Best breakfasts, (say that three times fast) come from unintentional leftovers. My friend Suzanne, Cooking By The Bay, and I were working on some recipes for her cooking classes the other day. One thing we were trying was a baked Filo Cup with Spinach, Bleu Cheese and Walnuts. It was a tasty tryout which we both decided needed more cheese to pass muster.

Hello! Morning muster and I’m hungry. What shall I have? An omelette of course but what shall I put inside? A dig through the fridge produced our leftover spinach mix, some extra bleu cheese, (like there is ever such a thing as extra bleu cheese) and a bit of parmesean close to the rind. Now to cook a perfect omelette I’ll let you in on the secret:

1. Cold pan – a slope sided pan that has been seasoned with oil before cooking, teflon will work too
2. Cold oil – a tablespoon or two right in the pan
3. High heat – Burner on high – Trust me

So basically you take your fillings and warm them gently in a side pan. Whip two eggs in a bowl. Place the pan on the burner, add the oil, add the eggs THEN turn the burner on high. Using a non-melting spatula work the edges of the cooking eggs to make sure they don’t stick. Slide the pan on the burner to keep the omelette from sticking. If you find that the outside edges are cooking much faster than the center, lift the cooked edge of the eggs with your spatula and let a little uncooked egg run over the edge onto the metal of the pan to cook. This entire process wil take about a minute and a half.

If you are brave you will flip the mostly cooked eggs and turn them over in the air. Otherwise you can use the spatula or an even better technique, place the entire pan under a preheated broiler for about 20 seconds to finish off the top. Slide the eggs on to a plate, fill with the good stuff, fold over, grate a little extra cheese on top (right no such thing as extra cheese) and Voila’ – you are eating French food again.

Happy flipping and smile often,

tj