When I was growing up, my dad would make this intense breakfast item that he called "Spaghetti Omelet". It sounds a little weird, I know, but it was soooo good. Spaghetti omelet was the result of repurposing leftover spaghetti from a night or two before. Dad would mix up a few eggs, add some olive oil, oregano, black pepper, a bit of salt and a LOT of parmesan cheese. To this concoction, he would stir in the cold spaghetti, then butter up a frying pan and pour in the batter in batches. The cheese would melt and bubble, the egg would get firm and the little bits of spaghetti that stuck out of the egg mixture would get nice and crispy. I think he may have even melted more cheese on top. Omelet was a term used loosely as we did not fold it over and add a filling, like a traditional omelet would. I was never a big egg fan, but when it came with spaghetti, I was all over it! Of course, it was pretty much all cholesterol.
I have such a fond nostalgia around that omelet, however, that I wanted to create something that satisfied that childhood memory, but would actually be healthy, and of course, vegan. After much consideration, I decided to omit spaghetti and opt for spaghetti squash. With fall right around the corner, early crops of hard squash are starting to appear. They are still on the smaller side, so it was really easy to find the perfect sized squash. The one I selected was only about a pound and I used just a little over half of it for the recipe below. To replace the cheese, I merely incorporated nutritional yeast to keep it as healthy as possible. If you want to splurge a little, feel free to add your favorite vegan cheese to it. Parmela is a great substitute for parmesan and Daiya or Teese would be a good to melt on top.
Dad's Spaghetti Omelet
Ingredients
For the squash
1 small spaghetti squash, about 1 pound (you'll use about 1 cup of cooked pulp)
1 Tablespoon chickpea flour
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
a few dashes salt and freshly ground pepper
For the omelet
1/2 Cup chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
(add more herbs, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or black salt for a more eggy taste)
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
dash of cayenne
3/4 Cup water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds*. Place face down on a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, or until you can easily insert a fork into the skin. Flip over; using a fork, scrap the flesh out so that you get spaghetti like strands.
3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the omelet and mix. Add water and whisk until well mixed and no large lumps remain; a few small ones are okay. Set aside for ten minutes to allow to thicken slightly.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of squash pulp with remaining squash ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold this into the omelet batter after it has sat.
5. Warm a medium skillet and brush with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Omelet works best with a non-stick pan.** Pour a third of the batter onto the heated pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and cook for 5 minutes. Touch the top of the omelet to check for doneness. It should be firm and slightly moist, but not sticky. Flip and cook on the other side for three minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.
Makes 3 omelets, about 5 or 6 inches in diameter.
*Note 1: It is fairly easy to cut a small squash in half. If using a larger, denser squash, you will want to poke holes into the skin with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes to soften, then carefully cut open. You could also wait until it is fully cooked to cut in half, but it will be harder to scoop out the seeds.
**Note 2: Please make sure your non stick pans are non toxic. For more on selecting equipment, check out my previous blog post.
No comments:
Post a Comment