A few days ago, Laura learned how to make sun-dried tomatoes. It’s not terribly difficult to do this – it just takes a lot of time and patience. And a good amount of plum tomatoes, which we have. If you’re interested in making your own, take a quick look at this recipe. It’s only a few steps.
– Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
– Wash and halve tomatoes. Gently squeeze out the seeds. Place the tomatoes on a non-stick cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
– Bake until tomatoes take on a leathery texture. This could literally take all day; smaller pieces will require less oven time.
All these recipes are similar, but this particular one was found at AllRecipes.
The best part about drying out plum tomatoes in a low heat is that they become very sweet and are perfect for salads, sandwiches and, well, omelets. And what’s really cool is that there’s a trick to take advantage of in the summertime. Instead of consuming all that electricity from using your oven, place the tomatoes and baking sheets in a vehicle on a hot sunny day. We use my truck, since it’s black. I’d say the temperature outside was around 85 degrees and the tomatoes dried out for at least 8 hours per day. It took two days and only an hour in the oven to create some really delicious little pieces of fruit.
Since we had these tomatoes and a few other ingredients left over from previous recipes, I decided to make an omelet. I’ve been doing this for years and I felt it was high time to share a simple recipe.
The Recipe
I wouldn’t say there’s anything terribly challenging about this recipe. It’s straightforward and is mighty flexible when it comes to which ingredients you’d like to include. Many omelet recipes call for cheeses such as Monterey Jack and Parmesan, but since I had a good chunk of queso fresco sitting in the freezer from the quesadilla recipe I recently shared, I thought I’d use that. It was the perfect choice, due to its salty nature.
I also decided to go ahead with asparagus because it was on sale at the grocery store. So, the cheese, tomato and the asparagus, mixed with some sweet onion, made for a truly filling and satisfying lunch omelet.
Ingredients
Makes: 1 Large Omelet to be Split in Two
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 Pound Asparagus, Trimmed and Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
6 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Half and Half
1/2 Pound Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Ounces Queso Fresco Cheese, Crumbled
Step-by-Step Instructions
This omelet is just as delicious if you leave out or add to some of the primary ingredients (tomato, asparagus, onion, cheese). If you’d rather use Monterey Jack or something like Gruyere, that’s totally up to you. Instead of the salty freshness of the queso fresco, you’ll enjoy something more smooth and elastic. In my opinion, they’re all great.
Prep all Ingredients
Since this is a fast moving recipe, everything should be prepped beforehand. I did this and snapped a few photos for you to enjoy.
Cook Asparagus & Onion
Warm a large 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and when it’s melted and the pan is to temperature, add the asparagus and onion. Also add a pinch of salt and a pinch or two of pepper. Cook, while stirring, for about 5 minutes or until both of these ingredients are tender. At the end, add the lemon juice and stir that in as well.
When finished, remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the ingredients to a bowl for later use. Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet if necessary. As I was making this recipe, nothing stuck to the skillet, so it wasn’t necessary for me to wipe it out.
Cook Eggs
Break all 6 eggs into a bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of half and half, along with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper to the bowl as well. Whisk everything well.
Warm the skillet over medium-low heat and melt the other tablespoon of butter in it. When the pan is to temperature, add the egg mixture and cover. Since the temperature is so low, things will take a few minutes to cook, but keep your eye on it. The cover will trap the heat in the skillet and will cook the eggs somewhat uniformly. When you see the liquid at the top of the eggs firm up, turn the heat off.
Also, since the pan has already been used and is well buttered, the omelet shouldn’t stick at all. If it does, carefully loosen it up with a spatula. Really, you shouldn’t have any issues, unless the pan was dirty and the heat was too high.
Add Fillings
In this order, evenly distribute the sun dried tomatoes, then the asparagus and onion mixture and finally the queso fresco cheese to the top of the eggs.
After you add these ingredients, cover the skillet again and let sit for a few minutes until the cheese looks like it’s beginning to melt. The heat from the pan should warm everything up.
Fold, Cut & Serve
After everything has warmed, tilt the pan and slide the omelet onto a cutting board. Fold it over and cut it in half. Plate, serve and enjoy.
The Final Omelet
I’m not kidding when I tell you I could eat one of these omelets every day for the rest of my life. I absolutely love them. Of course, I’d mix up the ingredients so I don’t get bored, but you get the idea. Give this one a try and let me know what you think.
Interested in more omelet recipes? If so, check out these posts:
Vegan Chickpea Omelet – Fork and Beans
Healthy Caprese Omelet Recipe | Wellness Mama
Vegan Omelet | Minimalist Baker Recipes
Breakfast Burrito Omelet Recipe | She Wears Many Hats
Mexican Egg White Omelet | Gimme Some Oven
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I will make it with egg whites.