Sunday Night Omelets

Sunday nights around here are generally a no-cooking night for me.  We are usually ready to settle in and let the remainder of our weekend slip away while we watch a movie and eat something out of a paper bag or if I’m lucky, a paper box filled with noodles.  After another activity filled weekend, and some outdoor time, we just didn't feel like going anywhere, and everyone had leftovers from our previous excursions, everyone, that is, except me.  I get some enjoyment out of the times when I’m going to cook just for me, and when those times come, eggs are usually on the menu.  I deeply love eggs, they might even be my deserted island food, you know, if the deserted island had a refrigerator. I sway between two favorites when it comes to eggs for dinner, a fried egg sandwich and omelets, and since we are still staying away from gluten, an omelet is what I settled on.

A couple years ago, I wouldn't have made this choice.  I couldn't make an omelet to save my life, my veggies were never cooked, the insides were runny, or the outside was burnt, it just never turned out the way I imagined it.  Then I stumbled upon Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated cooking magazines and that is when my cooking game went to a different level, and my days of avoiding omelets were over.  The key here is, wait for it. . . CHOPSTICKS.  You heard me right, chopsticks, if you want an omelet that is perfect inside and out, get yourself some chopsticks, and let’s make an omelet.

Use whatever you want for veggies, meats, and cheese, and of course use the quantities that you wish.  I typically try not to use too many fillings to avoid the omelet breaking apart as I fold it and try to get it out of the pan.

• 3 eggs
• 1 green onion sliced, white and green
• 3 mushrooms sliced
• ¼  cup shredded cheese
• 1tbsp butter
• Chopsticks
• Small non-stick frying pan

1.  Spray your pan, turn on your stove to med. heat, and plop the butter into the pan.  When it has melted, throw in the onion and mushrooms and cook them for about 3 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, whisk together your eggs until there are no whites left in sight, salt and pepper, and pour the eggs, right into the pan on top of the cooking vegetables.  Give it a quick stir to evenly distribute the vegetables throughout the eggs.  Get your Chopsticks.

3.  Using one or two chopsticks, gently scramble/stir the eggs, as the eggs get closer to being cooked, don’t so much scramble them, but rather, use the chopsticks to poke holes in the cooked bottom layer of the omelet to let the runny egg on top reach the pan.  Once or twice, slightly shimmy the pan back and forth to make sure that the omelet isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.  

4.  When your eggs are almost set, but still just a slight bit wet on top, sprinkle on your cheese and then, using a heat proof spatula fold the omelet in half.  If you are still worried about the insides being cooked enough, you can cover the pan with a lid to help move the cooking along.  Give it a minute or two more and then take the pan and slide the omelet out of the pan onto your plate.  Garnish with salsa, hot sauce, avacado, or just eat it in its perfect plain omelet state.