Budget Friendly & Protein Packed: Caprese Omelet

An omelet is just about the easiest meal to whip up in a hurry. With this recipe, you can feed four hungry people with fluffy, cheesy omelets, and it’s all ready to serve in just about twenty minutes. This dish is full of fresh flavors and plenty of filling, satisfying protein that will keep you keep you going strong all day. Eggs are one of the best protein sources around, with one large egg containing six grams of high-quality protein, which is 12% of the recommended Daily Value.

What to Serve

The great thing about omelets is that they can be as plain or as fancy as you’d like, depending on what you add as a filling and how you top them. If you’re having a friend over for a late lunch, consider this omelet recipe, a crisp green salad, a baguette and perhaps a flute or two of dry sparkling white wine like champagne, cava or prosecco. Came home late from work and trying to avoid takeout? An omelet can be ready to eat faster than a delivery person can arrive. If you’re an athlete, this is a great weekend brunch recipe, since research has shown that, post-workout, eating high-quality protein, like eggs, in combination with carbohydrates, can help refuel muscles and optimize recovery.

Omelet Technique

There are a few tips you’ll want to follow in order to make sure this omelet is truly egg-cellent. First, make sure to thoroughly mix the eggs together with a whisk or fork before you slide them into your nonstick skillet. They should be light and frothy, with no globs of white or darker yellow visible. To avoid overcooking and possibly toughening your omelet, be sure to heat your sauté pan only to medium heat, no higher.

With this recipe, you won’t have to worry about trying to achieve that perfect “flip” of the omelet in the pan. Instead, after lightly scraping the sides of the eggs toward the center, you’ll allow the raw egg to run out to the sides, cooking perfectly. Add cheese and toppings, then use any heatproof spatula to simply fold one half over the other. Like eggs, cheese is a complete protein, a great source of calcium, and it contains vitamin A, B12, zinc, and phosphorus. This omelet uses roasted cherry tomatoes, but you can use fresh tomatoes if you don’t have time for roasting. Just make sure you give fresh tomatoes a chance to drain, and perhaps even pat them dry with a paper towel after you’ve chopped them. By adding tomatoes, you’re driving up the nutritional profile of your omelet, as they contain the antioxidant lycopene, as well as vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.

Caprese Omelet Recipe

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 20 min.

Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, roasted or cut into fourths

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

8 large eggs

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, separated

¼ cup basil pesto

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, separated

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, whisk eggs until beaten.
3. Spray a small nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add a fourth of the eggs. Cook for 1 minute, then lightly scrape the sides of the egg toward the center, allowing raw egg to run out to the sides.
4. Add a fourth of the tomato mixture on one half of the eggs and 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes. Cook until just set, then use a spatula to fold the omelet over the top. Cook a few seconds, then slide onto a plate.
5. Top omelet with 1 tablespoon pesto, 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and a few tomatoes. Repeat cooking with remaining ingredients and serve.
6. Refrigerate leftovers.