Grilled Fish Omelet with Greens and Spicy Yogurt-Dill Sauce

If I can't be inventive in my on-going attack on my mid-section and the arms that continue to wave after I've stopped, then I'm a lost cook.   Thanks to my testing recipes for others (and for my own cookbook), I've found that cooking nearly the same thing over and over again -- even  in the morning -- isn't such a bad thing.  I kind of like it.  I feel accomplished.  In a happy way.  Not like when I clean the bathroom, either--even though I also do that over and over again.

Take egg white omelets.  Other than a short-order cook, I just don't know anyone who's cooked more egg white omelets than I have.  There are months on end when I eat them every single morning.  This might be embarrassing, but as it works for someone who wants to save their calories for dinner, it's not.  I make the occasional foray into Greek yogurt and fresh berries, melon, or peaches for several weeks in the summer, but I quickly nix that when the berries start to come in by Fed Ex plane and the cantaloupe begins to have the texture of a cardboard box.  Then I'm right back to eggs.  On Sundays, at noon, I have whole eggs.  Yolks and all.  Very adventurous.  (Here's my baby tutorial on making omelets. Just in case. )  And making so very many egg white omelets, what do I do with all of those egg yolks?  My friends, that's why God made dogs and cheesecake:

Veggie Tacos with Salsa Ranch Dressing or Just Add Egg Whites for Breakfast

I freely admit I'm addicted to these little tacos.  You will not believe how good they are and how quickly they go down.  Picture this:  a gorgeous mound of sautéed or grilled vegetables with just a little, tiny bit of cheese --  all on an über-fiber, whole wheat tortilla.  Top all that goodness off with your favorite salsa mixed with ranch dressing, some fresh spinach leaves, a sprinkle of chopped green onion or cucumber, a quick squeeze of lime, and Bob's your uncle, you're eating. Very happily, I'll add.

Herb-Spinach Egg White Omelet

 

Egg white omelets are not for everyone.  Some people just don't get the yolk.  (Very bad; I know.)  They need yellow.  Even orange.  Others make the trip over to white easily, "This isn't bad!"  "Hey this is good!"  depending on what's in the omelet.  If you're in a spot where you seriously have to watch either calories or cholesterol, egg whites are your fine, fine friend.  But they're also a luscious, filling meal for just anyone who's going to dinner that night or who wants an extra piece of pizza the next day.

On Weight Watchers, 3 egg whites are 1 point.  (And yes, they do have some protein.)  No complaint at all.  PAM the pan and skip the oil point, too.  A few chopped herbs...a little spinach...a dose of salsa.  Et voila!  Excellent use of leftover fresh herbs, which are (if you buy them) so expensive you feel like a wastrel if you don't use them all to make something.

About buying egg whites:  you can break and separate eggs yourself, using the whites and cooking up the yolks for the dog or  you can buy egg whites in the dairy case near the eggs.  They come in small pint or quart cartons.

A little giftie from my next-door neighbor:  basil, dill, flowering thyme.

Herb-Spinach Egg white Omelet with Salsa and Fresh Tomatoes

3 egg whites beaten with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
PAM or 1T olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, your choice (parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon--even sage), plus
    a bit extra for garnish*
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup salsa (I like Frontera Grill's if you don't make your own.) or 1T grated Parmesan cheese
1 small-medium tomato, sliced

1. Slice tomatoes; place on serving plate.  Add a few fresh herbs for garnish if you have extra.
2. Heat pan over medium-high heat for a minute or so.  Add PAM or oil.
3. Add spinach and herbs to hot, oiled pan, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and let cook 1 minute until a bit wilted.
4. Add beaten egg whites to pan and let the white set  20 seconds or so.  Lift omelet at one edge with rubber spatula and tip pan to allow uncooked white into pan.  Repeat quickly until omelet is cooked, making a few small holes in the whites and vegetables (the omelet will reseal) if necessary to make sure eggs in the middle are cooked as well.  
5. Turn off heat.  To plate, tip pan toward the plate, using the rubber spatula to slide the omelet out.  You may fold the omelet as you go or after it's on the plate.  It will eat however you do it and you'll become a better omelet maker as time goes on.
6. Garnish with salsa or Parmesan and a quick dust of black pepper. (Or more white pepper is fine.)
7. Enjoy hot, cold, or at room temperature.
8. *If you have no fresh herbs, add a 1/4 tsp of your favorite dried herb to the spinach.  You could even try a bit of garlic, shallot, or green onion if you'd rather.

 

If you like, you can watch a British chef do it a bit differently, but basically the same. Skip the commercial first!

Have fun cooking and taking care of yourself,
Alyce