… are two of my favorite words when I have to whip up dinner on the fly. So here’s a quick recipe for you to try out for yourselves. This from-scratch concoction went great over rotini pasta, but you could probably top just about anything with it.

1 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons salsa (dealer’s choice)
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated parmesan (optional)

Puree the canned tomatoes and salsa in a blender. Any salsa will do, but I used a Safeway Select chipotle salsa I had on hand. Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat and toss the onions and garlic in for a few minutes to get them started. Take the mixture out of the pan and brown the ground beef. Drain the beef and add the garlic/onions and puree.  Use the water to swish out the blender and pour it in with the rest. Cook on medium heat, stirring every couple minutes, to reduce the sauce, probably about 12-15 minutes. Let stand for 3-5 minutes and serve over your bed of choice. You can top this with the grated parmesan like I did, or maybe a nice shredded mozzarella. For a more southwestern kick, try shredded chihuahua or queso fresco and serve the sauce over rice.

Enjoy!