The 21st Century Housewife's Roasted Vegetable and Potato Omelette

It’s Meatless Monday again, time for another easy and delicious meatless recipe. My roasted vegetable and potato omelette makes great use of leftovers, plus it is an easy and satisfying meal any time of the day.

Rather untraditionally, I use a larger frying pan to make my omelettes - usually a 7 or 8 inch non-stick pan - and I also use three eggs. We have hearty appetites in my family, but if you are not as greedy as we are, these omelettes can always be cut in half. They are a meal in themselves, but a small side salad and/or basket of bread rolls served alongside would not go amiss!

I’m depending on you having some leftover roast vegetables and new potatoes (either boiled or roasted) here. You might have made a big pan of my Roast Vegetables a couple of days earlier, or perhaps served my Easy Roast Potatoes with a favourite dish and had some left over. (Both of these are also vegetarian dishes so do click on the links if you want to check them out.)

My omelette cooking method is slightly untraditional too, as after the first side of the omelette has been cooked on the stove top, I put the frying pan under the broiler or grill to cook the top. I find this gives a much better result, and although purists might frown, everyone loves my omelettes!

To make one omelette, you need:-

1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I use mild olive oil)

a handful of leftover roast vegetables

a scant quarter cup of thinly sliced leftover new potatoes

3 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

½ teaspoon dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

a handful of good vegetarian cheese

Sauté the roasted vegetables and sliced potatoes in a 7 or 8 inch frying pan (with a handle that is safe to put under the broiler or grill) over medium heat. Preheat the broiler or grill to medium (about 325℉ or 150 to 160℃).

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl. Beat in the milk, parsley, salt and pepper.

Pour the eggs over the vegetables and potatoes.

Cook over medium heat, pushing the egg away from the sides of the pan with a spatula and allowing the raw egg to flow back round it, so that all the egg begins to cook. Sprinkle the cheese over top of the omelette.

After about three minutes, when the top of the omelette begins to look a bit less runny, lift the corner of the omelette to see if it has begun to brown underneath. Once you can see a bit of golden brown on the bottom, transfer the pan to the broiler or grill.

When the omelette is done, it will look a bit like this:-

Using a large spatula or egg turner, fold one half of the omelette over the other so it forms a half moon shape. Serve and enjoy!

The 21st Century Housewife's Special Asparagus Omelette

I have a rather un-traditional way of making omelettes, in that I use a broiler or grill to finish them off. I find it makes them nice and puffy and also avoids the stress of having to turn them. The other thing I do is always use three eggs. We now know that eggs are much better for us than we thought they were, and that unless you have a serious issue with cholesterol you don’t have to be nearly as careful about them. Like the American egg board has been saying for years, they are the “incredible, edible egg”.  However, if you are worried, there is no reason why you shouldn’t just use two eggs.

I know asparagus is pretty much out of season at the moment, and it is very naughty to buy the imported stuff, but I just love asparagus and sometimes I cannot resist. It’s also a great way to use up leftover cheese, so hopefully that makes up for the food miles…

I like to use a light cheese like Swiss or Gruyere in this omelette, but having said that cheddar can be a brilliant foil for the strong flavour of the asparagus, so just pick your favourite cheese and go for it!

For each omelette you need:-

1 teaspoon mild olive oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

a few very thin slices of red onion

salt and pepper to taste

5 - 6 small spears of asparagus, very lightly steamed (they should still be almost crunchy)

1 handful of your favourite cheese

Heat the olive oil in an oven safe medium non-stick frying pan with a non-metal handle. Beat the eggs, milk and seasonings together in a bowl.

Preheat the grill or broiler to medium.

When the pan is hot, add the egg mixture and scatter the onion slices over top. Cook for minute or so, pulling the mixture away from the edges of the pan with a heat proof spatula or egg turner as it cooks and tipping the pan so more egg fills in the gaps that are left. Cook for a couple of minutes, lifting the edges of the omelette occasionally to make sure it is just browning and not burning.

Now carefully lay the asparagus over half of the omelette, and sprinkle the cheese over the whole thing.  Let it cook for a second or so.

When the top begins to look a bit dryer and the bottom is nicely brown, place the frying pan under the grill or broiler. The omelette should puff up (it will fall when you take it out from under the grill). Watch the omelette constantly or it will burn. When it is golden brown, remove it from the grill and flip half the omelette over like in the photograph above. Slide it on to a plate carefully and serve.  It’s really nice with a side of hash browns if you are feeling like a treat.