From Extra Helping by Janet Reich Elsbach © 2018 by Janet Reich Elsbach. Illustrations © 2018 by Anna Brones. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
As my friend Suzi says, there’s logistics, and then there’s living through it. If logistics are a big driver of your life, you probably know that things which ought to work in sequence often end up becoming a story you’ll be able to laugh at someday. There are also little gifts that your idle self can give your busy self when she comes around later looking for something to eat. If at any point you find yourself with the oven on for some other purpose or you just find yourself at home for an hour or so, bake some potatoes. They can be baking potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes or purple sweet potatoes or yams. I don’t care unless you do. Cool them down and tuck them away. The next time the universe presents you with 20 minutes to spare, split the potatoes and scrape them out and load them with all kinds of nutritious tidbits, then bake them again. Now you’ve done something pretty great. Now humans dashing around at high speeds can grab one of these items and be pretty well sustained. With a salad and maybe some soup, seated people can call them dinner. They are tasty at room temperature and comforting when warmed up again, which they tolerate well, so you can even tuck the finished product away for another future crunch. This is one way to do them; I’ve listed some other ideas after the recipe.
Serves 4
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4 large yams or sweet potatoes
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2 cups shredded or baby kale, washed but not dried
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1 small bunch scallions, ends trimmed and tough outer layers removed
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2 teaspoons olive or sesame oil
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1 tablespoon sesame seeds
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2–3 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
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1 cup buttermilk or plain Greek yogurt
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4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (1 cup), divided
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prick the potatoes with a fork or score them with a small X and bake them for about 45 minutes, until tender. If you are planning to do all the steps in one go, leave the oven on but do your hands a favor and let the potatoes cool a little before proceeding.
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When you can interact with the potatoes without altering your fingerprints, slice them in half the long way and scrape most but not all of the flesh out into a bowl (leave about ¼ inch of potato in the peel). Mash this a bit, and reserve. Arrange the potato boats on a baking dish lined with foil or parchment.
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Wilt the greens over medium heat in a small covered skillet with the water that still clings from washing; remove to a small bowl.
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Mince the scallions and add them to the pan with the, oil, sesame seeds, and tamari. Increase the heat a bit until you hear a sizzle, then return the greens to the pan and stir and fry for about 2 minutes, until the leaves are nicely coated.
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Add the buttermilk to the reserved potato flesh and stir to combine, then stir in the cooked greens and ½ cup of the cheese, along with a few twists of pepper.
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Portion this among the potato shells and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the tops. You can pause there, refrigerating until a later baking time, or pop them back in
the hot oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops are golden.
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Serve hot, or cool the baked potatoes to room temperature and allow foragers to help themselves. If you will be storing them for the next day or for transport, make sure they have cooled before closing them into a lidded container. They reheat nicely in a toaster oven or regular oven; about 10 minutes at 350° will crisp and warm them enough for snarfing if they have been refrigerated. They will keep, covered tightly in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
Other Ways to Do It
- Add an additional ½ cup finely minced steamed greens per potato. Try any combination of spinach, kale, chard, or other favorite green
- Add 1 tablespoon per potato of golden flax meal or oat bran.
- Substitute the buttermilk with coconut milk, cashew cream, or broth.
- Substitute the Jack cheese with any other grated, sharp cheese, or crumbled feta.
- Add 1 tablespoon per potato of any little nubbin that seems savory and appealing, such as capers, olives, minced ham or bacon, or smoked tofu.
- Season with paprika, cumin, chili, or curry powder to taste.
