The Cheesiest Cheeseless Omelet on Earth

Vegetarianism and veganism fascinate me. Although I don’t ever see myself completely ruling out animal products, I can’t help but be drawn into all of the inventive and novel ingredients, preparation methods, and recipes that make being a vegetarian or vegan so vibrant and exciting. I especially love incorporating these concepts and ingredients – and, often, full recipes – into my own diet and cooking, just to add variety and embrace all of the incredible options we have before us for nourishing ourselves.

One of my more recent purchases has been nutritional yeast flakes. I’m sure I’ve mentioned them before in recipes from this past year. I think I’m still getting used to how to use them properly – I tried adding them to homemade popcorn and they all just fell to the bottom of the bowl, and I’ve scorched them more than once believing I could use them as a faux-cheese topping under the broiler (at least I didn’t think they would melt, but I still don’t know exactly what was going on in my head with that last one). But one recipe I just made was spot on, and I still can’t get over how deliciously savory the whole meal was.

I need a catchy name for this (I’m open to suggestions!), but for now, we’re going to go with the Cheesiest Cheeseless Omelet on Earth. This omelet bites back with its hot sauce and black pepper, and then it apologies for its enthusiasm by offering up a comforting, cheesy flavor that really could fool you if it weren’t for the fact that melty strings of cheese don’t get stuck between your fork and the plate. Feel free to add more vegetables – broccoli in particular would taste phenomenal – but personally, I kind of liked the simplicity of eating it as is. The only other change I would recommend would be to reduce the oil (and, therefore, the calories) if you plan to eat this with a side of some kind – toast, home fries, etc. A full tablespoon for one serving is no laughing matter, but it’s also not something to be too afraid of (think of all those heart healthy fats you’re getting!), especially if you’re eating this omelet on its own without tons of other accompaniments.