Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Amazing Egg!

The Egg.  So simple.  So healthy.  So amazing!

**click here to read about the health benefits of eggs**



There are so many options for what you can do with an egg.  Today, however, we will focus on the omelet.  Once again, the sky is the limit as to what you can add.  My favorite omelet is laden with ham or bacon and cheese...however, that's an infrequent treat.  Most mornings I try to "healthify" my eggs by adding things like bell peppers, spinach or kale, onions, and a bit of cheese.  (Do not be afraid to use fats in your cooking...not only will the finished product taste better and fill you up more, fats often are needed to maximize what you can get out of the natural foods you are eating!)

Obviously the ingredient list is as short or as long as you want it to be...and no matter your likes or dislikes, all omelets share an ingredient...the egg!

**Love the cheerful look of eggs.  This one even looks as though it is angelic--see the halo?!**


**This morning I made a simple omelet--I used salt, pepper, spinach, bell pepper, and a bit of cheese.**


Omelets are pretty easy to make...especially the beginning portion where you just chop up what you want in it, add salt and pepper, and pour the egg in the pan.  But there are a few tips that will help you to become more successful at cooking omelets.  My first tip is to place a pat of butter into your pan and allow it to melt over low heat while you are prepping the add-ins for your omelet.  By the time you are finished chopping and dicing, the butter will be melted and the pan will be hot.  Tilt the pan to allow the butter to coat the entire bottom of the pan.  Then, pour in your egg mixture minus any cheese...you will add that at a later point so you can actually taste it.

**Here's what my omelet looked at right after pouring it into my pan**


Allow the omelet to just sit in the pan and cook away at a fairly low level of heat.  On my stovetop, I keep it at a 3.5 readout, but everyone's stovetop is different.  You want the egg to cook, but you don't want it to cook too fast so that it burns.  Eventually you will notice that the egg is beginning to set.

**When an egg begins to set, you will start to see solid parts showing through the liquid**


**At this stage, you can add the cheese.  Sprinkle it right over top and allow it to sit some more, until the egg is cooked through even more.**



Once the egg has set quite a bit, you are ready to fold it in half.  You'll know when it's time to do this because you can easily run a spatula around the edges of the omelet and lift it off the bottom of the pan, thanks to that butter you used earlier.

**I folded my omelet at this point, although I could have allowed it to cook a bit longer**



Simply fold the omelet in half and allow it to cook a bit longer on one side and then flip and cook the other side.  Once the omelet is thoroughly cooked, it's ready to be served up alongside a piece of homemade whole wheat toast...enjoy!

**This was a 3-egg omelet that I split between some of the kids, so that explains its large appearance on the plate**



Clearly it's not rocket science to make an omelet.  And I am sure there are many other ways to make a great one.  I'm just sharing what has worked well for me; see how it works for you, too!




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