Category Archives: Recipes

English Muffin Pizza (REC00007) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
January 7 2017

It’s hard to call this a “new recipe” since we’ve used it several times before and it is really just using English muffins for your pizza crust with assembly of different toppings on top, so not much of a “recipe”. But I thought I would add it here anyway. I have a small bias towards including pepperoni in every variation, but technically it is optional. 🙂

Type of mealCuisineDifficulty
Snack, Appetizer, OtherGeneralEasy
Cooking TimeYieldRating
Prep: 10-30m
Cooking: 10-15m
Total: 20-45m		12 servings ★★★★☆

Ingredients

Base

  • 6 English muffins (whole wheat or seeded or original) (Note: 6 English muffins make 12 mini pizzas once sliced!)

Foundational Layer

  • 1/4 cup pizza sauce (Note: You can also use tomato paste, tomato sauce or salsa for slightly different flavours)
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheese (combo of cheddar, mozzarella and/or swiss)

Topping Layer Options

  • Hawaiian:
    1/4 cup cooked ham, diced
    1/2 small onion, chopped
    1/2 cup pineapple chunks
    24 slices pepperoni
  • Super Supreme:
    1/4 lb / 250g Italian sausage, chopped/diced
    1/4 lb / 250g mild saussage, chopped/diced
    1/4 cup cooked ham, diced
    1/4 cup green pepper, diced
    1/4 cup red onion, diced
    12 black olives, sliced
    1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
    1/4 lb / 250g ground beef
  • Meat Lovers:
    1/2 lb / 250g pork sausage, diced
    1/2 small onion, chopped
    1/2 lb / 250g ground beef
    1/4 tsp garlic salt
    1/4 tsp dried oregano
    1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
    24 slices of pepperoni
  • Veggie Lovers:
    1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
    1/4 cup white onion, chopped
    1/4 cup red onion, chopped
    1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
    1/4 cup green peppers, diced
    12 black olives, sliced
    12 green olives, sliced
    1/2 cup pineapple chunks
    2 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced thin

Main preparations (common steps)

  1. Slice the English muffins in half.
  2. Prepare (slice/dice/shred) any of the optional toppings.
  3. Pre-cook any of the extra toppings as necessary (i.e., brown the ground beef, sausage, etc.)
  4. Spread the sauce evenly over the cut English muffins.
  5. Add any additional toppings from the variations below.
  6. Add cheese on top.
  7. If you are planning to eat them immediately (as opposed to freezing for later), place the English muffins on baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes PLUS an additional 5-8 minutes depending on how many toppings you add and/or the number of additional mini-pizzas you are cooking.

Variations/Notes

  • Hawaiian option: At step 2 (prep), dice the cooked ham (1/4 cup), chop a small onion (1/2 of it), and cut pineapple into chunks (1/2 cup). At step 3 (pre-cook), quickly sauté the chopped onions, if desired. At step 5, spread pepperoni (24 slices) over the English muffins evenly and then distribute the Hawaiian toppings. Add 5 minutes to the baking time.
  • Super Supreme option: At step 2 (prep), chop/slice/dice the Italian sausage (1/4 lb / 250g), mild sausage (1/4 lb / 250 g), cooked ham (1/4 cup), green pepper (1/4 cup), and red onion (1/4 cup). Slice the black olives (12) and sliced mushrooms (1/4 cup). At step 3 (pre-cook), cook in a skillet the chopped Italian sausage, mild sausage, cooked ham, green pepper, and red onion with ground beef (1/4 lb / 250 g). At step 5, spread pepperoni (24 slices) over the English muffins evenly. Mix the cooked ingredients above with the sliced black olives and mushrooms, and then distribute evenly. Add 8-10 minutes to baking time.
  • Meat Lovers option: At step 2 (prep), dice the pork sausage (1/2 lb / 250 g) and chop a small onion (using 1/2). At step 3 (pre-cook), cook in a skillet the ground beef (1/2 lb / 250 g), diced pork sausage, chopped onion, garlic salt (1/4 tsp), dried oregano (1/4 tsp), cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp, optional). At step 5, spread pepperoni (24 slices) over the English muffins evenly and then distribute the meat topping. Add 5 minutes to the baking time.
  • Veggie Lovers option: Choose 3-5 ingredients from the list, and at step 2, prepare a small yellow onion (1/2 of it, chopped), white onion (1/4 cup, chopped), red onion (1/4 cup, chopped), mushrooms (1/4 cup, sliced), green pepper (1/4 cup, diced), black olives (12, sliced), green olives (12, sliced), pineapple chunks (1/2 cup, cut to size), tomatoes (2 medium-sized, sliced thin). At step 3 (pre-cook), sauté any onions. At step 5, spread the ingredients evenly over the English muffins. Add 5-8 minutes depending on how many ingredients you used.
  • If you want to freeze them: Assemble the ingredients on top, etc., but DO NOT bake them; bag them or place in freezer containers, and they should be good for up to 3 months. If you cook from frozen later, increase the baking time to 24-28 minutes.

Cowboy Beef Dip (REC00006) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
January 6 2017

This was an adaptation from a ground beef recipe book that I picked up when Andrea bought the Epicure silicone steamers that are so good at cooking ground beef quickly and easily. I didn’t use a steamer for this recipe, as there are other ingredients to cook with the beef, but that was more choice than necessity. I’ve been looking for a dip-like recipe, or a softer chili recipe at least, and thought this might be worth a try. A definite keeper.

Type of mealCuisineDifficulty
Snack, Side, BeefTex MexEasy
Cooking TimeYieldRating
Prep: 20m
Cooking: 25m
Total: 45m		3 servings★★★★☆

Ingredients

  • 1 lb / .5 kg Ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, medium-sized, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbsp nacho cheese dip powder
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2-3 tsp fresh parsley
  • Tortilla chips

Sous-Chef Preparations

  1. Chop the medium-sized onion (use 1/2 of it).
  2. Chop the red bell peppers (use 1/2 of it) and green bell pepper (use 1/2 of it).
  3. If using block cheddar, shred the cheese (1/4 cup).

Main preparations

  1. Using a large skillet or dutch oven, cook the ground beef (1 lb / .5 kg), chopped onion (1/2), and chopped peppers (2, chopped) over medium heat until the pink in the beef is gone. Drain.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the nacho cheese dip powder (1 tbsp) with sour cream (1 cup only at this point) and add the nacho powder/sour cream mixture to the pan.
  3. Add the salsa (1/2 cup), oregano (1/4 tsp) and pepper (1/4 tsp).
  4. Bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls.
  7. Distribute the shredded cheese (1/4 cup), remaining sour cream (3 tbsp), and parsley (2-3 tsp) on top.
  8. Serve with tortilla chips.

Variations/Notes

  • For additional garnish, reserve 1/4 of onions and peppers and add at STEP 11.
  • Gunslinger version: Slice and add 4 tbsp ripe olives, 4 tbsp pimento-stuffed olives, 2 tbsp chopped green chilies, and 1 tsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper at STEP 4.
  • If you are not ready for the gunslinger version, you could simply add spicier salsa at STEP 6.

Sweet Chicken Curry (REC00005) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
January 5 2017

This was an adaptation from a diet recipe book for slow cookers, and was a pretty easy recipe (particularly using the slow cooker, but also just the limited number of items to chop / dice / slice). And the mango chutney is really the key to the sweet taste. I wasn’t a big fan of chutney before, but it is awesome here.

Type of mealCuisineDifficulty
Dinner, Main, ChickenAsian, Slow-cookerEasy
Cooking TimeYieldRating
Prep: 20m
Cooking: 4.5h
Total: 4h 50m		4 servings★★★★☆

Ingredients

  • 1 lb / .5 kg boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion. sliced
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup mango chutney
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1.5 tbsp curry powder
  • Hot cooked rice

Sous-Chef Preparations

  1. Chop the boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb / .5 kg) into 1-inch pieces.
  2. Chop the bell pepper (1 green or red) into 1-inch pieces.
  3. Slice the large onion (1).
  4. Seed and chop the large tomato (1).

Main preparations

  1. Place the chopped chicken (1 lb / .5 kg), chopped bell pepper (1), and sliced onion (1) in the slow cooker and mix it together well.
  2. Add the tomato (1, seeded and chopped) on top, evenly distributed.
  3. In a small or medium bowl, combine the mango chutney (1/2 cup), water (1/3 cup), cornstarch (2 tbsp) and curry powder (1.5 tbsp). Pour the chutney sauce evenly over all the ingredients already in the slow cooker.
  4. Cover, cook on low for 3.5 to 4.5 hours or until the chicken is tender.
  5. Serve over rice.

Variations/Notes

  • You could experiment with different chutneys for different flavours.

Extremely Rich Chocolate Cake (REC00004) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

The PolyBlog
November 6 2016

I snagged the base for this recipe from a “Taste of Home Fall Baking – Fresh from the Oven” cookbook. My first attempt at a proper cake, part of a goal for myself.

Type of mealCuisineDifficulty
Dessert, Side, CakeBakingEasy to Normal
Cooking TimeYieldRating
Prep: 40m
Baking: 40m
Cooling: 40m
Total: 2h		12 servings★★★★★

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 package devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 package instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp chocolate syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

  • 1 lb / 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 6 tbsp boiling water
  • 6 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1.5 cups butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s / icing sugar

Main preparations

Cake

  1. In a large bowl, combine the devil’s food cake mix (1 package), sour cream (1 cup), instant chocolate fudge pudding mix (1 package), eggs (4 large), canola oil (1/3 cup), water (1/4 cup), buttermilk (1/4 cup), chocolate syrup (2 tbsp) and vanilla extract (2 tsp).
  2. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture on low for 30 seconds and then on medium for another 2 minutes. The goal is to have them well-mixed.
  3. Grease and flour two 8-inch baking pans and pour the mixture evenly into the two pans. Note that you are making two the exact same size so that you can stack them later.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Test to see if the two cakes are done with a toothpick by inserting it in the cake; the cakes are done when the toothpick comes out clean. (While the cake is baking, you can start on the frosting below.)
  5. When done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, and then remove the cakes from the pans onto wire racks to cool completely (30 more minutes).

Frosting

  1. While the cake is baking and cooling, melt the chopped semi-sweet chocolate (2 lb / 1 kg) slowly in a microwave, 30 seconds at a time on low to medium, stirring until smooth. Let the chocolate cool for 20-30 minutes.
  2. While the chocolate is cooling, heat water (6 tbsp) to boiling and then, in a small bowl, dissolve the cocoa powder (6 tbsp).
  3. In a medium- to large-sized bowl, beat the softened butter (1.5 cups) and confectioner’s / icing sugar (1/2 cup) together. It should become almost fluffy, but don’t worry too much, as you are now going to add the melted chocolate. Beat the two mixtures until it is well-combined, and then add in the cocoa mixture and beat some more. If it starts adhering to the sides of the bowl, use a small spatula spoon to scrape it off and add it back into the mixture.

Combining the Cakes

  1. At this point, you should have two plain cakes resting on the wire racks and a bowl of frosting.
  2. Place one cake on a serving platter (whatever you want the cake to sit on for now as it will be difficult to move later).
  3. Use about 40% of the frosting to cover the top of it. This frosting will serve as the “middle” layer, and can be as thick or as thin as you want. Don’t worry about the sides at this point.
  4. Place the second cake on top of it, carefully, and then add frosting to the top and all around the sides, completely covering the cake.

Variations/Notes

  • I loved the outcome, but it was extremely rich, and there was way too much. It estimates 12 servings, but those are good-sized servings. I’d recommend halving the recipe and using smaller 4-inch cake pans if you have them (or use the 8″, it will just be a shorter cake).
  • In addition, you might reduce the frosting by a third whether you reduce/half the overall recipe or not. There was way too much frosting, and it is extremely rich.
  • For the chocolate, it suggested using small chunks and chopping them up. I found it easier to just use two cups of small chocolate wafers/chips, and just melting those.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Rolls (REC00003) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
October 16 2016

I snagged the base for this recipe from a “Taste of Home Fall Baking – Fresh from the Oven” cookbook. My first real attempt at a baking recipe, part of a new goal for myself.

Type of mealCuisineDifficulty
Dessert, Side, RollsBakingEasy
Cooking TimeYieldRating
Prep: 1h
Rise: 1h + 1h
Baking: 30-35m
Cooling: 10m
Total: 3h 45m		12 servings★★★★☆

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 pkg / 1/4 oz / 2.25 tsp active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup 2% milk
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar (* need more below)
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (* need more below)

Filling

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar (* need more above)
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (* need more above)

Syrup

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup light whipping cream

Main preparations

Dough

  1. Starting with a large bowl, use warm water (3/4 cup) to dissolve the active dry yeast (1 pkg / 1/4 oz / 2.25 tsp).
  2. Warm the 2% milk (3/4 cup) and add it to the large bowl with the canola oil (3 tbsp), sugar (1/4 cup only for this part), salt (1.5 tsp), and all-purpose flour (3 cups only for this part).
  3. Use an electric hand-mixer to beat the mixture for 3 minutes. Note: The original recipe called for medium-speed, but I confess this mixture was EXTREMELY gooey and I needed high-speed just to make a dent.
  4. You can stir in enough of the remaining cup of flour to make a firm dough which should also reduce the stickiness.
  5. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and start kneading, adding in the miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup only for this part) as you go. 8 minutes should do it, making the dough smooth and elastic.
  6. Place all of it in a greased bowl, turning the dough over and around once in the bowl so the dough is greased on the top, bottom, and sides.
  7. Cover and let rise, 1 hour. It should double in size, particularly if in a warm area.
  8. Punch the dough down in the bowl and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour on the rolling pin and then roll out the dough to make an 18×12 inch rectangle.

Filling

  1. Soften the butter (1/4 cup) either naturally or in the microwave and spread it on the rectangle, staying inside a border of about 1/2 inch around the edges.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar (1/3 cup only for this part) and ground cinnamon (2 tbsp). Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered rectangle (it should look like dusting, but a bit thicker).
  3. Dust the top again, this time with the remaining miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup only for this part). You need to gently press the chips into the dough to get them to stay in place, or when you go to roll up the dough, the chocolate chips will simply shift and bunch up.
  4. Roll up the dough from the long side, making it look like a jelly roll. Pinch the final seam to seal, or it will unravel later when you put it in the bowl.
  5. Cut the “long roll” into 12 even-width slices.

Syrup

  1. Combine the packed brown sugar (1 cup) and light whipping cream (3/4 cup) in a small bowl. Pour into a baking dish; 13×9 inches should do it to allow room for it to expand.
  2. Take the 12 slices and lay them individually on their side (a cut-side down) on top of the syrup in the baking dish. Place them evenly in the pan, leaving room for them to expand.

Baking

  1. Cover and let rise. They should double in size in about 50-60 minutes. Start preheating your oven at the 45-minute mark.
  2. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, 30-35 minutes in total depending on your oven and if it was fully preheated. Remove the baking dish from the oven.
  3. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, and then remove from the container onto a platter/plate.
  4. Serve warm.

Variations/Notes

  • I didn’t use enough flour in the first stage, and the resulting “goo” was strong enough that I had to rip my hands out of it and scrape the dough off to get it into the dish. When you take it out of the bowl, it will really stick to the rolling pin and surface if you don’t have enough flour on both.
  • I also forgot in the filling stage to press the chips into the dough before rolling it up, so the chocolate chips didn’t “roll” at first, they just pushed inwards until I had enough dough to fold over to hold them in place.
  • The original recipe called for heavy whipping cream, which the store was out of, and I used light cream for the syrup instead. Worked just fine so I left it that way in the recipe above.
  • I didn’t pinch the seam strong enough when we went to roll up, and so after cutting, the rolls unravelled a bit in the baking dish.
  • We made 12, but these are extremely rich, and we cut them in half after the first day as they were a little too big for a regular dessert.