Twice-Baked Potato

After browsing through How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman I discovered some great ideas to spice up the traditional twice-baked potato. I've actually only had a twice-baked potato once in my life, I'm too lazy to take the time to bake it twice. But I'm almost convinced now it's always worth the extra half hour.

How To Make A Twice-Baked Potato:
Step 1: Bake the potato as you normally would. Scrub them clean because eating the skin is the best part! Poke a hole or two and put the potato right on the rack in the oven at 425 degrees for about an hour. Check to make sure they're fully ready by inserting a knife, there should be no resistance.
Step 2: Let the potatoes cool a bit until you can handle them with your hands. Cut a slit in the top and scoop out the flesh being very careful to leave the skin intact like a shell.
Step 3: Mash the flesh in a bowl and add in all the filling ingredients. You can probably add about a total of a half cup extra ingredients for each large potato.
Step 4: Being very careful again not to tear the skin, gently add the mashed potato filling back in. Step 5: Put back in the oven, right on the rack at 400 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, until they are getting golden brown and crispy on the top.
I made mine with chopped curly kale, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, garlic and lots of lemon. It was wonderful, the sun-dried tomatoes made it perfectly sweet! I would call this my own Tuscan version of the twice-baked potato.

Here are some of my other creations:
Spicy Spicy: Chopped olives, hot red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, and olive oil
Asian Twist: Miso paste, sliced scallions, snow peas and dark sesame oil
Swedish Delight: Pureed root vegetables like rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, or beets with lemon and olive oil
Mediteranean: Chopped cooked eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash with marinara sauce
Autumn Melody: Baked winter squash with sage, thyme, and oregano
Italiano: Cooked broccoli with pesto and chopped cherry tomatoes
Curry it Up: Steamed and chopped cauliflower with curry, cumin, and garam masala
Mexicano: Corn, chopped celery and fresh salsa topped with cilantro

Enjoy,
Dani