Quick Cheese Omelet

I have been wanting to cut back on meat while still maintaining a high level of protein in my diet. I've also gotten tired of spending so much time preparing lunch. I just found a solution to both of these problems. This is a pretty quick way to prepare a serving (or more, if you scale up the ingredients) of a big dose of delicious protein. I generally throw together a big salad and grab some pieces of fruit, so here's the protein (and some fat) to balance it out.

This omelet is remarkably good for how easy and healthy* it is.  You could add sauteed (onions, garlic, zucchini, etc etc) and it would no doubt be even more delicious, but then it would no longer be in the super-easy category. I was going for something with lots of protein that really just involves throwing a few things together, and throwing it in the oven.

* "healthy" certainly means different things to different people. I'm currently shooting for a zone/paleo diet, preferably with organic, free-range ingredients: minimize grains, sugars, and starchy foods; get an equal balance of fat, carbs, protein (or extra protein) at each meal. I have no problem with fat, unless it's trans fat.

Ingredients
2 lg free-range eggs
1 oz cheese, chopped into small pieces (1 oz = the size of a processed cheese slice) (I used fontina slices from TJ's- very creamy)
~ 2/3 c. fat-free cottage cheese
1-2 T crumbled goat cheese
a little butter, to grease the pan
seasoning: I've used a spice blend with mustard seed, onion, garlic, paprika, chili powder; a tbsp of grainy mustard was also good, as well as a coriander... there is definitely room for experimentation with spices here.


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a small oven-safe dish (I used a round, flat pyrex dish about 5" across)
Crack eggs into medium bowl. Whisk until blended.
Stir in cottage cheese and fontina (or other chopped cheese), as well as salt and pepper, and grainy mustard, if using.
Pour egg mix into dish. Sprinkle goat cheese on top, followed by spices (red spices look especially nice).
Bake for ~20 min or just until set. You can broil for the last min to get a nice golden brown top if desired. Let cool for a few min and serve; or let cool entirely, and pack for lunch!

Nutrition Info:
408 calories
22.5 g fat
5 g carbs
40 g protein

Apple cheddar ham omelet

 

 This omelet was loosely inspired by a Spanish omelet, but I didn't have potatoes, so I used apples instead, and added some ham and cheese and fresh basil.  The sweetness of the apples with the saltiness of the ham and sharp cheddar are a delicious combo.

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced

~3 T olive oil

8 eggs

2 small apples, chopped or sliced thin (I used fuji; a little sweetness is good)

chopped fresh basil (3-4 T)

some chopped ham, as much as you want in there

1 c shredded sharp white cheddar

S + P to taste

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet (12") (you might want to scale down the ingredients if using a smaller one). saute the onions for ~3 minutes on medium heat. Add the apples, and saute both until lightly browned. 

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in the cheese, ham, half the basil, S + P, apples and onions.

[Preheat oven to 350]

Make sure the skillet is heated to medium heat (with some oil or a little bacon grease if you have it), then pour the egg mixture in and immediately turn the heat to low; cook for five minutes. 

Move it to the oven and bake until set and lightly browned; ~10 min.

If it looks like it's set but not browned, broil to finish for a minute or two.

Garnish with basil and serve hot.