Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Inspect the sweet potatoes for blemishes and trim with a knife as necessary. Prick all with a fork, and with a silicone or pastry brush, lightly oil the exterior surface. Place in a baking dish or on a baking tray. Roast until fork tender, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, cut the onions in half through the root and remove the skins. Place all four onion halves, cut side down, on a dry griddle or cast-iron skillet, over medium heat. Roast for about 8 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the onion is charring but not completely blackening. With a brush, oil the onions and then either transfer the skillet to the oven or transfer them to the baking dish, right beside the sweet potatoes.
4. When the sweet potatoes are fork tender, remove them and the onions from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
5. With a sharp knife and with the protection of an oven mitt or pot holder, make a vertical incision in the midline of each sweet potato to allow steam to release and help speed up the cooling process. Allow the sweet potatoes and onions to cool, about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, set up a food processor with the blade attachment. Alternatively, you may use a food mill.
7. With a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the sweet potato, leaving behind a small amount on the bottom to help minimize any tearing of the skin, then transfer to the bowl of the food processor. Add the onions, tahini, and garlic. Puree. Add the lemon juice and your pepper of choice, plus the salt. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as you see fit.
8. If using a food mill, mill the onions and garlic along with sweet potato, add the lemon and seasonings, and puree. Transfer the seasoned puree to a small mixing bowl. With a spoon or rubber spatula, carefully refill the sweet potato skins with the puree and return to the baking dish.
9. Reheat for about 10 minutes and eat hot.

–From the book The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook, by Kim O’Donnel.  Reprinted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group.  Copyright © 2010.