Just One More

Omelet - Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown at the Food Network

3 eggs Salt 1 tsp room temperature butter, plus ½ tsp for finishing omelet ½ teaspoon fresh chopped chives

Crack warm eggs into a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat with a fork. Heat a 10" skillet or medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add butter and brush around the surface of the pan. Pour eggs into center of pan and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula for 5 seconds. As soon as a semi-solid mass begins to form, lift the pan and swirl around to distribute the excess liquid egg pours into the pan. Using your spatula, move around the edge of the egg mixture to help shape into a round and loosened edge. Let omelet sit in pan for 10 seconds without touching.

Shake pan to loosen omelet for the bottom of the pan. Lift up the far edge of the pan and snap it back toward you. Using your spatula, fold over 1/3 of the omelet. Slide it onto a plate and fold over the other third, so that the omelet is a tri-fold. Coat with remaining butter and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

Okay, this is not Alton's or even Julia Child's omelet. The poor girl is probably rolling over in her grave. But I'm just a lowbrow food blogger, and a purist only when it's convenient. I like STUFF in my omelet, but really I was looking for a way to use up the last of this week's asparagus.

I chopped several stalks of asparagus on a bias and pan-seared them in some hot olive oil for about 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently. I drained them and set them aside while I used the same pan to cook the egg (don't forget to add butter before cooking them). Just before I made the first 1/3 flip of the omelet, I added the asparagus and some grated cheese, in this case, smoked gouda. Then I followed the remainder of Alton's procedures. Want a pretty plate? Slice some fresh strawberries and fan out on the sides of the dish. Blueberries would have been good too. Ooh! Raspberries AND blueberries! Okay, I'm getting carried away here.

So, cooking for one still sucks, but the dishes don't have to. Next time you're home alone and want a quick, easy meal for yourself, you know where to turn.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food