Nan's Farmer Omelet

My husband and I like to experiment with ingredients from our farm, especially over the summer when produce is abundant.  A bit more scarce now from the farm, our ingredients today came to us by way of the grocery store.  Last week Hubby made an omelet with sweet potatoes...it was great.  Today I took his lead and tweaked it a little.....

My husband bought me cast iron skillets a few years ago....they are my go to for most things and are so easy to clean.  You can't use soap on them though....just scrub clean with a kitchen brush and hot water.  Dry them and coat the inside with a little olive or vegetable oil while they are still warm and that's it. 

I'm terrible at flipping omelets....they always fall apart on me.  Many times I will just mix fix them scrambled with whatever I happen to have on hand added in.  Today, I placed a heavy plate over the top of the skillet after the omelet was half done to finish the top off.  Since I used the cast iron skillet, I could have also placed it in the oven to finish cooking, but I didn't want to heat up the entire oven for one skillet. 

Here's the ingredient listing:

Eggs...I used 6 for the entire skillet...for three people and we still had a small amount of leftovers

1/8 Cup Milk

Diced Sweet Potato....1/4 of one small potato

Fresh Garlic...two cloves

Chopped Onion...small

Green Bell Pepper - 1/4 of one pepper

Chopped Kale

Turmeric

Cumin

Garlic Powder

Colby-Jack Cheese, shredded

Olive or other Vegetable Oil

Beat the eggs and milk in a small bowl and set aside.  The milk adds a bit more volume to the eggs, along with extra protein, calcium and vitamins. 

In the skillet, add the oil and heat the pan.  Add the diced potatoes and green peppers to the hot skillet and saute for a few minutes until they start to soften a bit.  Add the onion and garlic and continue to saute until vegetables are tender.  Add the seasoning to the vegetable mixture - I always add garlic powder even though I use fresh garlic all the time as I like the extra flavor.  Turmeric and Cumin are very strongly flavored herbs, so a little goes a long way.  I can't tell you exactly how much I used because I just use my judgement and sprinkle it in, but you can add it to satisfy your individual tastes. 

Add the chopped kale and cook a few minutes longer just until kale wilts down a bit.  Add the eggs, stir the mixture together and let cook without disturbing over a medium flame.  After the eggs start to set up, add the cheese, again to your liking.  It is at this point that I covered the skillet with a heavy plate to finish cooking while I did some dishes.  I would say it cooked for about eight to ten minutes longer, if that.

You can tailor this recipe to suit your tastes, maybe adding some hot pepper or substituting other vegetables. Kale and sweet potatoes are nutrient dense foods, so we eat a lot of them.  

So this was our breakfast, including coffee from our old-fashioned, stove-top drip coffee pot that previously belonged to my grandparents....I believe it dates back to the 1920's-1930's!

A note about Turmeric and Cumin:  

    

      Turmeric is a pungent herb and widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is known for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as being high in anti-oxidants.  It has been used to reduce inflammation of joints as well as to protect the liver from certain toxins.  It is also thought to have anti-cancer benefits, aid in digestion by stimulating the flow of bile and to improve blood circulation by reducing the blood's ability to clot.  Turmeric is generally considered a safe herb, however pro-longed use in higher doses can upset the digestive system. Also, those with certain liver ailments, gallstones, jaundice or congestive heart disease should not use this herb before checking with their physician. ( http://www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com/)

      Cumin, another pungent herb, also has a history in Ayurvedic medicine, is used in digestive health and thought to have anti-carcinogenic properties.  Cumin is also a great source of iron, thus good for the circulatory and immune systems and also metabolism.  (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=91)

I hope you enjoyed this post.  Try out the recipe, share with others and let me know what you think of it!