Recipe Swap: An ode to omelets

My friend Joan Weeks from the Cape Girardeau Senior Center has been after me to do a column on omelets. The great thing about omelets is they are full of protein, which can be great for many people who do not like a lot of meat, like my son. I can make him an omelet and pack it full of cheese, and he has a pretty healthy meal. I have chosen some different recipes for you to try and enjoy.

Asian Omelet

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup brown or white rice, cooked

1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot

1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped mushrooms

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Beat eggs, milk and pepper slightly. Set aside. Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat. Cook remaining ingredients except soy sauce in oil, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in soy sauce. Remove mixture from skillet; keep warm. Spray same skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Quickly pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into skillet. Slide skillet back and forth rapidly over heat and, at the same time, quickly stir with a fork to spread eggs continuously over bottom of skillet as they thicken. Let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. Do not overcook; omelet will continue to cook after folding. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the rice mixture on one side of omelet. Run spatula under unfilled side of omelet; lift over rice mixture. Tilting skillet slightly, turn omelet onto plate. Repeat with remaining egg and rice mixtures.

Asparagus Egg-stravaganza

3 large eggs

4 to 6 spears asparagus

2 tablespoons diced sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (more to taste)

Extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Wash and trim asparagus and slice in 1/2- to 1-inch pieces on the diagonal. In nonstick pan over medium heat, saute sun-dried tomatoes with a little of the oil they are packed in and the asparagus until warmed. Add additional olive oil or butter to ensure just enough oil to keep omelet from sticking. While tomatoes are heating, in separate container, beat eggs with fork. Once the tomatoes and asparagus are warmed through, add eggs to pan and season liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir the mixture so the tomatoes and asparagus are evenly distributed. With a spatula, occasionally lift edges of egg mix to allow uncooked egg to drain underneath, thereby cooking faster.

Once omelet is retaining its shape, gently shake pan to free it from any sticking and occasionally shake omelet so it slides around the pan while it cooks. Once eggs are nearly set but still wet, sprinkle half of omelet with goat cheese. With spatula, gently fold omelet over to close. Slide onto plate. Sprinkle with additional goat cheese as desired.

Baked Florentine Omelet

8 large eggs, well beaten

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup milk

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

5 leaves fresh basil, chopped

2 sprigs fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (10-ounce) package (about 1 1/2 cups) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

1 cup coarsely chopped plum tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray or butter. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and Ricotta cheese until just combined. Stir in milk, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Fold in spinach, tomatoes and scallions. Spread mixture evenly the prepared baking dish. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

BLT Omelet

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon butter

6 tablespoons chopped tomato

2 or 3 strips crispy cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Salt and pepper to taste

Separate about a teaspoon of crumbled bacon and a teaspoon of chopped tomato for use as garnish. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs and milk together until frothy. Let this set for a couple of minutes before cooking. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in egg mixture. As the egg starts to set, tilt the pan and lift the edges of the omelet to distribute more egg to the hot surface. When the egg is almost completely set, sprinkle the tomato and bacon (that is not saved for garnish) over one half of the omelet. Fold omelet in half and slide onto a plate. Cover with the lettuce and garnish with teaspoons of crumbled bacon and chopped tomato. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cajun Omelet

8 large eggs, beaten

1/2 pound spicy sausage (Andouille or Italian works great)

1/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 medium bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

2 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoons Dijon or Creole mustard

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Olive oil

In a large frying pan over medium heat, frying and crumble the sausage. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl or plate. In the same fry pan, saute the mushrooms, onions and peppers (including jalapeno) with a little bit of olive oil (about a teaspoon) until mushrooms are browned and peppers are soft. As the vegetables cook, mix together the eggs, milk, mustard and spices. Pour egg mixture over cooked vegetables. Sprinkle crumbled sausage over egg mixture. Cook until top of omelet is nearly set. Flip half of omelet over. Cook for one more minute. Transfer to plate. Slice into 4 wedges and serve.

Cinnamon Apple Omelet

3 large eggs

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 tablespoon cream

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat eggs with cream until fluffy. Set aside. In a large skillet/frying pan, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter. Add apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Saute until tender, stirring often. Empty contents to a bowl or plate and set aside. Clean the frying pan. Melt remaining butter. Pour in egg mixture. Cook as you would an ordinary omelet. When eggs are 90 percent set, flip the omelet. In the center of the open-face omelet, spread the sour cream and top that with most of the apple mixture. Fold omelet and transfer to a plate. Top with remaining apple mixture.

Southwestern Turkey Omelet

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey

3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup cooked fresh or canned corn, drained

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and turkey. Cook, stirring occasionally, until green onions are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add corn and chiles to skillet; mix well. Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Pour into skillet. Turn heat to medium. Top with cheese. Cook, covered, until center is set but not dry, about 5 minutes. Slide onto serving plate.

Smoked Salmon Omelet

6 large eggs

3 ounces smoked salmon

4 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, divided

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, dill and chives. In a separate bowl, beat egg well. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet at medium heat. Add half the salmon. Move around with spatula while cooking. Turn salmon once. After a minute, add half of beaten eggs (beat eggs one last time before pouring). Occasionally lift edges of omelet and tilt the pan to allow runny parts of egg to cook. When the omelet is nearly set, dollop half of the sour cream and dill filling onto half of the omelet. Flip the omelet and transfer to a serving plate. Add remain butter to fry pan, allow to melt and repeat the steps above to make the second omelet.

I hope you enjoy these omelet recipes and give them a try at your next opportunity. Have a wonderful week and, until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.