Vegan Omelette for One

I’m not a big breakfast eater. In fact, ordinarily I skip breakfast and don’t even miss it. But I’ve been trying to change my ways since finding out that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than people who skip it. In addition to speeding up your metabolism, eating breakfast has also been shown to improve your memory, and as someone whose metabolism has been sluggish longer than I can remember, I’ve decided that I need to become a breakfast person.

The trouble is, whenever I eat the normal breakfast foods, I’m immediately hungry for more. If I eat oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, or even fruit first thing in the morning, I’m ready to eat lunch by 10:00. And again at 12:00! Eating something rich in protein doesn’t seem to have the same effect, so I’ve been trying to eat breakfasts that balance carbs with protein. Often these breakfasts lean toward the untraditional: edamame, chickpeas, even leftover chili or lentil soup. But this morning I had a craving for an omelette, a vegan omelette, and boy am I glad I did. It turned out to be one of the most delicious–and most filling–breakfasts I’ve had in a long time.

If you’re a fan of my Mini Crustless Quiches, you’ll love this recipe because I based it on that one. But unlike the quiches, this omelette takes literally minutes to prepare, if you already have a filling made. Fillings can be as simple as beans and salsa or as elaborate as veggeroni, pizza sauce, and soy cheese. You will be amazed at how the outside sets up while the inside is flavorful and moist.

Vegan Omelette for One
(printer-friendly version)

It’s essential to use a truly non-stick skillet to make the omelet come out of the pan intact. Be sure to oil it and have it hot before you pour the batter into the pan. If the unfortunate happens and your omelet sticks, open-faced omelettes taste good, too!

Also: You may double this recipe but you must divide the batter in half and cook it as two separate omelets. If you try to cook too much at one time, your omelet will not cook properly.

6 ounces (1/2 package) Mori-nu lite silken tofu (or regular extra-firm silken tofu)
1 tablespoon soymilk
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon tahini
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pinch chipotle pepper or smoked paprika (optional)

Also needed:
Omelette filling of choice (have filling warm or at room temperature)

Blend together all ingredients until smooth. (I use a Magic Bullet blender, but you may use any small blender or hand blender. To use a larger blender, you may have to make a double batch.)

Spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and heat on medium-high until very hot. Pour the batter into the center of the skillet in a circular pattern about 6-8 inches across, and use a spoon or spatula to smooth over the top. Place your filling ingredients over the batter, and reduce the heat to low.

Cover and cook for about 2-4 minutes, checking often to see if it’s done. When the edges have dried out, lift a small section with a spatula and check to see that the omelette is set. It will be golden in color, but not browned. When it’s ready, loosen the omelette by sliding the spatula under it from each direction, and then fold one side over the other.

Cook for about one more minute. Carefully lift or slide it onto a plate and serve hot.

I wanted to include vegetables in my breakfast, so I filled my omelette with fresh spinach and mushrooms that I had sautéed beforehand and topped it with a little of the chipotle remoulade leftover from Monday’s black-eyed pea cakes. Mmmmm. It was out of this world!

Makes one serving. Without filling, this provides 157 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (22% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 687mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Tagged as: gluten-free, higher-fat, soy