Did you know that September is National Mushroom Month? Not one to miss out on one of these food holidays, I was even more excited to hear that this month was all about a food I could really get behind. Sure, when it’s National Cherry Turnover Day, I smile, because cherry turnovers are delicious; but mushrooms? Those have a separate place in my heart, the more practical side that craves health and happiness.
Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of raw mushrooms (though you can sneak small amounts of almost anything into a salad and get me to eat it), but sauté them lightly, chop them up into a sauce, or stuff a big Portobello with just about anything, and you’ll really make my day.
When I saw this recipe for an Indian-spiced mushroom omelet, I had to try it out. We’ve recently discussed how much I love the flavors from Indian cuisine, so add to that one of my favorite vegetables (ok, fungi, technically speaking) and wrap it up in one of my favorite vehicles for a healthy, low-carb meal…this had to be amazing, right?
Well, almost right. I rated this as just being “ok.” I liked every part of it – it was smoky from the spices, fresh from the cilantro in a way that made the intensity from the flavored mushrooms perfectly palatable, and pretty flavorful, too. Just, like other attempts at Indian-inspired food, it lacked a second dimension that it needed to be something truly special. I don’t know if it was the salt I forgot to add (seriously! I was planning to add it, I promise) or what, but something was missing. If anyone wants to take on the challenge and try to figure out what the mysterious missing x-factor is, be my guest! Otherwise, this is still a really solid egg recipe, even if it’s not going to knock you off your feet and leave you raving ‘til next Tuesday.
Other slice-and-bake cookie flavors: Lemon-Thyme and Chocolate-Espresso
Indian Spiced Mushroom Omelet, adapted from What’s for Lunch Honey?
Yield: 1 serving
The Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste
walnut oil, for cooking
scant ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
scant ¼ teaspoon turmeric
scant ¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ pound mushrooms, sliced
½-1 cup loosely packed spinach
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, to taste
The Method
Season the eggs with salt and pepper; set aside.
Meanwhile, add the oil and ground cumin to an omelet-sized pan and heat over medium, 30-60 seconds. Add in the remaining spices, followed by the mushrooms, and stir until they have softened. Add in the spinach during the last minute or so of cooking, just to wilt slightly. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl or plate and set aside.
Add the eggs to the pan, spreading into a thin, smooth layer. As it cooks, lift up the edges to allow the still-liquid portions to come into contact with the pan bottom. When the bottom has turned a golden color, flip the egg to cook the other side.
Optionally season the mushrooms with a little more salt just as the egg finishes cooking. Spread the omelet onto a plate, place the mushrooms down the center as you would a wrap, and top with a sprinkling of cilantro leaves. Fold the narrower sides (re: the ones with less open omelet space) in and roll like “hot dog” style, again, as you would a wrap.
I’ll be sure to bring you lots of healthy and delicious mushroom recipes throughout the month, plus plenty of other fantastic dishes that I’ve been cooking and baking up!
Tweet
Tweet
0 comments:
Post a Comment