above: omelet shown on two pieces of toast
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Back home after two glorious weeks away and facing a birthday dinner party as well as the 4th of July weekend, I somehow found myself getting a bit on the tired side of grilling. I mean, that’s summer; right? But occasionally it’s too hot — or too stormy — to get out on that deck. Or, like any other time of the year, I sometimes want a meal that’s done faster than the lightning I watch way out east. And that’s what eggs, now at a bit more reasonable price (thank you Jesus) are good for. But I’m not jonesing for something akin to boiled eggs with Triscuits, though I’d eat that happily and soon enough were I famished on a car trip. Or even if I weren’t famished, to be truthful. I’m leaning into an omelet on a nice plate with vegetables and toast, please and thank you. I don’t want to be hungry in an hour and I want something to snug up to a glass of very cold rosé. Or two. If you want testament to my egg love, just type “eggs” into the search box and see what happens. Or click on “Breakfast and Brunch” in the search cloud. Or you could just scroll down here to: “If you liked this, you might also like…” I do make a slew more than ever end up on the blog. You’ll have to follow me on fb to see at least a few more egg dream meals. But for today, let’s look at a quick and cheery salsa omelet slung over a piece (or two) of avocado toast, crowned with diced sweetly ripe tomatoes, then garnished with a sprig of basil (or cilantro? cheese? minced scallions?) on top for grins or giggles.
Oh, what’s a salsa omelet? Well, honey, I guess it could be a few things but at our house, it’s an omelet where the eggs are whisked together with salsa instead of water or cream. Yep. And it’s awfully good.
While I’m blessed enough, so far, to rarely hit the doctor’s office (I don’t like to go anyway.), I seem to always arrive when there’s a young, perky-smart PA who likes to ask, “How much protein are you getting a day?” With the statistics of global hunger in mind, I’m lately finding the “eat a lot of protein” lines a bit difficult to “stomach,” even as I add cheese to my toast and tuna to my crackers. Protein is expensive and a large percentage of the world can’t afford meat but I’m often told I need a lot more than I’m eating.
Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today by five United Nations specialized agencies.
--World Health Organization (WHO)
I do track my nutrition using the Weight Watchers app, including protein. One thing I can easily do to ramp up my protein intake is to add a couple of eggs to the food list each day. Sometimes I’ll even include a little yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna, or chicken with them; this doesn’t break the calorie limit too quickly and it’s not overly pricey. Dinners — or breakfasts or lunches — like today’s Salsa Omelet on Avocado Toast increase protein by about 15 grams. And, hey, I’m also getting some of the best fat and fiber to boot. Besides, who doesn’t love avocado?!
Some folks are a little afraid of making omelets but I can show you a really easy, no-fear method. If you’re good on omelet making, skip this little pictorial of my recipe.
above: the omelet on one piece of toast
Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I’m guessing you’ll be happy when you try this:
Salsa Omelet on Avocado Toast
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 pieces of whole grain bread-as desired, toasted
- Flesh of ½ medium, ripe avocado (Do wash the avocado before cutting.)
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon prepared salsa
- 1 small, fresh and ripe tomato, diced
- A few basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Add toast to a serving plate and gently mash the avocado onto it using a table fork. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the butter to an 8” or 9” nonstick skillet and heat it over medium-high flame until bubbly. Spread it over the surface of the pan with a rubber spatula.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and salsa with a grind or two of black pepper.
- When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into it, tipping the pan to spread it evenly, if needed. Cook for 20 seconds. Using the rubber spatula, draw or pull the edges of the omelet into the center to allow uncooked egg to reach the outside of the skillet.
- Cover the skillet and turn off heat, leaving the skillet on the burner and the omelet to finish cooking for about 2 minutes or until done until your liking. If the eggs are still not as done as you prefer, turn the heat on low, cover, and continue cooking another minute or so. (My preference here is for a very tender omelet or one that is just barely done.)
- With the rubber spatula, fold the edges of the omelet to the center into thirds (like a taco) or in half. Tip the pan and slide or push the omelet out, turning it over onto the toast.
- Top with diced tomato and a few basil leaves. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
TIPS and THOUGHTS…
Change it up: The possibilities are endless. Omelets can contain just about anything you’d like. Want more veggies? Sauté two or three tablespoons of chopped vegetables in the butter before you add the eggs. Chop up some cooked vegetables and layer them on the eggs after you pour them in the pan. Like heat? Add a few drops of hot sauce into the eggs with the salsa. Need even more protein? Add a little chicken or a slice of turkey or ham on top of the avocado. Add some grated cheese to the omelet before covering it. Skip the avocado if you have none or are cutting fat calories. Sub roasted peppers for the fresh tomatoes. If you’re feeling feisty and are a bacon lover, a piece or two here is just on this side of heaven.
BTW: AI now offers to generously write my recipes on Microsoft Word. Just for fun, I’ve let it write a couple. One wasn’t worth the time; the second was not bad at all–just wasn’t my style. It’s all interesting but since I very much like writing recipes, I’ll continue writing on my own.
Keep your eyes and brain open when you read recipes on line. Some will not be safe. AI’s producing some interesting things these days.
Why must you wash an avocado? Lots of reasons, but fruit and vegetable skins arrive in your kitchen with all sorts of bacteria, including the sorts that come from the fellow before you squeezing the produce to see if it's ripe! (What's on his hands?! Ewww.) Read up here.
BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: All of us are into cutting down on the grocery bill, and you might remember one of my food cost-cutting charts that includes the idea of having breakfast for dinner one night in the week. Now that eggs are cheaper, this feels more feasible; today’s omelet works well here.
EQUIPMENT: You can make an omelet with nearly any skillet, a cup, and a fork. Things that make omelet life easier are a good 8″ or 9″ nonstick skillet ( I like OXO and buy a new one every other year or so as they become scratched.) and a small whisk, such as the Ludwig one below. This whisk is also excellent for a vinaigrette and fits into a Dijon mustard jar for you to stick it in and bring out just enough mustard for the vinaigrette. That’s a good hack, btw.
OTHER WAYS THAN MINE TO MAKE AN OMELET: Click here for A good omelet tutorial – thekitchn.com. OR click here: Jacques Pépin: Classic French Omelette with Herbs
The truth is this: no matter what method you use to make an omelet (omelette in the UK and France), it takes practice. Most likely, it’ll always taste good (or at least be edible) and later on, it’ll look good, too! Win win. Nevah give up.
Good reading:
IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Salsa-Cheddar Omelet with Pickled Onion
Cream Cheese-Avocado Toast with Scrambled Eggs
Buttered and pan-grilled seeded sourdough topped with cottage cheese and tomatoes (s/p), a runny egg (s/p), and salsa. (Another easy, higher protein egg meal I put on facebook.)
Parmesan French Toast Breakfast Sandwich
Egg and Avocado cooked in (precooked) Irish or steel cut oats. Just something I put on facebook, but easily made at home. A tish grated Cheddar is nice on top, along with black and crushed red pepper. Salt, of course! (To make: Spray your skillet or grease lightly. Spoon in a generous cup of cooked oatmeal. Heat until bubbling. Break in an egg. Add sliced avocado and cheese. Season. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of water off your hands. (Just run your hands under water and flick them onto the food.) Cover and cook until egg is done to your liking.
As I work today on this post, I’ve been thinking about what I’m making for dinner. I know it’s rockfish because I bought it yesterday. It’s hot as h-e-double hockey sticks, so you can bet I’m stovetop grilling these fillets really quickly. Typically, best sous and husband Dave would grill outdoors for me but he works at Habitat for Humanity on Wednesdays. Our deal is he does not cook and sometimes even does no kitchen cleaning on those days. Just for fun, I ran through the recipes for fish salad on this blog — there are quite a few!! — and I came up with this one, which might be the easiest. To save time later, I grilled the vegetables ahead and will soon clean my greens and make the dressing so I’m ready to go at 6. This is like fish tacos without the taco, I’d say, and is, of course, named FISH TACO SALAD 😉
What’s on your dinner list these hot nights?
LIFE GOES ON:
Gone again!! We were away nearly two weeks, beginning our trip with a couple of lazy days in Boston. We then sailed up the eastern seaboard and around the Atlantic Canadian islands on Holland America ms Zuiderdam, stopping at several ports including Halifax, Sydney, NS, and Prince Edward Island. We disembarked in Québec City, staying overnight and enjoying a lovely 6-course, wine-paired dinner at the Chateau Frontenac. The following day, we took a gorgeous train ride to Montreal (3.5 hr trip), stayed overnight there, and flew home to Colorado the next day.
If it seems like we travel a lot, it does seem as if that’s true lately. We’re committed to going whilst we can. Next month, we’ll again find a fine ride on the Holland America ms Westerdam, round trip Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, the Hawaiian Islands, and back. That trip has been planned and rescheduled several times due to COVID and family illnesses and deaths. This time we may make it!
Happily home again, we faced some wild weather….a hail storm might have done in our roof. We’ll soon see.
Like you, I am heartbroken over the loss of life and, most likely, way of life in the Texas Hill Country. As younger married folk, we lived in San Antonio with our kids for four years. No cash for expensive vacations then, we often tent camped, cooked over open fires, swam, and tubed in the shallow, gentle Guadalupe River. We were horrified and incredulous to see the video of this latest flood. My prayers are for comfort and vision for those who have lost so much.
Stay safe this summer,
Alyce