Twice Baked Red Potatoes

Somehow, Andrew has gone his whole life not knowing what a twice baked potato is. Which was cool for me, because he thought I was freaking awesome for "inventing" these.

The meat and dairy based twice baked potato uses Russet baking potatoes, bacon bits and grease, lots of butter, sour cream, and milk. Plus more butter [[I feel like that stupid Julia Child movie now]]. Topped with lots of salt. And then some green onions. With a side of sour cream for dipping.

They're not the best thing for you. And as a vegan, it'd be really easy to make these just as bad, sans the cholesterol, but just as bad still. I think we forget that sometimes.

So, in an attempt to make these still taste awesome, but not feel so guilty, I used red potatoes and tried to keep it light on the other stuff. I wouldn't go out and eat these every day. But they're not that bad.

[[Twice Baked Red Potatoes]]

Potatoes
4 russet potatoes, washed and halved
1 tbs olive oil
2-3 tbs earth balance
2 tbs vegan gourmet sour cream [[it's the best and healthiest]]
3-5 tbs soy milk, unsweetened
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cheesy Sauce
1 tbs earth balance
1.5 tbs chickpea flour [[or all purpose flour]]
3/4 cup milk
3 tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Optional: a dash or two of chipotle powder

Garnish
vegan gourmet sour cream
fresh cilantro
finely chopped red onion

Preheat oven to 400 F
-- Wash the outside of the potatoes and slice into halves along the longest part. Coat in olive oil, and bake face down on a baking sheet or in a glass baking dish for 30-45 minutes. A fork should easily pierce the center.
-- The last 20 minutes of baking, make a cheesy sauce.
-- Heat butter on medium heat. Once melted, with the heat still on, slowly whisk in flour.
-- When it becomes a creamy paste, add milk. Whisk thoroughly together on medium high heat. After 10 minutes, it should start to bubble and thicken.
-- Add the nutritional yeast and seasoning, stir, and set aside.
-- For the last 2 minutes of potatoes baking, put the broiler on low to make the "shell" crispy and slightly tough.
-- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Don't turn the oven off yet.
-- With a small spoon, gently remove the inside potato, so you are left with a little potato lining the skin, like a potato bowl.
-- With a potato masher, add the butter, sour cream, and milk and mash into a smooth, creamy texture. It should be slightly creamer than mashed potatoes. Add seasoning and mix.
-- Then, with a small spoon, scoop the mashed mixture back into the shells. Top with 1 tbs cheesy sauce and sprinkle some finely chopped red onions on top.
-- Bake for another 10-15 minutes.
-- Remove, top with 1/2 tbs sour cream, and some cilantro leaves.