This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where the original — with baking potatoes — was served. If you don’t wrap them and bake them at 400°F (200°C) in the oven, they get a nice crispy texture, instead. The must-have side dish to these grilled stuffed peppers. For the sour cream, after pureeing the tofu, add salt and lemon juice to taste. After a few hours in the fridge, the flavours will mellow with the onions. Chives are a great addition, too.
Grilled Stuffed Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, sliced
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea or himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Grill-worthy aluminum foil
Preheat one side of the barbecue to medium heat. Leave the other side off.
Make several slits in the potatoes (about 15 to 20).
Mix together the olive oil and crushed garlic. Drizzle it in the slits in the potatoes. Top with the onions and thyme, making sure to get into the slits. Season with the salt and fresh ground pepper.
Wrap each potato in aluminum foil. Put the potatoes on cool side of the grill and close the lid. Let roast approximately 35 minutes. They will be soft and bottoms will be slightly caramelized. Top with Pseudo-Sour Cream.
Pseudo Sour Cream
1 (10.5-ounce) package of lite firm silken tofu
2 to 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 green onions, finely chopped
Sea or himalayan salt to taste
Put the tofu in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stir in half of the lemon juice and a few pinches of salt. Add the green onions. Mix well, then add additional lemon and salt to taste.
Laurie Sadowski 