Hearty hobbit omelettes are one of my go-to’s on the weekends, or on a more leisurely weekday morning. At the end of the week, I have leftover greens and garden veggies from the farmers market, in a varying state of freshness. Omelettes are the perfect place to tuck away these vibrant garden gems and pack in the nutrients right at the beginning of my day. I call these “hobbit omelettes” because I make a pretty large one just for myself, usually with at least 4 cups of cooked vegetables, all said and done. I’m delightfully stuffed after such a morning feast, like what I imagine eating a whole piece of lembas bread must feel like.
Nutrition For a Vibrant Morning
Making it easy to get in 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday is a habit I create for folks almost daily. As a nutritionist, it’s rare that I ever catapult people into the 9 servings of fruits and vegetables arena when they’re accustomed to only *maybe* doing two or three. My starting point for them: just eat more. Four servings is better than two, and seven is better than five. Just try to get in more fruits and veggies every day, and soon it’ll become second nature. When I create and recommend recipes to pack in the nutrients, I’m always looking for meals that are simple to prep, whole food based, and interchangeable with whatever you’ve got in the fridge. Vegetable packed omelettes check all of these boxes.
I’ve often imagined that hobbit’s live so long because their diets are grounded within their gloriously lush and meticulously kept gardens. They never skip breakfast (a miserable day that would be indeed), and in fact, they have two! Breakfast is where I always encourage folks to get in at least half of their vegetable and fruit servings daily, so they can always start the day feeling ahead. I love making a hearty morning omelette because it combines great quality protein with the vitamins, minerals and fiber of whatever colorful, leafy vegetables you have the in fridge (or in your garden!). It’s filling, nutritious, delicious, and you can make a different version almost every time.
Concerning Omelettes
I make my hearty hobbit omelettes with lots of herbs and spices to change up the flavors. My spice cabinet is always in a disorganized jumble of handcrafted spice blends from Mountain Rose Herbs…my favorites always gravitating towards the front of the pack. My favorite spice blends to add to omelettes include Mediterranean seasoning, garlic pepper, garam masala, red alaea salt and Himalayan pink salts. These are SO aromatic, and cook up incredibly well when sautéing any vegetables. All organically sourced from around the world, Mountain Rose Herbs salts, seasonings, and spice blends have been my go-to recipe magic additions for years. Spices can transform an omelette into a culinary masterpiece early in the morning, so don’t leave these out!
The quality of your eggs makes a big difference, too. I almost always get my eggs from the local farmers market, with thick shells and bright orange yolks. There’s a huge difference when I use store-bought eggs, with their faint, anemic looking pale yellow yolks and paper thin shells…a good egg is well worth the extra $2 a dozen (and has me dreaming about one day having my own chickens…). Eggs are so nutrient dense, including vitamin D, riboflavin, protein, selenium, lutein, zinc, and the shells are rich in calcium. The health of the chicken is reflective in the nutrient content of the eggs. Thus, supporting farms that truly pasture raise their chickens, exposed to sunlight, fresh air, rotating fields of grass and grown ethically is reflective in their golden little treasures: healthy eggs.
(Go read the “Riddles in the Dark” chapter of The Hobbit, and now you’ll be a leg up on one of Bilbo’s riddles…).
Omelettes technically fold all the greens and veggies inside the cooked egg like a little sandwich, but I’m pretty lax with my terminology. I use non-stick pans and cast iron skillets, making it virtually impossible to flip anything. But if you want a fluffy, flippable omelette, you can add about 1 tbsp of whole milk to the egg mixture and it will be lighter and airier, and if using a non-stick pan (which I don’t recommend from a health perspective), it will cook up beautifully. If you don’t mind a more rustic presentation (as I imagine any hobbit wouldn’t complain about), you can omit the extra dairy, and delight in the pure joy of eating your omelette, topped with sautéed veggies right out of the pan.
No elevenses is complete, of course, without a spot of tea. And I recommend Orange Spice from Mountain Rose Herbs during this introduction into Autumn. Alternatively, blend up your own brew with some Intuitive Tea Blending
