Eggs are great. They’re full of nutrition and cheap; and from a culinary perspective, eggs are both simple to start off with and something which you can experiment with to create something greater.
And if eggs are great for experimentation, the omelet is an innovator’s dream. Here are 10 omelet recipes – and those are just for breakfast! An omelet is something which you can try so many things with, and yet cooking them is still so easy.
Here are ten omelet recipes which show how easy and delicious preparing a great omelet can be:
Regular omelet
Let’s start with the basics. At the most fundamental level, an omelet is a bunch of mixed eggs and water beaten in a bowl and grilled over a pan. But if you’ve never cooked an omelet, you would be surprised how you can mess this up. If you add too little oil, or leave the heat too high, or just leave the egg without turning it, you can have an omelet that is half overcooked and half undercooked.
Watch over your omelet carefully, and you can have a nice, yellow omelet. But now it is time to spice things up.
Omurice
Omurice, to be fair, is not exactly an omelet. It is a Japanese twist on the traditional omelet, as the name comes from combining the words “rice” with “omelet.”
With omurice, the focus comes with frying steamed rice along with vegetables, some kind of meat (I prefer chicken, though hot dogs and even bacon can work), along with a sauce generally consisting of ketchup and other ingredients together. Then you fry a plain egg omelet and layer it over the rice.
Omurice can be pretty sweet, especially since ketchup is used both in the rice and is normally poured over the egg. But it is a great recipe for those aiming for something innovative.
Spanish potato omelet
It would be a crime to talk about great omelet recipes without referring to this tradition. This omelet, often known as tortillas de patatas, consists of nothing more than some onions, potatoes and eggs. The texture of softened potatoes and onions works extremely well with creamy, well-beaten eggs. But make sure to simmer or stew the vegetables first before combining them with the eggs, or you will face the unpleasant scenario of eating half-cooked potatoes.
Bacon Omelet Salsa
Rolling up an egg omelet can seem to be pretty difficult, and I will note I messed up a few times when I started doing so. This is especially so when you are frying an omelet and have to do the roll when the eggs are cooked, but still kind of soft.
But baking is different, and this bacon omelet salsa can be a great way to roll up your omelet. And there is nothing in this world that cannot be improved with bacon.
Chickpea Omelet
They say you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, but you can make an eggless omelet. This omelet, made with chickpea flour, almost resembles a savory pancake. While the recipe calls to place tomatoes or spinach atop this omelet, any vegetable which will do to improve its flavor can be used.
Ultimate healthy omelet
Eggs have an odd reputation as an unhealthy food, but they absolutely are. And if you can make an omelet with a lot of vegetables, it is a great way to start off your day and lose weight. This vegetable omelet here is a great example, especially because it contains zero carbs but has loads of nutrients and antioxidants to give you energy to start up your day.
Egg white omelet
If you are still concerned about the health effects of consuming eggs, then you can make an omelet with just eggs whites and without the yolk. Egg whites are some of the best sources of protein out there. While you can buy egg whites directly in specialized stores, your best course of action is to just separate the egg whites from the yolk like this.
From there, you can make a vegetable omelet like the one above to keep yourself healthy. But egg whites are just as flexible in the kitchen as regular eggs, and can be used for all sorts of things. Just don’t eat them raw.
Sweet fruit omelet
Most omelets are savoury, filled up with meats and vegetables of some kind. But just like crepes or pancakes, it is possible to make a sweet omelet with sugar, honey, and various fruits.
This recipe recommends mixing your eggs with sugar and water before putting it on the grill, and it will certainly sweeten it up. More than that, it will make them as fluffy as the softest bed, if you like them like that. But I would also note that when you’re making an omelet, you should not cook your fruits with it like you would vegetables. Instead, spoon sliced bananas, strawberries, or other fruits over the omelet after you’re done, along with whatever toppings you like.
Omelet in a bag
If you don’t have access to a pan (like on a camping trip) or if you need to make a large number of omelets at once, you can actually make omelets in a bag with some boiling water. Put some eggs into a plastic eggs, add what ingredients you like, and then put them in the boiling water. Don’t worry – the plastic bag will not melt.
If you do want to try this, take note to get a very good plastic bag and not some cheap flimsy thing at the grocery store. If you use something cheap, the bag can spill open and your omelet will be ruined.
Meat omelet
Healthy options are good and all, but sometimes you may just want something nice and delicious with a load of meat inside. Thankfully, omelets are so versatile that you can do that too.
Good meat recommendations are chicken and sausages (as opposed to pork and beef.) You want something with a lighter taste that will blend in with the chicken and whatever vegetables you may choose to add. Pepperoni is another good option as well.
Featured photo credit: javierrldn via flickr.com
