Omelets: Gluten Free and (Not So) Easy

I will admit: I've been trying to make myself omelets for 20 years. And for the last 20 years I have giggled at myself every time I try to make one. Who in their right mind thinks that they can flip over a circle of egg 8 inches in diameter without it breaking apart? So I keep trying, and I know that professional chefs have got this skill mastered so that their omelets look perfect, but I still end up with ones that look like this: So don't take my advice on the flipping, but you can take my advice on the filling. The great thing about omelets is that you can pretty much put anything you can think of inside of them and they will taste great. I've used ham, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado, spinach, green onion, zucchini, and salsa inside my omelets, and I have yet to be disappointed. And, as a further confession of guilty pleasures, this is the one and only time I ever eat American Cheese. You know the cheese I'm talking about, the one that says pasteurized cheese product on the side and comes in the natural shape of a square. One day I was out of all cheddar at my house and was stuck with only American in the bottom of the fridge drawer for kid's grilled cheese sandwiches, and I just put it in. Mmmm. Melty and delicious with omelets. It melts everything together and almost turns into a sauce when it's finished. So here's my recipe for omelets:

1. Beat three eggs with 2 T milk and one pinch of salt in a small bowl. Heat a frying pan (I use a 10 inch pan) to medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Pour the eggs into the pan and let them set until you can pull the edges on all sides away and the middle is a little bit puffed up.

3. Flip over the eggs in one flip. Laugh at yourself when you fail. Act like Julia Child and just mash it together.

4. On the cooked side of the omelet, choose one half and layer some cheese (on the bottom so that it acts like glue for the other ingredients), veggies (my personal favorites are spinach and tomato) and pre-cooked meat if you want. Then add a little bit more cheese to keep it together.

5. By this time the other side of the eggs should be cooked and dry, so flip up that side over the filling and let it sit until the cheese melts. If you are really tricky you can flip it over onto the other side so that the cheese can melt faster on the top and the bottom doesn't get too brown.

There you have it: the unofficial guide to un-perfect omelets. Leave a comment and let me know, what are your favorite omelet fillings?

Happy eating!