SAMPLE RECIPES

Here is where we let the book, the recipes, Sammy and the concepts speak for themselves. Once you see the style of food, idea of portions, ingredients used, structure of the recipes and concepts in action, We believe you will understand why this book is unique.

Here you will find two recipes from each category in the book Chow Down: Concepts on Good Cooking and Good Eating. It adds up to 28 recipes, There are a lot of cookbooks out there that would consider that a book, yet it is less than 4% of the recipes in Chow Down: Concepts on Good Cooking and Good Eating.

We have tried to select recipes that show the wide range of styles, tastes, ingredients and preparation used in the recipes throughout Chow Down: Concepts on Good Cooking and Good Eating. There is truly something for everyone. So take a peek and try a few recipes.

When you make these recipes you will understand why this book is called Chow Down: Concepts on Good Cooking and Good Eating.

We want you to CHOW DOWN, because this food is good!!! Not just good for you!

Click on the category you want to see the recipes listed.

BEEF

SPICY BEEF SANDWICHES or 
FILET MIGNON WITH RED WINE AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

BREAD AND BREAD STUFF

ITALIAN CHEESE BREAD or SOUR CREAM BISCUITS

DESSERTS, CAKES, PIES AND SWEETS

ANY BERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKES or APPLE OR PEAR FRENCH TOAST SUNDAE

MISCELLANEOUS - EGGS, CREPES, TORTILLAS ETC

NOODLE AND VEGGIE FRITTATA or CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

PASTA AND NOODLES, FILLED, ROLLED AND STUFFED

THREE CHEESE PENNE RIGATI or GARLIC COUSCOUS

PORK

ISLAND PORK ROAST or BERRY PEACHY PORK CHOPS

POULTRY

BAKED PARMESAN CHICKEN AND RICE DIVAN" or 
BONE IN, SKIN ON, SIMPLY SPICED AND BAKED CHICKEN

RICE

A STEP ABOVE CHEESE AND VEGETABLE RICE or SIMPLE HERBED RICE

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

PASTRAMI SALAD WITH DIJON DRESSING or 
LIGHT AND LOADED PASTA SALAD

SAUCES, SPICES AND RUBS

FRESH MARINARA SAUCE or BACON AND ONION SAUCE

SEAFOOD

DEVILED CRAB GRATIN or A SEDUCTIVE SOLE

SNACKS, FINGER FOODS AND APPETIZERS

BAGEL PIZZAS or HEARTY PARTY DIP

SOUPS AND STEWS

SHERRIED BLACK BEAN SOUP or ROASTED GARLIC AND CHICKEN SOUP

VEGETABLES AND BEANS

COLD, WARM OR HOT SESAME GREEN BEANS or 
SIMPLY AWESOME SAUTÉED PORTABELLAS

These are great sandwiches for any occasion. They are simple and very satisfying, 
whether you serve them cold, warmed or hot. This makes killer omelet filling also.

Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Sauté mushrooms 
and garlic for 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery and pepper to skillet. 
Continue to sauté until vegetables are crisp but tender. Remove skillet from 
heat and stir in mustard. Coat the split rolls with cooking spray and pan toast 
if desired. Place 1/4 of beef and 1/4 of cheese on each roll. Heat the sandwiches 
if desired. Place 1/4 of vegetable mixture atop the cheese, put top on sandwich 
and serve.

This is a wonderfully elegant meal, which you can serve with or without the sauce. 
You can serve the sauce over rice, pasta or potatoes as well as the filets. Filets 
are really medallions of beef tenderloin. It is less expensive to buy whole tenderloin 
and cut it into filets yourself.

Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to very hot. Season filets on all sides with 
the pepper. Sear the fillets on both sides in hot skillet, very quickly, about 3-4 
minutes per side. When steaks are just under desired doneness, remove to a platter 
and keep in a warm oven while you prepare the sauce. Add butter, mushrooms and 
shallots to skillet and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine, tarragon and salt. Over high heat 
simmer and reduce sauce to desired thickness. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir 
any juices from steaks into sauce and serve sauce over the steaks and/or side dishes.

When I am serving an Italian meal and want bread that stands up to bolder dishes, 
this is a good choice. This will make one big loaf, two medium loafs or about 24 good 
size rolls. You can also add herbs to the dough, if you like.

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1-1/4 cup water. Using the paddle, 
add in the sugar, salt, garlic, herb/s, parmesan cheese and 2 cups of flour. Beat 
until smooth. Changing to the dough hook, work in enough of the remaining flour to 
form soft dough, up the 3-1/2 total cups. Let knead for about 10 minutes. Cover 
the bowl with a damp towel and let rise, about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch 
down the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface;

If making one or more loaves, divide dough into the desired number of loaves. Work 
into smooth, elongated loaves. I recommend one large 16" loaf or two medium 14" loafs. 
Place the loaves seam side down, on an ungreased baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. 
Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 hour. Make 1/2" deep cuts diagonally across 
the top of the loaves, about every 3". For a great crust, brush the top of the loaves 
with water. Proceed to baking instructions.

If making rolls, divide the dough evenly into the desired number of rolls. I recommend 
24. Work each piece into a smooth ball. Place them seam side down on an, ungreased 
baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 hour. Cut 
an "X" 1/4" deep into the top of each roll. For a great crust, brush the tops with water. Proceed to baking.

Baking: Place a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish in the bottom of the oven and fill it halfway 
with 'hot' water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 20-25 minutes or rolls 
for 15-20 minutes Cool on wire rack.

These are great with stew, gravy or any saucy dish. They are fine enough for dinner guests and will send any dish to another level

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. In a separate bowl, stir the sour cream into the milk. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to combine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead 8-10 times. Roll or pat the dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut into your desired shapes and sizes (I usually make 12). Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Brush tops with milk or butter if desired.

These are wonderfully simple in preparation and taste. Serve these turned onto a dish and garnish as desired or serve as is. Use any berry you want or mix them.

Spray four 10 oz. custard cups (ramekins or a 2 quart baking dish) with cooking spray and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly into the bottom of each. In a bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk and butter, just to moisten. The batter should be lumpy. Divide the batter evenly between the sugared cups and top each with 1/2 cup of berries. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean of batter. (For one large cake, bake for 50-60 minutes until it tests done with a tooth pick.) Let stand 5 min, then turn upside-down on plates. Serve as desired.

This is a great way to serve fruit for dessert. This is one of my favorites, especially in winter. I even use left over French toast from a meal to make this an even more hassle free dessert. Either way, this is simple and quick, with incredible taste!

. In a skillet coated with cooking spray, heat the butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, until the sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbly. Add the fruit to the sugar mixture and cook until the fruit is tender. Remove from heat, stir in the pecans and keep warm. In a pie plate or deep dish, beat the egg substitute, milk, vanilla 1-1/3 tbsp. brown sugar, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Flip and coat all four pieces of bread in the egg mixture. Place the bread in a nonstick skillet, coated with cooking spray. Cook over medium heat until the bread is golden on both sides and the centers are well set. Place a slice of French toast in the center of a dessert plate or dish. Place 1/4 of the fruit mixture over each piece of toast. Serve 1/2 cup of ice cream atop or beside the fruit and toast.

I use leftover pasta or even ramen noodles. Try different vegetables and cheese. I especially like adding grilled or spicy meats for a heartier meal.

In an oven-proof skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic, until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in noodles and bring to heat. In a bowl, whisk egg whites and pepper, stir in the provolone. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetable and noodle mixture and jiggle skillet lightly. Cook over medium-low heat until set in center, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and broil in oven for a few moments to set and lightly brown the top.

This is my favorite enchilada. Creamy, cheesy and sassy! Serve with a salad and steamed vegetable and I am very happy!

Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray, to medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic, until the onions are tender. Stir in the chicken, tomato purée, chilies and salt, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set at work area. In a saucepan, heat the half and half with the bouillon cubes to dissolve. Stir the milk and cornstarch together. Stir the milk mixture into the half-and-half mixture. Cook, stirring over medium heat to thicken slightly. Remove the pan from heat and set at work area. Lightly coat a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with cooking spray. Using tongs, dip a tortilla in the cream sauce to coat and place on work surface. Place 1/14 filling, a rounded 1/4 cup, in the center of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam sides down in the baking dish (two rows of 7 works best). Repeat with remaining ingredients. Pour the remaining cream sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover the dish, top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes uncovered. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the black olives.

YES! BUTTER AND 6+ OZ. OF CHEESE! This dish is great as is so adding seafood (think shrimp, crab, clams) makes this outstanding. Chicken works, too!

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Start the sauce while the pasta cooks. Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms with the garlic for 5 minutes. Toss in the peppers and sauté 2 minutes. Add the butter and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk. Add the broccoli and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.

Imagine what you can serve with this!

In a saucepan, bring all but the couscous to a boil remove from the heat. Stir in couscous, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Great with a rice dish and steamed vegetables, sliced for sandwiches or as leftovers in a salad.

In a small bowl, mix the ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and rub into the pork loin. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat the oil in an oven-proof pan or skillet. Brown the pork well on all sides. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes per pound. When approximately 40 minutes remains in cooking time, drain the liquids from the pan and discard. Mix and pour the remaining ingredients over to the roast. Cover and bake 40 minutes or until done to your liking. Let the roast set for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with or without the fruit and juices.

A great way to serve pork chops - simple, elegant, sweet and savory. Try different preserves and fruits or leave one out!

Season the chops with the pepper. In a skillet coated with cooking spray, brown the chops over medium heat, about 5 minutes on each side. Add the peaches and the preserves to the skillet cover and simmer over low heat, for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the peaches and chops are at desired doneness. Serve the chops topped with the fruit and sauce.

This layered, one-dish meal is creamy and flavorful. Try using different vegetables and meats. I serve salad and bread with this and am very satisfied.

SIMPLY AWESOME SAUTÉED PORTABELLAS