Tuesdays With Dorie: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

As much as I love to bake, I don't think I've ever made cupcakes from scratch. Muffins? Sure. But my baking repertoire before Dorie mostly included cookies, creme brulee, and cheesecake, with an occasional monkey wrench (toffee, meringues) thrown into the mix.

Since I joined Tuesdays With Dorie, that's changed. I joined TWD to expand my baking skillset, and I've done it. I've made pudding, pie, cobbler, and more. And now, finally, I've even tried my hand at homemade cupcakes.

As you might imagine, Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes, this week's selection, are just as delicious as they sound. Thanks to Clara of Food for Thought for the choice!


Although I read that some TWDers thought the cupcakes were a little dry, my boyfriend and I thought they were moist. I did cook them for a couple of minutes less than the recipe stated, however, so that likely had something to do with it.


The chocolate ganache, like the cupcakes, was easy to make and really tasty, although I couldn't get it to form the beautiful swirls that Dorie spoke of. I dipped the cupcakes into the ganache and twisted as I lifted them out and ended up with no icing in the centre of the cupcake. That just wouldn't do. In the end, I used a graduated spatula to ice them. The icing didn't look elegant, but luckily aesthetics don't affect taste!


I was also thrilled because this recipe gave me a chance to photograph my new cake stand. I love how the brown chocolate and teal glass look together!

This recipe goes in the "definitely make again" pile, particularly since my boyfriend and I could not stop eating them. Next time, I won't make the mistake of baking them when it's just the two of us. Two people, two days, and 12 cupcakes is a bad -- but delicious -- combination. If you'd like to try this recipe, head over to Clara's blog.

Four Foods on Friday #52

Four Foods on Friday time again. I'm a little early with this one, and I'm sorry for the sparse posting this week. I'm going to be living out of a hotel next week because I'm helping plan an enormous event at work; this week I've been doing lots of prep and have been zonked by the time I get home! I should be able to squeeze in some posting next week.

#1. Name something you use cream cheese in/on.
I just made mushroom and crab dip with cream cheese this week. It was great! You just take a brick of cream cheese, some crab, sauteed mushrooms, a few tablespoons of cream, and some swiss cheese (or any other kind of cheese), mix them together, and bake the dip at 375 until you're satisfied. Yum.

#2. Do you use yogurt in any recipes?
Not really, actually.

#3. Macaroni salad. What do you like/put in yours?
I've never made it, but I like minced red pepper in mine.

#4. Share a recipe that you use sour cream in.
I don't tend to cook with sour cream all that often, but I did make Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Dressing once. The recipe is from Allrecipes, and I loved it! The spicy sour cream tasted great.

Thanksgiving Round-Up: Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna

Last weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada, and it gave me an opportunity to try out some seasonal recipes I've been drooling over for awhile. For my boyfriend and his family, I made Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. For my family's Thanksgiving dinner, I made Giada De Laurentiis's Butternut Squash Lasagna.


When my brothers heard what I was making, they weren't very impressed. Their reaction involved some crinkled noses and a few variations of, "Are you sure we can't sprinkle a little meat on top?"

But then they tasted it, and their concerns turned to praise.

This recipe is wonderful. Although my veggie-hating boyfriend could just tolerate it, the rest of us at the table really enjoyed it. In fact, other than him, I received all rave reviews.


A handful of basil adds a burst of pesto-like flavour to the bechamel sauce, and it complements the creamy squash perfectly.


Freshly cooked and pureed butternut squash is layered with noodles, the bechamel sauce, and a healthy dose of mozzarella cheese.


The result is a dish that takes like homemade squash ravioli but doesn't require as much effort. I'm looking forward to making it again. It's perfect for this time of year.

The original recipe can be found here. The recipe with the slight modifications I made is below.


Butternut Squash Lasagna
By Giada De Laurentiis
Yields 8 to 10 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1% and it worked well)
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles, or 12 regular lasagna noodles, cooked
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Asiago

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Four Foods on Friday #51

Four Foods on Friday time already. Where did the week go?

#1. I passed Costco and saw gas at $2.84 and have had Costco on the brain since. Share a cupcake, muffin or cookie recipe.

I'll share a recipe for the last batch of muffins I made. It's a Cooking Light recipe: Pumpkin-Cranberry muffins. I loved them! They froze well, and I would just grab one from the freezer, defrost it the night before, and grab it for breakfast the next morning.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins
Yields 1 dozen
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 large egg
* 2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped (such as Craisins)
* Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and next 5 ingredients (though cloves); stir well with a whisk.

Combine granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries.

Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

#2. Cupcakes, muffins and cookies require something to drink. What do you drink with them?
Tea, always tea. Orange pekoe with a healthy dose of cream (I meant milk! I actually don't like cream in my tea at all) and sugar.

#3. Which do you prefer, mini muffins and cupcakes or full sized ones?
Full-size, for sure. When something's so good, why have just a little of it?

#4. What type of muffin or cupcake pan do you use? Silicone, disposable, etc.
I have one silicone and one metal pan, but I do prefer the metal. I always feels like half of the dough is going to tip out when I use the silicone!

Thanksgiving Round-Up: Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

This past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada, and after driving an average of 40km an hour -- for 5 hours -- on the 401 (Ontario's major highway), and then hopping back on the highway for another 2 hours, suffice it to say that I was excited to be home. Especially for three whole days.

Living so far away from the people that I care about takes a toll, and on weeks that are particularly stressful at work, as last week was, I find myself aching for some time with my boyfriend and my family.

Thanksgiving came just in time. I got to spend quality time with my and my boyfriend's families, and truly recharge.

And I also got a chance to test out some holiday-friendly recipes that I've been drooling over for awhile: butternut squash lasagna and Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. I'll be posting about the lasagna later in the week, but this post is all about the cookies.

These cookies are not the type of fare that's going to go over well with the kiddies (unless you're lucky to have kiddies with more grown-up tastes). There's fresh ginger and a heavy hit of molasses. And no gingerbread men could be made from this dough. However, if you're looking for a cookie with a complex flavour that is still mellowed out by a hit of chocolate, look no further.

Although my cookies looked very different from the photo in Cookies -- they were dark and tall, not reddish-brown and thin -- the taste was amazing. So perfect for the colder weather and holiday season.

I can't wait to make this cookie again around Christmas!

Recipe after the jump.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe Via Martha Stewart
Makes 2 dozen

* 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
* 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I used 1/2 tbsp.)
* 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Maple and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

About a month ago, I was making a mental list of baked goods I have never made. Homemade marshmallows? Nope. Creme caramel? Nuh-uh. Biscotti? Never.

I knew I'd need to cross these items off my list at some point. I didn't know how quickly the last item would be crossed off, though.

Thanks to Gretchen of Canela & Comino, this week's Tuesdays With Dorie selection is, you guessed it, biscotti. Lenox Almond Biscotti, to be specific. Except in my case, it's totally devoid of any almonds or almond extract whatsoever. Sorry, Dorie! I bastardized your recipe!


Here's the thing: despite the fact that I really wanted to make biscotti, I don't really like biscotti. And I like almonds even less.

So I decided to make chocolate chip biscotti and maple biscotti. I paired the maple cookies with maple-cinnamon genmaicha green tea.

After making this recipe, I'm still not crazy about biscotti as a genre, particularly due to Dorie's whacky instructions, which resulted in teeny tiny cookies, not the lengthy biscotti that always look so gorgeous in jars in cafes. Still, I'm glad I made them. It was fun to experiment with different flavours. The maple was my favourite, since the sweetness of the icing made the biscotti much tastier.

Hopefully my forays into homemade marshmallows and creme caramel will be more successful.


You can find the recipe for the biscotti at Gretchen's blog. To see how other TWDers fared, check out the blog list. And the recipes for the maple icing and the tea are after the jump!

Genmaicha Tea

Maple Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tablespoon butter, softened
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup pure maple sugar

Place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the other ingredients, adding more icing sugar if necessary.

Maple-Cinnamon Genmaicha (Green) Tea
Adapted from Green Tea by Mary Lou Heiss
Serves 1

1 tbsp. genmaicha leaves (roasted green tea and rice)
1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 cup boiling water

Combine maple syrup and cinnamon in a liquid cup measure. Steep for two minutes. Place genmaicha leaves in a tea pot, and pour water, maple syrup and cinnamon mixture over the leaves. Steep for another 2 minutes.

Strain into a mug and serve.

Four Foods on Friday #50

Four Foods on Friday time again! This time I'm sharing the recipe for my favourite non-boxed macaroni and cheese.

Photo Credit: Very Best Baking
#1. Pasta. How do you tell when it’s done? Do you cook on medium or high?
I just bite into it. If it's too chewy, the pasta keeps cooking. I always seem to burn my tongue, though, so if my boyfriend's around, my preferred method is to ask him to check it. I swear his mouth is invincible.

#2. Deep frying. What kind of oil do you use?
Vegetable oil, all the way.

#3. Grilling. Do you grill on foil or directly on the grill?
I always grill fish on foil -- it falls apart too easily. Meat and veggies typically go right on the grill.

#4. Share a recipe that involves cooking something two different ways. Example, for lasagna you might fry the meat and bake the whole dish.
Well, this might be more than two ways, but when I think of something that's made on the stove top and then baked in the oven, my mind goes right to my favourite mac and cheese recipe.

It's adapted from a recipe on Very Best Baking.

Traditional Macaroni & Cheese
6 servings

Ingredients:
* 1 2/3 cups dry elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
* 1 cup water
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
* Ground black pepper to taste
*Seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9"x9" casserole dish.

Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter (or margarine). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 3/4 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with enough bread crumbs to lightly cover the macaroni, and sprinkly remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

For as long as I can remember, I have loved cotton candy. I would beg my parents for a bag whenever we visited our town's summer fair, and I always devoured the bag in a matter of hours. Now, I'll attend fairs just to buy cotton candy. It's sad, really. But as much as I love cotton candy, I will never be able to make my own (rentable cotton candy machines aside). And that is a shame, because I'll only enjoy it at summer fairs. Eight or more months without something so sickeningly sweet and delicious? A near-tragedy.

But there's some consolation: there are other festival foods that you can make at home. Candy apples, caramel corn, and my personal favourite: soft pretzels.

Soft pretzels are just a bit more difficult to prepare than a typical pizza dough recipe. Once the dough has risen, you divide it into pieces, roll it into ropes, shape it in the typical pretzel shape, and toss it in a boiling baking soda/water bath for 30 seconds a piece. A little labour-intensive, but not much when you consider how spot-on the recipe is. You'll swear it's festival grub.


Served warm and alongside melted Cheez Whiz that's been diluted with a splash of milk -- it's not healthy, but to me, it's necessary -- you'll have a hard time paying $3 or $4 a pretzel from now on.

Homemade Soft Pretzels - Recipe from Alton Brown & Food Network
Yields 8

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
* 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
* Vegetable oil, for pan
* 10 cups water
* 2/3 cup baking soda
* 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
* Pretzel salt

Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Birthday to Him: No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

My boyfriend's 21st birthday was just over a week ago. Considering that I bake sweets for him almost every week for when we're together on the weekends, I knew I'd have to really ramp up my efforts for his birthday.


I wanted to make something that incorporated his love of chocolate and brownies and also required the kind of effort befitting the birthday of someone so spectacular. Something that would come together in many stages over several days. Something that would be not just a mouthwatering dessert but also, almost, a symbol of how much I love him and how happy I am that he was born -- cheesy, I know. Anyway, I had my eye on a fudgey brownie cheesecake with a chocolate glaze -- like two desserts in one. Twice the effort, and, I figured, doubly symbolic of my appreciation.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, had other ideas, namely -- and very enthusiastically -- "No bake chocolate cheesecake!"


His mom has a recipe for no bake chocolate cheesecake that he absolutely loves. It's really simple -- cream cheese, sugar, Cool Whip, chocolate chips, and some melted chocolate mixed together and poured into a pre-baked graham cracker crust. The result doesn't taste like some fluffy cheesecake knockoff. In fact, it tastes just as rich and dense as a baked cheesecake, likely because of the melted chocolate. With the homemade graham cracker crust, it's just as impressive. In fact, if you made the cheesecake in a springform pan and drizzled some melted chocolate over the top of it, your guests would be hardpressed to guess that it takes about half an hour to put together. You can see how dense the cake is in this photo:


I amped up the chocolate flavour by making a homemade graham cracker crust with some cocoa powder added in for good measure, but forgot to include the chocolate chips. No matter, because the pie plate was nearly overflowing as-is.

I normally prefer real cheesecake to the no-bake variety, but this recipe -- when it comes to chocolate cheesecake, anyway -- has changed my mind.


No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 8

1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 packages (8 oz., 250 g.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter (softened)

2 c. frozen whipped topping (thawed)

1 - 9" graham cracker pie crust - or make your own and mix in about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
Chocolate chips (optional)

Melt the chocolate chips in a saucepan until smooth and set aside. This can also be accomplished using the microwave on low-med power, but watch carefully or the chocolate will burn.

On low speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and butter in a bowl until smooth. Blend in the melted chocolate and fold in the whipped topping (and optional chocolate chips). Spoon into graham crust, smooth top with a spatula, and cover and chill until firm.

Four Foods on Friday #49

Another round of Four Foods on Friday! This time I'm including a recipe for my favourite quick meal, which, surprisingly, I've never taken a picture of! Something to add to the to-do list the next time I make it.

#1. Turnips. Love em or leave em?
I know it's childish, but yuck! The closest I can get to turnips is parsnips. Those are delicious roasted with sweet potatoes, carrots, and a little maple syrup.

#2. What’s your favorite roasted dish?
Roasted chicken! It's so delicious and surprisingly easy. And chicken gravy is amazing.

#3. Salsa. What kind do you like?
Medium spiciness, and homemade, if possible. I've never had mango salsa or peach salsa or anything like that, although I keep meaning to try. Anyone know of a good recipe?

#4. Share directions on how to make your favorite quick meal, meaning start to finish in about 30 minutes or less.
This is my favourite quick meal lately, because it's really fast, but the blue cheese makes it taste elegant. It's even faster if you cook the pasta the night before, mix it with the shallot mixture, and keep it in the fridge until dinner (or lunch) the next day. Recipe is below.

Bow Ties with Warm Blue Cheese Sauce by Robin Miller (slightly modified)
Serves 4

12 oz. farfalle pasta
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. shopped shallots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 c. crumbled blue cheese
1 cup frozen green peas

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper until well mixed and thyme becomes fragrant. Add mixture to the cooked pasta and toss to combine.

Heat the milk in a large skillet over medium heat. When tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, reduce heat to low and mix in sour cream and blue cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add the peas and cooked pasta and simmer for 1 minute to heat through. Serve.

Shrimp, Garlic, and Tomato Bake

I love recipes that are easy to throw together but still taste decadent. To me, seafood, especially mussels and shrimp, always seems to have the potential to yield that result. For example, the following recipe is so easy to prepare, the first time I was ever served it, it was cooked over a campfire -- and it still tasted like a restaurant-quality appetizer. Immediately afterwards, I asked my mom for the recipe.

Raw tomato, garlic, and shrimp cook down and releases their flavours. A dollop of butter and a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper enrich the flavour, while crusty bread served alongside completes the dish.

There really wasn't much of a recipe, just "a little this, a little that," so this is one you're going to have to eyeball. I've enhanced it a little bit to include extra broth for you to soak up with some crusty bread.




Shrimp, Garlic, and Tomato bake
Serves 1 - Main Course (2 as an appetizer)
Multiply the recipe accordingly -- it's pretty vague as is!
Raw shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
Butter
Fish broth (optional)
1 medium tomato
Lots of garlic
Salt and pepper
A baguette or other crusty bread

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the baguette; set slices aside. Dice some tomato (about 1/4 of a medium tomato per 1 main course serving) set aside. Sprinkle shrimp into a buttered casserole dish -- 8x8" for 1-2 main course servings (2-4 appetizer servings) or 9x13" for more. Just eyeball it based on how many people you are serving or your own hunger level. As a guide, for a dinner portion, I had approximately 15 shrimp. Sprinkle the diced tomato over the shrimp.

2. If you'd like a lot of juices (to sop up with bread later), pour fish broth into the casserole until it comes no more than halfway up the sides of the shrimp. Add minced garlic to the shrimp mixture to taste. I like a lot of garlic, so I used 1.5 tbsp for one main course serving. Spoon butter -- 1 tbsp. per main course sized portion -- over the shrimp mixture.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake casserole in the preheated oven until the shrimp is completely pink (cooked). Serve with bread.