Monday, November 9, 2009

Comfort Food: Jelly Omelette


A week ago Friday, as I was cleaning out the tub for baby girl's bath, I slipped on a patch of water and fell into the tub. I dislocated my shoulder in the process and then, Lethal Weapon style, proceeded to pop it back in. That's about the only cool thing about this.

Unfortunately, I'll be in a sling for the next few weeks, unable to type with more than one hand, unable to cook and, most depressing, unable to care for baby girl like I usually do.

Luckily, the hubby and our lovely nanny have been stepping up admirably. The hubby keeps a crazy schedule, but he makes sure he's home to put baby girl to bed and cook us dinner. He's been doing the dishes and the laundry and he's only gotten frustrated once or, maybe, twice.

The only other cool thing out of this experience is the hubby has reintroduced me to the jelly omelette. Jelly? Omelette?? Blech!!! You might say. And, to be sure, that is what I myself said 10 years ago when the hubby first spoke of it and then cooked it for me. I was convinced omelettes should be savory, filled with cheese and mushrooms and herbs. But no, in the hubby's family, an omelette is a sturdy egg pancake, slathered with jam and then rolled up. It reminds me of a crepe, but light and fluffy with a delightful hint of jam sneaking into every bite. Another plus is baby girl couldn't get enough of it. The little pig'ums ate an entire one herself. Do me a favor and give these a go for breakfast this weekend. I guarantee they will become a family classic.



Jelly Omelette
(My genius mother-in-law created these in an effort to get her children to eat eggs and boy did it work. It worked so well that my husband didn't even know there was any other kind of omelette until he went away to school. I recommend using the best eggs you can and the best jam. We use lovely pasture raised eggs from Bradley Farm and homemade strawberry and raspberry jams from this summer's berry bounty.)


What You'll Need:
2 Eggs per serving
A dash of milk per serving
Salt
pat of butter
Great jam

Like any omelette, these must be made per person so get out all of your smaller frying pans. We have two and generally make three so it's a bit of a balancing act. I'll just lay it out for one and then you can figure out the best balance for you and your family.

Place a frying pan over a medium high heat and add a pat of butter. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and milk and salt to taste. Pour into the pan and, after a minute or two, once the egg has set cover and turn down the heat. Cook over a low heat until the omelette is set and cooked through. You can also try flipping it but this is a hazardous undertaking. I've won and lost many a battle with the frying pan.

To serve, slide out the omelette onto a plate and pour a generous line of jam down the middle. Roll it up and enjoy!!

Approximate Dinner Cost:
Groceries: $1
Cost per Meal: A dollar or less!

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17 comments:

  1. That's no fun! It's hard enough caring for your baby without an arm in a sling. I hope you recover soon.

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  2. I loved jelly omelettes as a kid! Will have to try again soon. Saturday I made Mark Bittman's recipe for Sweet Omelettes (add a bit of flower, pinch of salt, and bake). Delicious, but a bit sweet for the main part of a breakfast plate.

    Best of luck with the shoulder!

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  3. Hmmm. An omelette with jam is a definite challenge for my French-trained taste buds. What I like about an omelette is the way the uncooked egg on top tastes with the filling of mushrooms. I applaud your mother-in-law for having resolved the issue of getting her kids to eat eggs, and think that might work for other parents with a similar problem, but, in this house, I think we will stick with a more traditional filling.

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  4. You know, I've seen these on diner menus for years and always wondered...with a slight repulsion. But I trust you, Peggy and I'll give it a whirl.

    What do you think about adding cream cheese to it?

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  5. Thanks everyone for the great comments!

    Alexandra, I was a skeptic too!

    Sarah, cream cheese would probably be a wonderful addition. Let me know how it goes!

    Andreas, would love a copy of that recipe:)

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  6. My dad used to make us jelly omelettes when we were kids. I haven't had them since then. But I just might try one again with cream cheese added. That's a great idea!

    PS. Hope your shoulder heals soon. Ouch!

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  7. Peggy-
    Loved the idea of a jelly omelet. I used to make crepes for the entire family with jelly smeared in the middle. Everyone loved it. Must try your suggestion.

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  8. I've a friend whose family comfort food was/is to make these and put between toast as a sandwich. I like the idea of adding cheese.

    sending good thoughts as your shoulder heals. been there with that sort of injury and ended up with tendonitis in wrists from using them so awkwardly while recovering, so saying, treat yourself gently.

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  9. This sounds really good, now that I've read your description (I was pausing at "jelly" but "really good jam" is a different story). I've been eating a lot of eggs lately and finding that they agree with my digestion better in the morning than, say, toast...

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  10. Thank you for all the healing thoughts! I desperately need them as this one handed typing thing is terrible.

    Kerry, I love that your friend made a sandwich out of it. Will have to try!

    Jennifer, I find eggs are a better first morning food for me as I tend to get really hungry really fast if I just eat carbs.

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  11. At first I was a little grossed out, but this sounds delicious! Maybe ricotta cheese in place of cream cheese? Yum! Hope your shoulder heals!

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  12. My husband loved this type of thing...I thought it was something he'd created but turns out lots of people love it, too. The photo you show makes it look quite lovely.

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  13. Hmmmm. Reading through the comments, I like the idea of adding cream cheese too. At first pass, I thought these might taste awful, but the combo makes sense--much like a crepe without all the work. I'll try these this weekend. Thanks for the idea!

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  14. I'm a 7 time dislocation veteran, myself. Never fun. I started having them when I rolled over in bed, so they had to reconstruct that side.

    I suspect Frugal Man would LOVE a jelly omlette. He eats masses of jam. We'll have to try this one when we get back to NZ.

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  15. I love this! Your mother-in-law sounds brilliant. ;)

    I'm so sorry to hear about your slip! That sounds ridiculously painful. Here's to speedy healing.

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  16. Stephanie, she is a genius and a love too:)

    It really is just like a crepe only fluffier.

    Frugal Kiwi, OMG!!! I can barely get through 1 dislocation. I cannot imagine 7. Oy!

    Thanks for the photo love, Meredith!

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  17. Haha what a peculiar recipe, i'll have to give it a try! thanks!!

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