VEGETARIAN (or not) OMELETTE

Eggs are a great way to get your protein and good fat hit. I don't think of omelettes or eggs for that matter as exclusively for breakfast; they are a wonderful late night dinner idea, as they are low in carbs and full of flavour. I have always been a little apprehensive about cooking omelettes, however after several attempts over the years I am confident with my recipe below. The finished product may not look as fancy as what would appear on your plate at a cafe, but it is tasty, nutritious and simple to make. I prefer this omelette sans meat, however I do realise that will not like this, hence the optional addition of bacon or ham. Ground or smoked paprika is also optional- if this is not in your pantry just use more ground black pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 small red onion (30g), finely chopped 
• 1/2 a small red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small green capsicum, roughly chopped
• Optional - 1/2 teaspoon ground or smoked paprika 
• Optional- 80g bacon or 100g ham, trimmed of fat, roughly chopped
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, roughly chopped, plus extra, to serve 
• ground black pepper 
• 20g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 
• a small handful of baby spinach 

COOKING 

1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the capsicum and the paprika and/or meat if using and stir for 2 minutes or until well combined and the capsicum is just al dente (still slightly crunchy). If you are cooking bacon or ham this step may take slightly longer, depending on how you like your meat cooked. Remove from the pan when cooked and keep warm. 

2. Whisk the eggs, water, chives and a generous pinch of pepper in a deep bowl or jug. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan on low to medium heat and swirl to coat. Pour in half of the omelette mixture and leave until the egg is set around the edges; this should take around 2-3 minutes. Carefully fold one half of the omelette over the other and leave to cook for another minute or until the the omelette has just set.  Remove the omelette from the pan, place on a serving plate and add half of the capsicum mixture, topping with feta and half of the baby spinach. Repeat the cooking process with the remainder of the egg mixture. 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / max 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 15 minutes 

x Emily 

OKONOMIYAKI - JAPANESE OMELETTE

This is easily the tastiest omelette I had ever made and the meal that I make most frequently in my kitchen. It is a great go to dish as you just stir all the ingredients together and c00k on the stove. I usually use whatever vegetables I have in the house, such as red cabbage, wombok, leek, grated zucchini, mushrooms, etc. The recipe below is very simple and is the one I have been using for the past several weeks. It's hard to eat this omelette without the kewpie mayonnaise so if you want to use some, use sparingly! I prefer this mayonnaise to kecap manis or Okonomiyaki sauce, as these sauces contain a lot of sugar. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 8 eggs, preferably free range
• 3/4 cup plain flour (I use gluten free) 
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 potato (300g), finely grated
• 1 large carrot, finely grated
• 1/4 cup of fresh herbs, roughly chopped, such as chives, coriander, basil, mint or a combination of a few 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped 
• ground black pepper 
• 2 teaspoons rice bran oil
• Optional- Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise to serve (available in the asian food section in most supermarkets)

COOKING 

1. Beat together the eggs, then add the flour, water and grated potato. The consistency of the batter must be similar to that of pancake mixture. If need be, add more flour and/or water to achieve this. 

2. Add the carrot, herbs, spring onions and pepper to the batter and stir well to combine. 

3. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan on medium heat and add . Pour one quarter of the batter into the pan (this should cover most of the base of the pan). Cook for around 3-4 minutes each side. If it is too difficult to flip the entire omelette, break it into half. Continue this process until no batter remains. 

4. To serve- drizzle a small amount of kewpie mayonnaise over each omelette. (You can use as much or as little of these condiments as you wish. I find that a little goes a long way!). 

Serves / 4 / 1 omelette per person
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / under 20 minutes 

x Emily 

FOUR-INGREDIENT OMELETTE

In spirit of the long weekend and a lazy Sunday and Monday morning (if you are fortunate enough to have it off work) here is a humble, dairy-free & gluten-free omelette for you. Very simple to make and perfect to soak up that hangover after watching the AFL, NRL or whatever your cup of tea. I absolutely love gooey omelettes, but if you do not share this love, just cook the egg for a little longer.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Place the eggs, tomato, water and parsley in a jug or large bowl and whisk to combine. Season with a pinch of sea salt, if you desire. Heat a medium to large frying pan over medium heat, adding 1 teaspoon oil of your choice (I used coconut oil). Pour egg mixture into the pan, spreading the egg to make a round circle. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip half of the omelette over on top of the other half. Cook for another 2 minutes. If you prefer your omelette firm and not runny, cook for a few extra minutes and flip over again. 

Serve warm for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Serves / 1-2 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 4-5 minutes for a runny omelette, longer for a firm omelette. 

x E

RAINBOW OMELETTE

Do you ever have those days where you not only feel like shit, but every piece of news you receive is crappy? I had such a day yesterday and was, for once, not in the mood to cook. When I get really in my head, running is the only method that can chill me out. After my breathless, panting 8 km run last night, it was really 8pm and I was on the clock to provide something for dinner.

A little different from a conventional omelette, this Rainbow Omelette was a big crowd pleaser last night. Due to the sad and sudden disappearance of my spatula, I was unable to fold the omelette in half like is common practice. Instead I decided to let the egg completely set and serve the omelette in quarters. Me and my boyfriend Chris hungrily consumed this omelette at 8:30pm last night and my only regret was that I wish I had had 8 eggs in the fridge to make the meal bigger. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs (preferably free-range)
• sea salt & black pepper
• 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dairy-free spread 
• a small handful of sun dried tomatoes, 99% fat free and finely chopped
• 3 heaped tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• Optional- if not dairy-free, add 1 tablespoon light grated cheese, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese. 

COOKING 

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, adding sea salt & pepper. Heat dairy-free spread in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Pour the egg into the pan, spreading the mixture around the whole pan. Add the sun dried tomatoes, chives, red onion and cheese (optional) and let the omelette cook, letting it stand for 5-6 minutes or until all the egg has set. Remove the egg from the heat, cutting it into quarters and serve warm. 

Works beautifully served with some oven-toasted gluten-free bread with dairy-free spread and a sprinkle of rosemary. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 6 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 6-7 minutes 

x E