Smile & Say Cheese ... Cheese Omelet that is!

Are there certain foods that always make you smile? For me, it’s eggs. I love those beautiful orbs, and am happy to scoop them with my fork for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Can you think of a more versatile food? They can be boiled, poached, scrambled, fried, baked, and, as in this case, stuffed. Plus, did you know that many *fancy* restaurants, when hiring a new chef, require the finalists to prepare either simply scrambled eggs or a simple omelet to prove their prowess at the stove top?Omelets, or do you say omelettes, are a meal unto themselves. There are so many varieties ... classic Denver, spicy southwest, bountiful veggie, ham and cheese, brie and onion, seafood medley ... the list is endless! This morning, in the It’s All Gouda kitchen, the omelet of choice was a simply scrumptious cheese one topped off with a spoonful or two of fresh Pico de Gallo. This recipe is my idea of heaven on a plate. Two eggs per omelet and a side of fruit is all that’s needed to create a lovely breakfast feast or luncheon plate. Of course, this also would make for a great dinner or late evening meal. This rolled up bit of heaven will fill you up, but not put your pants buttons at risk. Join me now as we create Cheese Omelets.

Ingredients:

1 scant Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
Seasoned salt (or salt and pepper)
*2 tablespoons freshly shredded cheese (I used Co-Jack)
*NOTE: Please shred your own. The prepackaged stuff doesn’t melt promptly and just can’t compare in taste. Plus, well, it’s my mantra ... shred your own!

Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl, and whisk until uniformly colored. Add water and season salt, and whisk again.In a 10-12 inch non-stick sauce pan, melt the butter into the olive oil over med. high heat.When the butter starts to foam, add all of the eggs at once.The eggs will cook from the outer edges toward the middle.Shake and swirl the pan to get the uncooked eggs to flow to the edges (or turn heat down and cover with a lid for about a minute).Sprinkle the cheese along 1/3 of the egg. Now, using a spatula, prepare to fold the egg into thirds, just like a letter.Slip the spatula underneath the section sprinkled with cheese, and turn it toward the middle. Pick up the pan, and gentle shake the partially folded egg so that it slides toward the inside edge of the pan. Place the edge of the pan onto your serving plate, and with one smooth motion, fold the egg onto itself and onto the plate. DONE! It’s really quite easy and super fast.These are so moist and delicious, just check out that folded edge ... no splitting or cracking here. If you prefer, you can simply fold the egg in half and serve, but I just love the way it looks with the tri-fold.

Garnish any way you like. Today the sun was shining and it felt like summer, so I served mine with a brightly colored Pico de Gallo consisting of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and salt.Mmm, mmm, mmm ... just sink your teeth into this! I’m certain that I made yummy noises.

I just love these. I wasn't able to finish all of mine, but my hubby came to the rescue.Hello you gorgeous thing! Just look at those light, fluffy layers. Plus, like most things here at It's All Gouda, this is gluten-free, all the way, baby! What’s your favorite type of omelet? Pop on over, and I’ll whip one up for you!