Torta, Frittata, Omelette or Whatever – September 16, 2007

Jimmy and I try to make a nice brunch each weekend. Instead of our usual pancakes, eggs, and sausages, Jimmy wanted to cook an open-faced omelette. I’m really not sure what to call it. It’s not really a torta because although it had potatoes, it didn’t contain any ground meat. It’s not a frittata because it wasn’t finished in the oven. It’s not quite an omelette either because it couldn’t be folded. In any case, it was some sort of egg concoction that I often make, and that Jimmy cooked by himself (for the most part) this time.

I should have taken pictures of the cooking process, but I forgot.

It’s a fairly simple recipe for two people. Oh, and I should mention that I rarely measure when I cook. I have finally improved to the point that I can eyeball most of my ingredients and still have the end-product taste right. All of my recipes, unless otherwise noted, are improvised and changed each time I cook. The recipe below can be adjusted to taste.

Two handfuls of diced potatoes (about ½ cup)
4 teaspoons light olive oil
A handful of diced onions (about ¼ cup)
4 tablespoons of Kraft vinaigrette (this time we used Greek with Feta and Oregano)
6 eggs, beaten
A handful of grated cheddar (about ¼ cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. First cook the potatoes until they are soft (i.e. when a fork goes through it easily). Strain and remove from heat.
2. Heat a small non-stick pan on high heat. Add half of the olive oil when it gets hot.
3. Sauté half of the onions until they become translucent.
4. Add half of the vinaigrette and half of the potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer.
5. Once onions start to get browned on the edges and sauce has reduced by half, pour in half of the beaten eggs.
6. Keep pushing cooked edges of the egg towards the centre of the pan, and tilting the pan to fill in the space with more liquid eggs. Continue until desired doneness.
7. Sprinkle the cheddar on top, cover the pan, and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. This will melt the cheese and keep the omelette from overcooking.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 for the second omelette.



This time, we only had four eggs left in the carton, so the omelette ended up flatter than usual.

My omelette looked pretty good, I thought. It didn’t quite have enough dressing, so the herbs from the vinaigrette were drowned out by the sharp cheddar.

Jimmy’s omelette was a pool of cheddar. He added almost ½ cup of cheddar to his, and this is the result. Do you see that cheddar bubble in the picture? Grossness. I thought it looked sick, but he loved it.

I washed the omelette down with Bolthouse Farms’ Green Goodness smoothie. From the bottle:

“Our Green Goodness starts with a delicious blend of apple, pineapple, lemon and
lime juices. We then blend in the fruits of mangos, bananas, kiwis, and
tamarind. Finally, we add nutritious ingredients like broccoli, spinach,
barley and wheat grass to make this a well-rounded part of your day.”

I know what you’re thinking. It sounds disgusting, I am aware. It even looks gross. Jimmy and I call this “the Sludge.” But you have to get past that, close your eyes, and try it. Seriously. The smoothie actually tastes great! One serving contains 200% of your daily recommended Vitamin C intake. It’s practically the cure for scurvy!

The one downside, other than its sludge-like appearance, is the price. A one-litre bottle costs around $4.00 – not exactly budget-friendly. But if, like me, you often forget to eat your fruits, this is a great alternative.

I’ll blog about last night’s dinner later. I’m feeling like two posts is enough for now. *pooped*


Fin.