Market Breakfast for Dinner Omelet

This is more of an "add what you love" kind of recipe, so there are ingredients, just not accurate amounts

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5-10 minutes (depending on how long you scrounge about for the ingredients)
Cook time: 5 minutes for filling plus 3-5 minutes for the omelet

Serves 1 (but easy enough to double or triple the recipe.  You can either use more than one small (8") pan to create individual omelets or one large skillet to make one large omelet you then cut into wedges)

Ingredients:
Omelet batter:
2 large eggs per person using 8" non stick skillet
1-2 tsp good olive oil
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper
Filling:  options are limitless, but here's what I used this time
2 small baby leeks, white and pale green parts only, well cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 cup or so cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup or so baby beets, finely chopped ( I used the root ends and fine stalks of a 1/2 bunch of beet greens)
3 spears of asparagus, blanched
slices of smoked gouda

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 tsp of olive oil, chives and pepper and set aside.

2. Over medium high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil to an 8" skillet (small size is perfect for dinner for one) and heat   until the oil is hot but not smoking.  Add the leeks, mushrooms and beets and saute for 5 minutes or so.  You want the vegetables soft and all the liquid absorbed.   Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

3. Wipe the pan clean...no need to wash. Add a quick dash of oil to the pan, wait one minute and add the egg batter.  Twirl so that the entire bottom of the pan is covered.  As the egg sets, tilt the pan so any liquid in the center moves to the edges to keep a crepe-like thinness.  Once the eggs are mostly set, add the cooked vegetable mixture (draining so the omelet isn't mushy) to half of the omelet. Top with slice or two of cheese and lay the asparagus spears over top.  Flip the plain side of the omelet over the veg and cheese and let it cook for another minute or so to melt the cheese.

4. Gently transfer to plates.  If you are making one large omelet (my choice for family brunches or more breakfast for dinners with unexpected guests), do as above, but gently ease the cooked omelet onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Asparagus, Cheese & Spicy Walnut Pesto Omelet

Asparagus, Cheese & Walnut Pesto Omelets

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 4-5 minutes I like to make this in individual pans (non-stick preferred so they slip out easily), so I’ve done the ingredient list to help out. But if you’re making this for more, just turn it into a frittata to be baked in the oven in a large ovenproof pan – see note at the end.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, beaten (use two bowls – 2 eggs per bowl)
1 tsp olive oil per pan
1 tbsp (per pan) spicy walnut pesto (or whatever pesto you love)
3-4 sprigs asparagus, (per pan) tough ends snapped off
½ cup (per pan) Emmental, Gruyere cheese or whatever you prefer, coarsely grated

Directions The directions are for individual omelets – for two servings, use two pans.
1. Briefly steam asparagus spears. I use my microwave for about 30-40 seconds depending on the thickness of the spears and then stop the cooking process by plunging them into icy cold water for 30 seconds. Dry them off and set aside.

2. In separate bowls, whisk 2 eggs plus 1 tbsp pesto.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in each small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture and cook until eggs are just set in center, tilting skillet and lifting edges of omelet with spatula to let uncooked portion flow underneath, 2-3 minutes.

4. Two options here, if you and yours, like the eggs really cooked, flip the egg “pancake” over first. Otherwise just sprinkle cheese over half of omelet, then top with asparagus spears.

5. Using spatula, fold uncovered half of omelet over cheese; slide onto plate. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper and serve. You could also sprinkle more cheese over it.

Frittata version:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C

2. In a large bowl beat eggs with pesto and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat, in a large ovenproof skillet and pour the egg mixture in. Let it set just for 2-3 minutes and then place the steamed asparagus over the eggs, sprinkle the cheese over the asparagus.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until it’s set in the center and golden on top. If you do choose to do a thinner frittata, you probably will only need 10-15 minutes in the oven.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Potato & Garlic Omelet

Potato & Garlic Omelet
From The Provencal Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 - 4

Ingredients:
4 small new potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 spring/green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp flat leaf/Italian parsley, chopped
6 medium eggs (I used 5 large)
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water. Ruth’s note: the book calls for cooking the potatoes whole and peeling them once cooked and slightly cooled. To speed up the process… I was hungry, I quartered the potatoes to cook them and left the skins on. Once cooked (tender to a fork), drain and coarsely chop.

2. In a 8-9” non stick skillet, cook the potatoes, garlic, green onion and half the parsley over medium heat until the potatoes turn golden and crispy around the edges (about 5 minutes).

3. In the meantime, in a bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper until well blended. Add a little more oil in the pan and spread the eggs over the cooked potato mixture, spreading evenly in the pan and raise the temperature to medium high. Cook without stirring but shaking often so that the omelet doesn’t stick, until the omelet is set.

4. Remove from the heat. Swirl the butter over the omelet to make it shine and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley. Slip the omelet onto a serving plate and cut into wedges.

Serve at once. It makes a wonderful supper or lunch/brunch and great with a mixed green salad.

Lacy SIngapore Omelets

Lacy Singapore Omelet
From Chocolate for Breakfast

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes (mostly for the filling)
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
Filling:
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
2 scallions/green onions, cut into ½” pieces
1 cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced (I actually used cremini as I ran out of shitake) ¼ cup sweet red bell pepper, diced
¾ tbsp fresh ginger root, finely grated
½ Serrano chili, finely minced ( I only had a jalapeno pepper on hand)
Juice of ½ lime
½ tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp hot chili oil (being delicate, and frankly the jalapeno was enough spice for us, I used toasted sesame oil instead to keep it “Asian”)

Directions

Filling: so pretty all by itself
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent (2-3 minutes, after all they are finely chopped). Turn up the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until the mushrooms turn soft and moist. Remove from heat while you prepare the omelets, which only take a minute or two, so have toast and table ready.

Omelet:

1. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to large skillet; heat over medium-high heat.

2. Place a sieve/strainer over a bowl set close to the stove. Pour beaten eggs into the sieve now positioned over the hot skillet and quickly drizzle the eggs in a rough circle. (The author used small skillets, one per omelet and half the beaten egg for each. I used a large skillet and the entire beaten egg mixture, then cut the finished omelet in half for my Honey and me to share). It will look lacy and have holes, but should hold together. The entire cooking process takes only a minute or so.

3. Remove from the skillet and transfer to plate(s). If you are making small omelets you would only use about half the egg mixture for each omelet. The edges will look dry.

4. Using spatula to help, Slide from pan to plate, place ½ the filling on one side of the omelet and fold other side over top and serve.

South Beach Friendly Arugula, Mushroom Omelet

The South Beach Diet Friendly Arugula & Mushroom Omelet

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
5 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
Filling:
½ cup leftover caramelized onion & mushrooms (mine is from Onion Mushroom Quesadillas, but any rich leftover cooked veggies would work well)
½ - 1 tsp pureed chipotle in adobo
1 tbsp roasted red pepper pesto
1 cup baby arugula leaves
½-1cup grated cheese (this time I used Swiss, but crumbled feta would also be delicious)

Directions
Filling:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Heat up the leftovers, chipotle and pesto for 1-2 minutes, just to heat through. Add the arugula and allow to wilt, tossing frequently. Set aside in a small bowl and rinse out the skillet. Squeeze out any excess liquid before adding the mixture to the eggs.

Omelet:
1. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat.

2. Add beaten eggs and cook until eggs are just set in center, tilting skillet and lifting edges of omelet with spatula to let uncooked portion flow underneath, about 3 minutes.

3. Sprinkle half of cheese over half of omelet, then top with filling and then add the remaining cheese.

4. Using spatula, fold uncovered half of omelet over cheese; slide onto plate. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper and serve.

South Beach Diet Friendly Mediterranean Omelet

Mediterranean Omelet
Inspired by The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life (the little magazine I picked up at the checkout line)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: less than 5 minutes
Servings: 1 (If I were making these for two, I’d use two small non-stick pans so each get their own, for bigger parties – use a larger pan and cut wedges)

Ingredients: for a single portion - just add 1 egg/person and adjust the filling to cover half the cooked egg mixture.
1 large egg
2 tsp olive oil (one for the pan & one for the egg mixture)
1-2 tbsp pizza sauce (store bought will do, but really this is so easy, so tasty and lasts long in the fridge)
¼ cup steamed broccoli spears
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Sprinkling of red chili pepper flakes
Black pepper to taste at serving

Directions:
1. Beat the egg with 1 tsp oil in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the other tsp of oil in a small non-stick pan over medium high heat. The oil is really for flavor and to crisp up the omelet.

3. Pour the beaten egg in the hot pan and tilt until the bottom of the pan is covered with the egg mixture. Once the egg is mostly set, spread a bit of pizza sauce over one half of the egg. Top the sauce with broccoli and feta. Sprinkle with some red chili pepper flakes and flip the “naked” half over the filling.

4. Slide onto a plate and dust with a little black pepper.