This Valentine’s Day I decided to do something I haven’t done for my family in a long time, make them some of my dirty omelets and enjoy a creative sit-down breakfast, together. Hey, hunting season has been open and I don’t see them to often on weekend mornings, you know, until I get home which is usually after they have eaten and have begun their days. And, I usually don’t eat breakfast during the week unless I grab a bite of something that is already made to go with my coffee as I rush off to work. So on weekends outside of hunting season, I will enjoy eggs or an omelet and have gotten pretty creative with the latter, since I use these opportunities to clean out the fridge while also once again impressing my better half, Susan in the kitchen. My omelets usually contain some type of meat or one of my sausages (my homemade venison sausage recipes are in Chapter 7 of “Changing The Game”) along with a combination of sautéed vegetables and some cheese and, maybe some herbs or spices. The veggies don’t necessarily have to be sautéed, But, doing so varies the flavor profile if you want to take that route. I typically include any combination of onion, garlic, green or red bell pepper, poblano pepper, spinach, celery, carrots, mushrooms, or other vegetables in whatever ratio you’d like, and you can use whatever kind of meat(s) and cheese(s) you prefer. This meal also serves dual purposes. Not only does making complex variations of omelets allow me to continue to impress my family, but, I also do my best to reduce waste and keep our house like the ocean: everything eventually gets eaten.
The omelet in the video started with sautéed red bell pepper, red onion and fennel bulb. I then decided to chop up one of my freshly made venison Chorizo patties. I made these last weekend with my “sausage deer.” (You can checkout that discussion in another recent post on my “Pro-tips” page and my Chorizo recipe is on page 111 of my book, “Changing The Game.”) Mixed in some goat cheese and cheddar, and then combined these with the beaten eggs and some salt and freshly ground black pepper to create a wonderful offering of forgiveness for my family members to enjoy. And yes, this “event” with some hazelnut flavored coffee was more than enough to say “I love you.”
Dirty Omelets
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced vegetables
- 1/3 cup finely chopped, meat such as ham, cooked sausages or bacon, or leftovers
- 5 to 8 extra-large eggs or an equivalent portion of egg whites, beaten
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (FGBP), plus your choice of other herbs and spices
- shredded, sliced, or cubed cheeses
Instructions
- Heat 1-½ teaspoons of the oil in an 8 or 10-inch non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté until soft or caramelized or however else you desire them to come out; set aside. You can also add the meat to warm it up during this step.
- To create each omelet, heat about ½ teaspoon of the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the desired portions of the meat and vegetables and mix for about 1 minute. Pour the desired portion of the beaten eggs over this mixture and mix it in evenly so the other ingredients become embedded into the beaten egg as it cooks. Add the salt, FGBP, and other seasonings.
- Lift the sides of the egg with a spatula so they don’t stick to the pan while tilting the pan as needed to cook the egg evenly. Add the cheese after a portion of the egg has begun to solidify. Fold the omelet in half or into thirds, cook for a few seconds more to further melt the cheese, and plate it. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the other omelet(s).
Notes
There are a number of different factors that determine how I select what goes into one of my dirty omelets. The first and most determining factor is what am I in the mood for and what would Sue enjoy eating that morning. A close second is, what is in the fridge that I want to use before it goes bad, hence my reference to the ocean, above. It really does pain me to waste food, especially when hunger is still such an issue with some families and in many parts of this world. This is one of the reasons I wrote “Changing The Game.” So, those families that rely on game as a food source or to supplement such, can really enjoy it. Thirdly, I’m considering the environment in which we will be dining. What I mean by environment is the atmosphere. The example I referred to above, Valentine’s Day, was cold and it was winter. I caramelized the veggies beforehand and then paired them with my smoked Chorizo which has a bold yet delicately-orchestrated flavor profile. I also threw in some goat cheese to add a surprise of creaminess to the omelet.
For different scenarios, such as eating on the deck or out back during warmer weather, I may not sauté the vegetables and may use a more delicate meat such as ham or prosciutto to achieve a flavor and that compliments the atmosphere. So, however “dirty” you decide to make your omelet, enjoy the ride and bring the family along.
