Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Dinner in a Flash ...

I suppose I could continue whining about being sick and how much I dislike having to work real hours like a normal person ... but perhaps there's a more productive way to use this space -like talking about getting dinner on the table in a hurry.

Happily, my weekend included a trip to an egg farm so omelets were on the menu last night. While left-overs are my number one "go to" when I'm in need of a quick and easy meal, omelets run a very close second. They're healthy, satisfying, easy to prepare and fun to make. Perfect for a work-weary Diva and her hungry husband!

Though, truth be told, its the husband who makes the omelets in this house - as you may recall. I wrote about omelets last summer and the recipe remains the same. We use Alton Brown's formula and you can find it at the bottom of this post from June of 2008. Today, I'll tell you about the filling ...

Divalicious Omelet Filling:
  • olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped crimini (baby bello) mushrooms
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
  • 1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
  • a pinch of dried Summer Savory or fresh Thyme
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • a generous grating of fresh nutmeg
  • some grated Gruyere cheese
  • some diced ham
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add the mushrooms. Saute, stirring as needed, for 2 or 3 minutes until they begin to wilt. Add the shallots and red peppers, a pinch of dried summer savory (or fresh thyme), salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Saute until the peppers begin to soften and the mushrooms are light golden brown - about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and reserve.

Use reserved vegetable mixture to fill omelets, along with some shredded Gruyere cheese and a bit of diced ham if desired. As written, this mixture will fill two omelets.

I like to serve them with a side of sauteed haricot vert ... and I'll tell you all about that ... tomorrow. Stay tuned!

So, what's your recipe for dinner in a flash? Hungry Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!

13 comments:

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

Mmmmm.... divalicious!
Well I hope the cold/flu/whatever this nasty bug thing is will pass soon - it's not nice to see nice people get sick!
So anyways I'm going to follow you on Twitter! Yay!
Ciao

Scarlet xoxo

words...words...words... said...

Yum! I love eggs, so omelettes are my preferred way to get rid of leftovers. I love how surprisingly adaptable they are, you can throw anything in there.

Glad to see the husband is taking care of you!

Christo Gonzales said...

that omelette is a looker - mister diva did well....

Anonymous said...

He does good work. That's an impressive omelette. This summer savory eludes us. We need to peep around for it!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Scarlet - are you on Twitter too? Let me know how I can find you there ... not that I have anything important to tweet! LOL xoxoxo

words words words - exactly! Omelets are perfect for cleaning out the fridge!

doggybloggy - thanks, he did indeed. We both enjoyed the fruits of his labors. :)

Duo - Summer Savory is similar to thyme in flavor, though not as sharp. You should be able to find it in the dried spice aisle. I like it in soups too.

The Messy Baker said...

Ohhh, I haven't had an omelet in ages. And with cremini mushrooms, shallots and cheese, I wonder why it's been so long.

Lovely recipe for spring!

The Wino said...

Oh man, my guy is always asking to have Brinner! (breakfast for dinner) He is so not aloud to read this! Glad you are getting back in the swing of things!

Anonymous said...

Hope you are starting to feel better. The omelet looks excellent - love to eat omelets for my quick dinners.

Anonymous said...

Sounds and looks deliciosa!

Dinner in a flash is Charms de Lucky with a splash of leche and a pinch of sugar.

Sounds a lot better than a bowl of cereal eh?

The Diva on a Diet said...

Charmian - you're right, it is a very spring-like combo. So yummy.

Wino - "brinner" ha! good one! I rather enjoy brinner, feels like something of a treat, ya know?

5 Star - thank you, I think I'm finally turning the corner. Phew!

Kimizzy - wait a minute ... did you say sugar on top of the Charms de Lucky?! OMG! LOL

stephchows said...

I've never heard of heating the eggs for 5 minutes first??? What does that do to them? Does it change the texture somehow?? So interesting :)

The Diva on a Diet said...

Steph - its not so much heating the eggs as it is taking the chill off and bringing them to room temperature. Eggs scramble better, cook more quickly and become creamier when they are at room temp. So sitting them in some warm water just takes the cold edge off.

I think the purpose of the technique is to account for the fact that we (in the USA) store our eggs in the fridge, not on the counter. Or, at least that's my understanding of it. :)

Tangled Noodle said...

Can I be further behind on reading your posts? You're the one recuperating but can still produce such delicious food! I haven't made an omelet in ages - too impatient so it turns into scrambled eggs! 8-)