Sautéed Brussels sprouts

The chef at Boulevard Bistro in Elk Grove is brilliant. I had sautéed Brussels sprouts there once that were very fine. He actually peeled off the individual leaves and sautéed them until they were a little crispy, so wonderful.

I wouldn't mind knowing how he prepared this dish. Thank you.

– Lou Nourse, Gold River

Goin' for a double

I am searching for two recipes. I hope someone can help me.

The first is for a sausage, pepper and onion dish. I tried making this for dinner the other night and it turned out OK, but I would like to know the right way to make it.

The other recipe I'm looking for is for a lasagna made without cottage cheese. Thank you.

– Barbara Buchholz, Escalon

Sweet potato pie

Prep time: 55 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Serves 8

Years ago, Connie Padula of Rialto was a guest at a friend's home where she enjoyed a sweet potato pie. She was hoping for a recipe.

This recipe, from Sheila Beswick of Lincoln, comes from "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook" and includes a shortcut pie crust recipe using melted butter.

Note: The prep and cook times are calculated using fresh sweet potatoes. If using canned, the prep time is 40 minutes and the cook time is 1 hour, 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (1 to 2 potatoes) or 2 cups canned sweet potato purée

1 cup heavy cream

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sorghum or blackstrap molasses

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Shortcut pie crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar or packed light brown sugar (use brown sugar if making crust for sweet potato pie)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Fresh whipped cream:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Filling: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees if using whole sweet potatoes, or to 350 degrees if using canned sweet potatoes.

If using whole sweet potatoes, wrap them in foil and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until fork tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Unwrap the sweet potatoes and peel them. Measure out 2 cups of the potatoes, put them in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Or, if using canned sweet potatoes, put them in a medium bowl.

Add the heavy cream, eggs and sorghum or molasses to the sweet potatoes and whisk until fully incorporated.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, cardamom, cloves, mace, ginger and salt. Add the sweet potato mixture and stir until smooth.

Shortcut pie crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture looks moist and crumbly. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. You can crimp the edges decoratively or leave them rustic.

If the recipe calls for a prebaked pie crust (like the sweet potato pie), preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the pie shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before filling.

Pour the filling into the cooled, prebaked piecrust and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is firm around the edges, but still jiggles slightly in the center when you shake it; the filling will continue to firm up as it cools. Let cool completely.

Fresh whipped cream: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until the cream holds soft peaks.

Pile the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie with a spatula and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg, if desired. The pie is best served the same day, but it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days.

Per serving: 780 cal.; 8 g pro.; 75 g carb.; 50 g fat (32 sat., 15 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 235 mg chol.; 311 mg sod.; 3 g fiber if using fresh sweet potatoes, 2 g fiber if using canned sweet potatoes; 58 percent calories from fat.

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