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Monday, October 17, 2011

Sweet Fluffy Omelet

This recipe was found in one of my mom's old cookbooks. When I found it, I was in the middle of the Dukan Diet and frustrated because I couldn't do much to 'treat' myself. I tried a lot of the Dukan 'desserts' with no success. A few of them actually went down the sink. I was allowed all the lean protein I wanted, so milk, low fat (no fat) cheeses and eggs (two yolks) were fine. Also, sweeteners are allowed, in moderation. I finally found stevia as being the only sweetener I could use that I could stand. I don't like the idea of the chemical sweeteners, but stevia is natural, from a plant. It does taste slightly different, but if you're not overloading the sweetness, you hardly notice. Especially if you haven't had anything sweet lately.

This recipe is as it was listed in the cookbook. It wasn't listed as a diet recipe. I believe it's French in origin and takes a few minutes to make, so I don't make it everyday, otherwise, I definitely would.

I use 3 eggs (only 1 yolk) normally, but we get our eggs from a local farmer and these are banny eggs, much smaller than normal, so I used three. You can tell, that I got too much of the white in this batch, it broke when I was letting the white into the bowl and when you're trying to whip your whites, any yolk or water prevents it from whipping. So, be really careful when separating.

Here are my whites.

Nice action shot for you... :) It takes 2-3 minutes to whip them.

They're starting to foam up.

Ok, this is soft peaks. We need stiff peaks.

There! Stiff peaks. It reminds me of that glossy finish that cake mix gets when it's ready. Nice heavy peaks that stay when you fluff it.

And it sticks to the bowl.
Eat your heart out, Gordon Ramsey.

Here is my stevia, it's the brand Truvia. I like the bulk, but we have packets for travelling as well. Then, I add about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a small shake of sweetener. You could use sugar, but you'd need more as sweetener is sweeter. Prob a teaspoon? You add this straight to your yolks.
Or your yolks and 1 white if you're like me and can't crack an egg without breaking the yolk...
Then, you fold this into your perfectly whipped egg whites.

Cut down the center with your spatula and then scrape the bottom of the pan, going to the right side once and then to the left side next. Use this method to stir in the yolk, without beating it and deflating the whites.
Mixed and spread into a skillet. I use a cast iron, but use whatever you're comfortable with. I also spray the skillet very lightly with oil. Just a quick spritz.

The heat should be about medium low. You need to get the center to cook without burning the bottom.

The more the egg is browned, the more eggy it tastes, and in the morning I do not like an eggy taste. It is just something I cannot do. I tried, too. Trying to amp my protein and increase my metabolism.

Could. Not. Do.

Gently use a knife (or a spatula for Teflon) to cut around the edge and peek underneath for brownness.

When it's just lightly browned, stick it under the broiler for about 20 seconds to cook the top. You could flip it or use a lid when you start if you don't have a broiler.

See? Perfectly browned. I didn't realize this photo was blurry until just now.
Sorry.
I then defrost frozen fruit for the center. Normally I do this after I get the egg mixture in the skillet. I find that I like peaches and raspberries the best. Strawberries kind of get too soft. I use about 1/2 cup and just defrost in the microwave. I use the same small bowl that the yolks were in, rinsed out of course. And the small amount of water in the bowl helps to make a sort of sauce with the fruit drippings as it heats. You could sweeten this as well, but I like it tart.

I pour this over the flipped out omelet and I top mine with a small amount of frozen Fat Free Cool Whip. The sugar/carb content of this is EXTREMELY low. You could use the sugar-free, but it has fat in it and I think in this small amount, the Fat Free is better. I use a fork to scrape out a few small chunks.

Then fold over.
And eat. This was seriously good. And seriously good for you. For those Dukan dieters, I did this without the fruit before I hit the consolidation phase as you aren't allowed the fruit for the carbs (natural sugar content).

The final carbs in this are still seriously low and when I eat this, I feel great for the day. Full, content, but not heavy.

It does taste like you've eaten something pancakey.

Yes, I know that's not a word.


Final shot of the side. I always recipe shots to show the texture, so here you are.

Let me know if you try it!

4 comments:

Jana said...

I never got around to trying this this weekend, but I may have to, now. It looks pretty good. My only problem is, I suck at whipping egg whites. lol Or rather, it's a hit or miss for me. *sigh*

Thanks for the step-by-step, though. Very helpful! :)

JenMarie said...

You know, I used to think it was tough, but haven't had a problem yet with it. Just keep going. Know it'll take a few minutes. Make sure there's no drips of water from your hands or any yolk. It'll fluff, fo sho.

Jana said...

I think whipping egg whites is an excellent excuse to purchase a fancy stand mixer, don't you? ;-)

I've got my eye on one I found on Amazon. It's a Sunbeam for around $80. Not a small chunk of change, certainly, but I think $80 is a small price to pay for perfectly fluffed egg whites. Not to mention the cookie mixing possibilities. And the dough hook. I might could finally succeed at bread baking. If the mixer comes with magic dust, that is. lol

JenMarie said...

Oh yeah. A stand mixer is a personal kitchen must! :) I actually use my stand mixer all the time. However, I find that for the egg whites, the hand mixer is easier. Just cause you can get in there and move it around. The bread hook does make the bread making easier. I really like to knead the dough, but it helps incorporate everything.