Omelet basics
Omelets don’t have to be perfect to be tasty, and the possibilities for fillings are endless.
I have developed respect and appreciation for short order cooks. Making a passable omelet is not as easy as you think. If you have a personality type that strives for perfection, you may want to eat granola for breakfast. Mistakes will inevitably be made when making omelets. What's great is that they can turn into a scramble or frittata and still be tasty.
Here are some basics to a good omelet:
- Have a good 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- Use 2 eggs for a one-person omelet and 3 eggs for 2 if you fill it with lots of good things.
- Don't use more than 3 eggs or the top won't cook before the bottom gets too brown.
- If you have a big family, make multiple smaller omelets.
- Egg substitute can work but it's dicey. Any attempt I made always seemed to stick more than real eggs.
- Cooking spray worked better than butter or olive oil and conferred less fat.
- Even if you are on a reduced cholesterol diet, a couple of eggs on special occasions is reasonable.
The possibilities for fillings are endless. If you think a veggie needs to be cooked first, like red peppers, jalapeños, onions, mushrooms, etc., sauté them before you cook the omelet and set aside. Additions like diced tomatoes, cheese, and parsley can be added at the last minute uncooked.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, beaten with a fork just before cooking
- Cooking spray
- Fillings of your choice, sauteed or not, found by searching online (try sauteing a little onion, jalapeño, and red pepper and adding a little diced heirloom tomato and chopped parsley uncooked)
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Spray your skillet.
- Heat over a medium flame. Make sure the skillet is preheated well. If it's too cold, the eggs stick.
- Salt and pepper the freshly beaten eggs.
- Pour them into the skillet. Push and pull the eggs from the edge toward the center redistributing the liquid part over the bare potions of the skillet.
- While they are still a bit moist on the top, add the veggies or whatever to the half away from the skillet's handle. That makes it possible to slide the omelet out onto a plate and fold the remaining half over it using the edge of the skillet to nudge it into place. I made the mistake of putting the filling in the half by the handle and needed multiple contortions with a spatula to sort of fold it over.
- If all else fails, stir it up into a scramble and try again next weekend.