This was one of those dinners that made me feel all down-home and comfort-foody. Love that!
The closest I had ever come to making twice-baked potatoes are the Samosa-Stuffed Potatoes from VCON. Monsieur Fish and Guppy both really like them, they’re quick and easy and they are always a big hit with omnis, so they work well as appies when we have a little soirée. However real, honest-to-goodness born in Betty Crockeresque kitchen in the 1960’s twice-baked taters had never been on my list of things to make. Maybe because I’d never had them before? I have had potato skins – those were considered “party food” when I was little and my mum wanted to make us a special finger-food type meal. But twice-baked potatoes? Nope. Never.
Oh how wrong I was to have neglected such an easy and delightful dish!
Sunday Dinner: Twice-Baked Potatoes, Basic Seitan Crumbles, Roasted Green Beans with sautéed Mushrooms & Onions, and Orange(r) Carrot Coins
These Twice-Baked Potatoes were dangerously good. I mean, hide the left-overs so there will be some left for tomorrow good. Don’t get me wrong, they are not to be considered low-fat or something I will make every week, but they are now in the canon of “comfort foods”. And those Basic Seitan Crumbles? Outta sight! So versatile, they could be used in a myriad many ways – on pizza, over a salad…we ended up sprinkling them on our potatoes like bacon bits. Heaven. The Carrot Coins also scored high on their “not tasting like health food carrots” according to Monsieur F. We were having trouble not having thirds, and fourths…
With the exception of the roasted beanies, this meal was built by Celine and Joni, the goddesses of vegan recipe creations. You’ll have no choice but to pick up a copy of their 500 Vegan Recipes. Ok, you’ll have a choice, but really, you won’t be able to help yourself from wanting all this goodness! Want to see more? Go check out the 500 Vegan Recipes Flickr Group.
While preparing the potatoes for this dinner, I couldn’t help but thinking about my friend Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs, but I couldn’t figure out why. I mean, this wasn’t one of her recipes – though I do use her recieps often! Then it hit me: last year Ricki wrote a very moving post, one of my favourites, and she therein mentions potato boats. This post touched me for many different personal reasons, and so deeply that well over 6 months later I was brought back to her childhood memories as I prepared my meal. As most of you know, Ricki was recently nominated for a blogging award grâce à her beautiful prose. I just wanted to say that award or not, Ricki’s talent, culinary and literary, is undeniable!
Looks like a fabulous meal!!
I love twice baked potatoes and the samosa stuffing sounds delightful!
Mmmmmm twice-baked taters! Now you’re talkin!!
i haven’t had twice baked potatoes in years, Shelly. never actually made them myself – and now i think i’m totally gonna have to. mmmmmmmmm! gotta love “hide the leftovers so there will be some left for tomorrow good” – hellz yeah! and your carrot coins, those roasted beans, seitan crumbles – that’s one plate of deliciousness, indeed!
Aw, Shelly, I’m speechless (which, trust me, doesn’t happen too often). I can’t believe you remembered that post! And thanks, my dear amie, for your beautiful, touching words. Yay potato boats! I cannot WAIT to get my hands on that cookbook–so far, every single recipe I’ve seen on other blogs has appealed to me. So glad you liked the potatoes, too
Man, I could live on twice baked potatoes. Well, it wouldn’t be a very healthy life but still, I could! Your whole plate is full of deliciousness!!
Go Ricki!!
Hmm – am I going to sound stupid but what are twice baked potatoes? Are they just baked potatoes? Have I been missing out all these years?
Does look like a scrumptious meal though – I am definitely popping over when next in Paris!
You couldn’t sound stupid if you tried, Tacha! You bake a potato, then scrape out the insides and mix them up with all sorts of yummy things, then fill the skins back in and bake them again for about 20 minutes. So good!
LOL I love the word you made up: Betty Crockeresque
WOW! A great meal indeed, and *blush* quite a review! Thanks!
mmmmm! i have never had twice baked potatoes, either… now i’m going to have to give them a try! all you people keep blogging about awesome stuff to do with potatoes. it’s impossible to resist.
I love the combination of all those tester recipes! You rock.
Twice-baked potatoes are one of my ultimate comfort foods. That Sunday dinner looks like a recreation of my mom’s midwest dinners! It looks great!
Yum!! I am obsessed with twice baked potatoes.
Oh yeah, those look really good!
Your dinner looks awesome! I could eat it in a heartbeat. Grumpy would probably divorce me though…if I tried to give him the crumbles. I am bound and determined to make some veggie meatballs and fool him someday soon!
yay potatoes! i eat one almost every other day.
Mmmmm…comfort food! Thanks for the link to Ricki’s lovely post. Our Sunday dinner wasn’t blog-worthy this week. Hoping things taste better next weekend
Oh I used to love twice baked potatoes! That was such a classic at my house (just like deviled eggs, bleh). What a great sunday dinner!
I love me some Shelly and some Ricki.
When I was kid, I lived on those microwavable cheesy twice-baked taters with the swirly tops. I developed a recipe to mimic those for my cookbook, but I can’t wait to try Joni and Celine’s version. They look phenomenal.
I have never made the samosa twice baked potato, but I should because i loooooove twice baked potatoes. Yum yum.
Looks absolutely delicious, I think those potatoes would go down a treat in my house!
My husband constantly clamors for twice-baked potatoes, which I never make. He’d love a vegan version.
don’t memories work in funny ways? That’s neat that Ricki’s post was still with you months later.
I feel so out of place! What are twice baked potatoes? With all the raves, they do sound like something special.
ok – i’ll buy the book…. that looks like a perfect meal!
Delicieux!
Mmmm, a great comfort food meal really hits the spot on cold evenings! I love the thought of decadent potatoes.
Those potatoes sound just heavenly. Thanks for sharing!