Prepare a Spanish-style omelet anytime for a satisfying meal
Prepare a Spanish-style omelet anytime for a satisfying meal
I’ve recognized an interesting pattern from the questions and recipe requests I’m always getting. With all the different food options and occasions for eating that each week brings, most people are concerned about cooking for two main types of meals: weekend brunches and weeknight suppers.
As you might guess, the styles of recipes they want for those two occasions tend to be very different. On a weekend morning, most home cooks want to prepare something that feels generous, even a little bit indulgent — a recipe that will impress everyone gathered around the table, helping to make brunch a special, yet relaxed, occasion.
Weeknight meals, on the other hand, are almost always more about convenience, answering one main challenge: How do you satisfy yourself and your family quickly and easily while providing a main course that tastes fresh and delicious?
I know of one great recipe that fulfills the requirements of both: my interpretation of a Spanish omelet. Brunch guests happily greet a thick, pancake-style flat omelet, served cut into wedges, which makes a great impression whether you offer it hot from the oven or even lukewarm or cold on a buffet. And egg dishes are becoming more and more popular on weeknights, a time when the concept of serving breakfast for supper is not only convenient but also wonderfully comforting.
My recipe also offers the added benefit of being healthy. I pack the omelet with lots of fresh vegetables, cut into uniform 1/4-inch dice. Feel free to substitute some of your own favorites, briefly sauteing them as I do in the recipe.
I make the omelet with mostly egg whites, adding just a couple of yolks for a touch of richness and golden color. (You can save leftover yolks for another recipe for two or three days in a sealable container in the refrigerator, covered with a little water to prevent them from drying out.)
Because many people love cured pork with such egg dishes, I also finish off the omelet with some strips of lean ham, but of course, you could also make a vegetarian version by substituting some sliced or crumbled chorizo-style vegetarian sausage that can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets.
You might wonder how healthful such a generous-looking, rich-tasting main dish can be. So it might surprise you to learn that each serving totals just about 150 calories, with a little bit more than a quarter of those coming from fat. So if you add some good whole-grain bread and a salad or fresh fruit, you’ll have a wellbalanced, satisfying and delicious meal ready with incredible ease.
And what home cook doesn’t want that, whatever the time, day or occasion?
HEALTHY SPANISH-STYLE OMELET WITH BELL PEPPERS AND HAM
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Olive-oil-flavored nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/2 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined and finely chopped (optional) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup seeded and diced tomato 2 large cage-free eggs 12 large cage-free egg whites 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced 3 ounces thinly sliced lean cured ham, cut into thin ribbons 6 basil leaves, cut into fine strips
Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with the nonstick cooking spray. Add the peppers and saute, stirring occasionally, until they have softened and their edges begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno, if using, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Put the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and whisk until thoroughly blended. Add the egg mixture to the skillet with the vegetables, and stir constantly over medium heat until curds start to form. Continue cooking until the mixture has begun to set but is still fairly moist.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and scatter the olives and ham evenly over the top. Put the skillet in the oven, and bake until the omelet is completely set but still slightly moist, about 5 minutes.
If the eggs on top still look a little underdone for your liking, switch the oven to the broil setting, or preheat a separate broiler, and pop the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until the eggs are set and light golden.
Set the skillet aside to let the omelet settle for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil. Cut the omelet into wedges, and serve hot, lukewarm or even cold.