Rolled Spinach and Cheese Omelettes

My original plan was just to scramble some eggs and keep it simple. Then I remembered that I had some ricotta and Parmesan in the fridge. I also had some chopped frozen spinach in the freezer that I tossed into the microwave to thaw. As I went outside to pick some parsely I realized that my plans were quickly snowballing out of control.

Making things worse, I wasn’t going to be satisfied with a regular omelette (or omelet? Wikipedia says omelette, so I’m sticking with it). Folding it in half is so predictable. Maybe rolling it is cliché, but I have never had a rolled omelette, so I felt cool coming up with the idea.

Feel free to add anything you want to your version, bits of bacon, ham, vegetables… Keep in mind that these omelettes are thinner than regular ones, so rolling large or chuncky things would probably just cause it to tear. I’m happy with how this turned out, especially because I wasn’t even trying to do anything original when I started. In the end this was more complicated than scrambled eggs, but still easier than a real omelette.

Spinach and Cheese Omelette

Ingredients
3 eggs – 1 per omelette
milk – a splash per egg, about a tablespoon per egg
salt and pepper
frozen chopped spinach
olive oil or butter
any cheeses on hand: ricotta, Parmesan
parsley (for garnish) (Now that I have a plant of this stuff I tend to toss it everywhere.)
salsa

Directions

1. Break three eggs into a mason jar, add a splash of milk and a pinch of salt, cover and shake–presto scrambled eggs.
2. Put enough spinach for three omelettes (about 2 tablespoons per omelette) into a bowl and microwave until warm.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add a splash of olive oil (~1 tsp) (or butter for more awesome taste) and swirl to coat the skillet.
4. Add about one third of the egg mixture and swirl to coat the skillet. This will be a thin omelette, that’s fine. Let it cook until it sets, this will happen fairly quickly (~1 min). Flip it as soon as you think it has set enough to handle.
5. Spread about a tablespoon of ricotta, a teaspoon of Parmesan, a few cracks of black pepper and a good pinch of the spinach over the open omelette. Transfer to a large plate.
6. Once on the plate roll the omelette into the spiral you see below and repeat steps 4-6 with the other two omelettes.
7. Serve with the salsa and some chopped parsely. Enjoy your breakfast.

Spinach and Cheese Omelette

Southern style cast iron cornbread.

Cooking cornbread in a cast iron skillet with a few tablespoons of hot oil encourages the formation of a crisp crust and prevents burning. Because cast iron retains heat well, you can take the cornbread from the oven to the table and serve. Any remaining portions are kept warm until people inevitably reach for seconds.

I can’t speak highly enough of the versatility of a cast iron skillet, but if you don’t have one, you can make this in a cake pan.

Southern style cast iron cornbread.

Cast Iron Cornbread
Makes about 12-15 servings.
I use a 12” cast iron skillet, but this recipe can be halved and cooked in a 9 or 10 inch skillet or cake pan.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups corn meal (I used yellow, but white or blue are OK)
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal (this texture is like coarse ground coffee)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
1 can (14 ounces) creamed corn
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 or 2 jalapeños, minced (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F and put a 12” cast iron skillet on the middle rack of the oven.
2. Whisk the corn meals (both fine and coarse grinds), salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda together in a mixing bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Then add the creamed corn and minced jalapenos.
4. Add all the dry mixture to the wet and stir to combine. If the dough is too thick, add some more buttermilk or water. If it is too thin, add more cornmeal. The texture should not be smooth like bread dough or cake batter, but more like a loose mortar.
5. Working quickly so that the pan does not lose much heat, remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Pour in the 4 tablespoons of canola oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Then pour all the cornmeal batter (it will sizzle) into the pan and return it to the oven for 25 minutes.
6. After 25 minutes check the dough, it should be golden, a little broken from the leavening that occurred, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If you don’t have any toothpicks (I don’t), gently and quickly press down on the top of the bread, if it rebounds, the bread it done.

Reheating tips: One of the best things about this cornbread is the crispy crust; therefore, warming it in the microwave doesn’t do it justice. Here is a reheating trick to make it taste like it just came out of the oven. Heat a serving or two in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to just warm the bread through. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium heat on the stove top. Once the skillet is hot, add a drop of oil, swirl, and place the cornbread in the pan. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute.

Potato Chips

For the longest time I actually never liked potato chips. I have always loved tortillia chips, but potato chips… I dunno, they never really did much for me. I found Pringles to mediocre and generic, Ruffels kinda turn into a paste and get stuck in your teeth, Lay’s failed to impress me. But then, someone gave me some Cape Cod chips and a whole new world was opened to me. After those, I started to like chips!
One thing I haven’t done is make a batch myself though. Now, I’ve made french fries (thick and thin cuts) but I just haven’t got around to frying up a bunch of potatoes in chip form. Deep frying something always feels like an event. I have to use a big pot, regulate the temperature, keep a close eye on it, bandage up my hand when I spill hot oil all over it… Well, that last part hasn’t happened, but deep frying still feels like it’s a lot of trouble.

Potato Chips

That’s why when I saw this in the archives of The Kitchn, I knew I had to try it. Potato chips in the microwave! Simple. Easy. No oil or fat. All you have to do is slice a potato. Obviously, if you have a mandoline, that part is made even easier, but a chef’s knife will get the job done just fine. And all the cooking is done in the microwave, so don’t complain about it being hard to cook.
As for the taste, they are good. They don’t have quite the same taste as fried chips (no oil, obviously), but they do have a great crisp and crunch. It probably wouldn’t be worth trying to make a large batch for a crowd, but if you are looking for a quick snack, this definitely hits the spot.

Potato Chips

Microwave potato chips

a potato (or as many as you want to eat)
salt/pepper or any other seasoning

1. Cut the potato (the thinner the better, for people who like measurements: 1/16 of an inch is good. Stay under 1/8 of an inch. For you metric fans, go for about 2mm.)
2. Put in the microwave on double layered paper towels for 3 minutes, full power.
3. Flip the chips, drop the power to about 60% and cook again. Repeat this step until they start to look golden. Some may cook faster than others–take those out first.
4. Let them sit 20 seconds or so, they will crisp up a bit more on their own. Enjoy!