There's no doubt about it, eggs are good for you! One egg has 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts, including high-quality protein, foliates, iron and zinc for only 75 calories. Eggs also play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. A fact all of our viewers should know is that not only are eggs good for you, but they are a perfectly safe food to eat if handled and cooked properly. Most people are confused by the date they see on the egg carton thinking it is an expiration date when it is actually a suggested sell by date. The suggested date refers to quality, not safety. Eggs are good for a couple of weeks after that date, time only affects the quality as the whites tend to spread out more and the yolks are susceptible to breaking, but they are perfectly safe to use.
I love brown eggs and never really knew where they came from. Someone told me a long time ago that all eggs were naturally brown and that most eggs are colored white (I was young at the time). But it turns out white eggs come from white chickens, single-comb White Leghorns (over 90% of our egg production comes from this breed) and brown eggs come from brown chickens like the Rhode Island Red. Believe it or not the United States produces over 75 billion eggs a year which is 10% of the entire world's production.
Now that we have given you a few facts and cleared up a few misconceptions, let's get down to making some omelets! It was the Romans who are credited with creating the first omelet. They made an omelet consisting of eggs and honey. The great thing about omelets are that they are fast, usually cooking in 2 to 3 minutes, and you can fill them with anything from meat, vegetables, fish, fruit, rice. This Sunday we are going to give a few tips and create a few interesting omelets that some of our viewers may have not seen before.
Let's start with the basics, 2 eggs, and do not over beat. Just beat until the eggs are combined, along with some salt and pepper. Some people like to add 1 TBS of water, in my opinion it doesn't really matter unless you like a thinner omelet. Use a non-stick pan I think a 8" pan works best) over medium-low heat. Melt ½ TBS butter in the pan until the butter foams; it is very important that the butter foams as the eggs will set up better. You could also use a non-stick spray if you are interested in saving calories, but the taste of eggs and fresh butter is ethereal in nature. Pour the egg mixture in the pan and swirl about to coating the bottom of the pan evenly. Let it set for a minute then loosen the edges from the side of the pan with a rubber spatula and let any extra egg mixture run off, add your filling. Then fold over with a spatula. If we are feeling really ambitious on Sunday I will then demonstrate to our viewers on how to flip the omelet: tilt the pan, flip and slide the pan forward to catch. It is actually pretty easy once you the hang of it, maybe Kevin or Stacy will want to give it a try.
Fresh Herb Omelet2 eggs
1T Fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, chervil and parsley)
1T Shredded gruyere cheese
1/2T Butter (salted or unsalted)
1t salt and pepper
Combine eggs, salt and pepper with a whisk just until eggs are combined in a smooth mixture. Heat pan over med low heat, add butter. When butter foams immediately add egg mixture, let set one minute, then with a rubber spatula loosen edges of eggs from the pan, add herbs and cheese let sit 30 seconds then with spatula fold omelet over. Let cook additional 30 seconds then slide omelet out of pan. Serves one omelet.
Asparagus Omelet2 eggs
2T Asparagus thinly sliced
2T Shredded gruyere cheese
1/2T Butter (salted or unsalted)
1t salt and pepper
Combine eggs, salt and pepper with a whisk just until eggs are combined in a smooth mixture. Heat pan over med low heat, add butter. When butter foams immediately add egg mixture, let set one minute, then with a rubber spatula loosen edges of eggs from the pan, add asparagus and cheese let sit 30 seconds then with spatula fold omelet over. Let cook additional 30 seconds then slide omelet out of pan. I like my asparagus raw especially at this time of the year when it is at is freshest and sweetest, but you can also steam or microwave asparagus first and then add. Serves one omelet.
Strawberry Omelet2 Eggs
5 to 6 Strawberries (washed and thinly sliced) you could also use any berry
1T Shredded gruyere cheese
1/2T Butter (salted or unsalted)
1T Water
1/2t Sugar
1t Powder Sugar
Combine eggs, water and sugar with a whisk just until eggs are combined in a smooth mixture. Heat pan over med low heat, add butter. When butter foams immediately add egg mixture, let set one minute, then with a rubber spatula loosen edges of eggs from the pan, add strawberries and cheese let sit 30 seconds then with spatula fold omelet over. Let cook additional 30 seconds then slide omelet out of pan, top with powder sugar. Serves one omelet.
