Twice Baked Potatoes

Evan - this one's for you!

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ricotta

3 medium sweet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 lbs.)
1 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
2 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves (plus more for garnish)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork several times and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until they're soft and when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

Remove and let cool about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small nonstick skillet and add shallots. Cook until soft and just browning. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 inch around the skin edges for stability.

Put all potato flesh int the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process just until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add salt, pepper, ricotta, ginger and brown sugar and puree until smooth.

With a spoon, stir in Parmesan cheese, sage and cooked shallots. Spoon puree into potato shells, or put the mixture into a large zipper-style plastic bag. Cut off a corner of the bag and gently squeeze mixture into shells.

Set oven temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle each potato half with a little Parmesan cheese and sage leaves if desired, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Per serving: 182 calories, 2 g fat (1 g sat), 34 g carbs, 7 g protein, 5 g fiber, 252 mg sodium

[ via Shape magazine, November 2006 ]