4: Turkey & Cheddar Omelet

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY OMELET!

Seriously, though... I think we can all agree that omelets are awesome.  In fact, here are my top 5 reasons that omelets totally ROCK breakfast or brunch:

1. They are pretty much the easiest "fancy" breakfast
2. The filling possibilities are endless 
3. They can be made as large or small as meets your needs
4. They can be made as light and healthy or as... let's say rich... as you want
5. They impress guests for some reason (unless your guests are some sort of foodie/professional chef... those guys are totally on to your tricks)

Of the 365 different egg recipes I plan to post on this little blog, it wouldn't surprise me if as many as 40 of them end up omelets.  I mean, say you have some eggs and nothing else... Just inspect your pantry and fridge and I pretty much guarantee you'll find something with which you could fill an omelet! 

Here's an example, there is this one pizza place 'round these parts called Fortel's that my husband adores.  I think it's just ok, but getting any deeper into that and I'd have a whole 'nother blog called "365 St. Louis Pizza Reviews."  Anyway, here's the point - This Fortel's place puts GOBS of toppings on their pizza.  I'm talking a 2" layer of sausage, onions, and pepperoni all sitting on top of a thin, St. Louis style pizza.  Not only do I end up brushing a bunch of the toppings off, but almost as much of the toppings fall off into the pizza box as end up in our mouths.  One of the things I do like about getting Fortel's is that the superfluous toppings make awesome omelet filling the next couple days.

That was a pretty long example, but I think you get my point.  Leftover ground beef, fajitas, taco toppings, chili, salsa, tomatoes, or lunch meat can all turn into omelets.  And speaking of lunch meat...

That's how I made THIS omelet!  I had some leftover cheddar cheese from a BLT night I hosted the other night, and personally I think turkey and cheddar are quite the delicious duo.  Luckily for me, I've just recently stocked our supply of lunch meat.

Specifically, I had some roasted turkey from Applegate, a label I'm now obsessed with.  I generally try to stay away from commercially produced meats since I have no way of knowing the animals were processed in a humane way.  Well, I dare you try to avoid commercially produced meat for a week and you'll see how hard it is.  It's especially hard if you loooooove food like I do, and if those foods you love include items such as salami or smoked ham.  So, I was pumped to discover that a grocery store down the street from me carries tons of great items from Applegate, a company that has built their business around natural, humane meats.  Helloooooo, hot dogs!  And it's LOVELY to see you again, turkey bacon!

Back to the omelet...  Like many of my "recipes" this isn't a complicated process.  I start by tearing a couple slices of turkey up into little pieces and throwing them into a small skillet to get them hot and a little golden.

Honestly, the turkey is already cooked, but I like the texture to be a
little firmer.  And heating up the turkey helps the cheese to melt.

Next, I do my whole one-egg omelet scramble.  As I plan on making many omelets for my blog, I'm not going to bore you every single time with my process for scrambling an egg for an omelet.  If you need the recap, check out my very first omelet post, the Havarti, Spinach & Mushroom Omelet.  I should also clear something else up... I do prepare my eggs differently if I'm making an omelet versus scrambling eggs.  The difference is simple - milk.  I only add milk to my eggs when I make omelets, as it helps the one egg cover the bottom of the skillet and it also makes the texture more fluffy.  I prefer my scrambled eggs to be denser and more flavorful since they don't always have all the additions an omelet has to maximize tastiness levels.

Once the egg has set enough to be flipped, I
flip it over to have the hotter side facing up
and add one slice of cheddar cheese.

Then, I sprinkle the hot turkey bits over the
top of the cheese and fold the omelet over.

So, the whole thing is simple really.  I'm not trying to wow you with my culinary prowess.  Eventually I'll be trying to wow you with the shear number of unique egg dishes I've been able to document... but that day is in the very distant future.  In the meantime, my goals are more in the vein of, "have you ever thought of using lunch meat in an omelet?" I think just about any type of sandwich filling would be yummy... I'm on the fence about tuna, but by the time I get to 350 egg recipes, I might be desperate enough to try it.

Behold, the finished product!  Melty cheddar and hot turkey all folded inside a protein dense pocket of tastebud heaven.  Finished off with a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper of course!  Which reminds me, I've noticed that salt and pepper are enjoying starring roles in all of my egg photos.  That is because salt and pepper are like little flavor angels and bless my food with kisses of divine deliciousness.  I've long said that should my doctor ever tell me I need to lower my sodium intake, I'm likely to give her the meanest stink-eye I can muster and resolve myself to an early death.

Thanks for eyeballing my omelet and I hope you'll join me next time for a tale of two quiches.

Love & Eggs (and salt),

Laura

This egg brought to you by Alabama (she's the gold and white one in the front), my Easter Egger hen who is extremely independent, willful, adventurous, curious and friendly.  She lays lovely, large, light-blue eggs.

2: Havarti, Spinach & Mushroom Omelet

Let me start off by asking forgiveness for my poorly-lit kitchen, and iPhone photography.  Someday monies will rain down on me and I'll be able to afford a DSLR (hurry up, monies!) but until then, I'll do the best I can with what I have.  Anyway...

BREAKFAST!  Not only is it breakfast, but it is breakfast on a work day!  I can't tell you how many times it has come up in conversation that I eat eggs every morning and whoever I'm talking to responds with, "Even on work days?  How is that possible?!"  I explain all the various ways I eat an egg in the morning and they nod their heads, but their eyes clearly communicate that they think I'm crazy.  I'm convinced that most people just don't really know how to cook anymore, which makes things like omelets seem intimidating when they're really very quick and easy.  Not to mention, a single egg goes a long way and at a few bucks a dozen, that's a great value!  More nutritious than cereal, more filling than cereal, and more satisfying if you're dieting... Ok, I'm slipping into "soap-box" mode.  Off switch.

Ingredients required (for a single omelet):

• 1 egg
• Splash of milk or cream
• 1/2 cup of mushrooms
• 1 cup of raw spinach leaves
• 1 slice of Havarti cheese
• Grease, olive oil, or butter for the pan

I usually use olive oil for EVERYTHING, but when I have recently made bacon, I splurge and use the bacon grease until it is gone.  Not only does it add lots of flavor, but I generally try not to waste anything.  Grease gets hotter which can lead to some minor issues, but nothing that would dramatically affect the deliciousness.  This morning, I had leftover bacon grease, so that's what you'll see in these pictures, but butter is equally tasty and olive oil is great too.



First I sauté the mushrooms since they
take the longest.  I use medium-low heat
from mushrooms through omelet.

Once the mushrooms are almost done,
I add the spinach.  It only takes a couple
minutes for the spinach to wilt and cook.

  


While the mushrooms and spinach are on the stove, I get the egg ready.
I start with one egg (seriously, one egg makes a lot of breakfast),
then add a splash of milk or cream, whip it around with a fork until it's
sort of frothy, then wait to add it to the pan.

 Once the spinach is wilted and soft (you can cook it to your preferred done-ness) I set the filling aside, add the egg, then cover the pan.  With one egg, it only take a minute or two for the omelet to set.  Then I flip it over.  I don't think most people do this, and I wouldn't do it necessarily if it weren't a "work day" breakfast.  Flipping it when the bottom is set but the top is still runny helps get the whole thing cooked faster and laying the cheese on top of the hotter side helps the cheese achieve maximum meltiness in short-order.

My omelets don't look as pretty when I cook them with bacon grease due to the high heat and the tiny bits of salty goodness that hang out in the pan, but I'll sacrifice a pretty picture in the name of flavor.

Next, I add one slice of Havarti cheese.  Similar to my comments on the power of a single egg, you would be surprised how far one slice of cheese can go in an omelet.  I've seen people put handfuls of cheese in there (I'm guilty of this at times) but if you want to conserve - money, calories, or food, try a single slice.

This morning I used "Lite" Havarti from Trader Joe's as it happened to be what was in my fridge.  I completely understand the ridiculousness of cooking my breakfast in bacon grease but using a slice of cheese that has 20 fewer calories than regular.  And, honestly, the lite version is good, but it's nowhere near as creamy and delicious as regular Havarti.

The hot spinach and mushrooms are
laid over the cheese and the omelet
is folded over and plated.

Check out the finished product!  A single
egg, a single slice of cheese and some
veggies.  Seasoned with salt & pepper.

The entire process from mushrooms to plate only takes 10-15 minutes (I swear!) unless you are taking a million pictures every step of the way in which case it's more like 20 minutes...  Now, think about how much better your work day would be if it started with an omelet?  Ten minutes seems like a small price to pay, but I'm an egg-head so my priorities might be skewed.

*gobble* *gobble* *gulp*

Oh, man.  This omelet is super tasty.  Ten minutes to make, but I can snarf that bad boy in TWO.

In conclusion, I suggest you start making delicious, hearty breakfasts on weekdays.  Eggs, especially when combined with some fiber (vegetables, whole wheat bread) keeps you full for a looong time and your work-day morning won't feel like such a throw-away.

Love & Eggs,

Laura

This egg brought to you by Mrs. Featherbottom, my Black Australorp and one of my best layers of extra large, speckley eggs.