are all approximate… just taste and
alter as you wish.

3. Simmer until sauce thickens (this will take at least an hour, so
make sure you have plenty of time!). You can hurry the process a little
by thickening with cornstarch (mix 1-2 T cornstarch with cold water or
reserved tomato juice, then add to boiling tomatoes, stirring
immediately to prevent lumps).

4. When sauce is to desired thickness, you’re done! Enjoy! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Easy grilled Copper River Salmon, tender, flaky, and full of flavor!
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

16-24 ounces Copper River Salmon fillets
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
Fresh, coarsely-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic, or about 2 cloves
olive oil
Salt
Instructions: 

1.
Rinse salmon and pat it dry. With skin-side-down, lightly sprinkle
liquid smoke over the salmon. Sprinkle freshly-ground black pepper over
the salmon, along with the minced garlic.

2. Drizzle with olive oil to coat, and sprinkle generously with salt.

3. Pre-heat grill on HIGH for 10-15 minutes. Place salmon,
flesh-side-down, on grill and grill with lid down on MEDIUM heat for
about 8 minutes (for thin fillets; a few minutes longer for thicker
fillets).

Flip salmon after 4 minutes of grilling time has passed. Salmon is
done when it flakes apart easily with a fork and is hot in the middle.
Don’t over-cook, or it can be dry.

Serve hot with some cooked rice and grilled veggies or a salad!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Spicy grilled chicken breast served with a fresh salsa made with tomato, avocado, and green onions
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

Chicken ingredients:

4 large (6-8 ounces each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
black pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped cilantro
oil, preferably in a spray bottle
Tapatio hot sauce

Avocado salsa ingredients:

2 cups chopped fresh tomato
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more, to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1 large avocado, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) Instructions: 

1.
Lay chicken breasts in a 9×13-inch dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper,
and cilantro; spray with oil and splash with Tapatio. Turn chicken over
and repeat on other side. Set aside.

2. Combine salsa ingredients (except avocado) in a medium bowl and
stir to mix. Add avocado and stir gently to combine. Set aside.

3. Preheat grill.* Grill chicken until done (our Weber Q grill takes 10-12 minutes on medium, grilling with lid closed). Serve hot chicken with fresh salsa.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Delicious and easy homemade version of Taco Bell’s Double Decker Tacos
Yield: 

8 servings
Ingredients: 

8 hard taco shells
8 corn tortillas (or soft-taco-sized flour tortillas)
2 cups refried beans*, warmed
1 pound ground beef
1 onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
dash black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I love freshly-ground cumin!)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Tapatio or other hot sauce, to taste
4 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes Instructions: 

1.
Fry ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain well and return to pan.
Toss meat with the tablespoon of flour. Stir in water, chili powder,
pepper, salt, cumin, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly, and breaking any large chunks of beef into smaller
bits.

2. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray or
drizzle with a little oil and then cook corn tortillas until lightly
browned on both sides (1-2 minutes per side).

3. Evenly spread about 1/4 cup of the warmed refried beans over a
cooked corn tortilla. Place a hard taco shell inside and wrap with the
tortilla, so that the beans are a layer between the hard shell and soft
tortilla.

4. Fill taco with about 1/4 cup meat mixture, 1/2 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons diced tomato. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Delicious grilled thin-crust pizza: homemade crust and your favorite toppings!
Yield: 

Four 10-inch pizzas, about 8 generous servings
Ingredients: 

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups flour*
1 tablespoon dry yeast

Oil and salt, for brushing crusts

Toppings of your choice:

–about 1/4 cup pizza sauce for each pizza
–about 6 ounces (1.5 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese for each pizza
Pepperoni, chopped onions, diced peppers, crushed red pepper, sliced olives, etc.
Instructions: 

1.
Prepare dough by mixing the warm water, salt, oil, and yeast in a
medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in flour. Knead with clean hands, adding
more water if necessary to form a smooth, elastic dough. Dough shouldn’t
bee too sticky, since it will need to hold together when rolled out
into a crust.

You can also make the dough in a bread machine. Add crust ingredients
in order listed and start machine on the dough setting. Add additional
water if needed as the machine operates, scraping sides of the pan if
needed, until a smooth dough has formed.

Allow dough to rest for 5-10 minutes, covered.

2. Separate dough into four parts. On a lightly-floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch circle.

3. Pre-heat grill to medium-high. Brush one side of the rolled dough
with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place crust, oiled-side-down,
on the pre-heated grill.** Grill with lid open until bottom is browned,
about 3-5 minutes.

4. Remove crust from grill and place on a metal baking sheet (or
other heat-safe surface). Brush the top (the side that hadn’t been
grilled yet) with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip crust over.

5. With the grilled side facing up, place toppings on grilled side,
being careful to not overload with toppings since the crust is fairly
thin.

5. When toppings have been added, return pizza to the grill, with the
second oiled side down and the toppings facing up (of course! haha).
Grill with the lid closed for 5-6 minutes on high, until crust is
browned and cheese is melted.

Remove from grill, cut, and serve hot! Yum! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Spaghetti squash stuffed with a cheesy Italian tomato filling!
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup diced green bell pepper*
2 cups tomato sauce**
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, for topping
1 cup (4 ounces) mozzarella cheese, for topping
Instructions: 

1.
Cut squash into halves lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place cut side down
in 2 inches of simmering water in a heavy stock pot or saute pan. Cover
and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheddar and mozzarella
cheeses, peppers, tomato sauce, and spices (except Parmesan and
additional mozzarella). Stir to mix.

3. Holding hot squash with a potholder or oven mitts, run the tines
of a fork across the pulp to release the “spaghetti”. Place “spaghetti”
in the large mixing bowl of cheese, sauce, and spices. Stir to coat.

4. Spoon squash back into the two squash shells and place in a baking
dish. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at
350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot in the middle.

If squash shells are tender, they are edible along with the filling. We don’t usually eat all of the shell, though, since the filling is the best part! 😉

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Easy individually-wrapped bean and rice burritos for the freezer! These burritos are simple and delicious!
Yield: 

8 burritos
Ingredients: 

4 cups cooked pinto beans (or beans of your choice)
4 cups cooked rice (1 1/3 cups dry rice, cooked)
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
Salt, to taste
Hot sauce, optional (we like Tapatio or Cholula)
8 burrito-size flour tortillas
Sour cream or hot sauce, for serving Instructions: 

1.
In a large bowl, toss together the beans, rice, cheese, and some
splashes of hot sauce (if using). Add a little salt if you haven’t
already salted your beans or rice.

2. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the beans and rice mixture on each
tortilla. Fold into burritos (see below). Wrap individually in pieces of
foil.

3. Place foil-wrapped burritos in a gallon-size freezer Ziplock bag,
removing excess air if possible. Label with name and date. Freeze for up
to 6 months (if tightly wrapped).

Reheating instructions:

From frozen: Place frozen burritos a few inches apart directly on
oven rack. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes, until
hot inside. Serve with sour cream or hot sauce!

From thawed (or freshly made): Place burritos a few inches apart directly on oven rack. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, until hot inside. Serve with sour cream or hot sauce!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Homemade
vegetarian burgers made with black beans and a Mexican flair! Hot sauce
and fresh cilantro in these black bean burgers will have you coming
back for seconds!
Yield: 

8 burgers (about 4 inches in diameter)
Ingredients: 

3 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons hot sauce (We like Tapatio!)
1/2 cup (loosely measured) chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Oil, for cooking

For serving (pick and choose!):

Lettuce leaves, washed
Fresh tomato slices
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Chopped jalapenos
Sliced avocado
Fresh tomato salsa
Hamburger buns
Instructions: 

1.
In a food processor bowl, combine the black beans, granulated onion and
garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, hot sauce, and cilantro. Pulse until
mixture is creamy (some small pieces of beans is okay!)

If your food processor is small, you can do this in two batches, but
be sure to put one of the eggs in each batch, as the egg helps it be
thin enough to blend.

If you don’t have a food processor, you could try doing this in the
blender, but you will have to stir it down a bit to make sure everything
gets blended. Or, put everything in a bowl and blend with clean hands.
Freshly-cooked and still-warm (but not hot!) beans will make this
process easier.

2. Transfer creamed bean mixture to a mixing bowl, and then stir in
enough of the bread crumbs to make a sticky dough, similar to cookie
dough. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes, to thicken. (You can
prepare your toppings during this time!)

3. Preheat a skillet (I use cast iron) or griddle or indoor grill
over medium heat. With slightly wet hands, form burger dough into 8
patties, about 1/2-inch thick.

4. Add some oil (about 2 tablespoons) to the skillet or griddle (or
lightly spray an indoor grill with oil) and when oil is hot (hold hand
over it to feel heat rising), fry burgers for about 3-4 minutes on each
side, until browned on the outside and hot in the middle (middle will be
moist). You can adjust the heat if the burgers seem to be cooking too
slowly or browning too quickly.

Serve hot with toppings and enjoy!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Cheesy white pizza with a garlic herb sauce, topped with thinly sliced asparagus!
Yield: 

Two 12-inch pizzas (16 slices total)
Ingredients: 

Pizza crust ingredients:

1 cup warm water (115 degrees)
1 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast

Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings:

1/2 cup (loosely measured) thinly sliced red onions
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
8 thick asparagus spears
4 small fully-cooked turkey sausage links, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions: 

1.
To make crust, place warm water and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Add
a cup of the flour and the yeast, and stir. Add remaining flour  and
stir or knead into a sticky dough, adding additional water if needed.
Allow dough to rest, covered with a clean towel, for at least 10 minutes
but up to 30-45 minutes.

If you have a bread machine, this first step can be done by putting
all crust ingredients into the machine and using the dough cycle to
knead for 10-15 minutes, until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Stop the
machine and allow dough to rest for at least 10 minutes, or up to 30-45
minutes.

2. Liberally butter two 12-inch round pizza pans (or rectangular
equivalent), and then with your clean buttery hands, spread dough thinly
over the pans.

3. Combine sauce ingredients and spread the sauce over the
dough/crust and allow to rest for 15 minutes or longer (up to 45
minutes).

4. Prepare asparagus by washing and drying, and breaking off the
tough bottom if necessary. Using a vegetable peeler, “shave” the
asparagus into thin strips, slicing remaining tops thinly.

5. Sprinkle toppings over the crust and sauce in the order listed.

6. Bake pizza in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10 minutes or until top is browned and bubbly, and crust is slightly browned on the bottom. Watch carefully to avoid burning! 🙂 Cut each pizza into 8 slices and serve hot.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.