Our family spends a lot of time discussing finances and budgeting. My husband and I want our five children to fully grasp the concepts of working hard, saving money and limiting expenses.
Last month, our eldest child graduated.
I can’t even begin to tell you the emotions that go along with that, but one evening last week, reality set in for him. As we gathered around our kitchen island he said, “Mom, you’re really going to have to help me with my food budget when I’m in college. I don’t want to just live on Ramon noodles all day long. You can send me coupons.”
Since he is preparing to live in an on-campus apartment next year in order to save money on room and board, we started to brainstorm ways that he could easily plan out his meals and save money, without becoming a gourmet chef.
One of the ideas that topped my recommendations was not just frugal, but the “perfect” healthy food: eggs.
Incorporating enough protein into the diets of my growing young men is always a concern of mine, so I’ve taught all of our children how to whip up eggs in varying forms. We have fresh eggs from our very own chickens, so my kids have no choice but to learn how to use them. Our latest endeavor was mastering the omelet. Hopefully, this is one of those recipes that will take him through college and beyond.
I love omelets because you can really incorporate so many of the food groups if you choose. Omelets allow you to work in healthy options like veggies, cheese and lunch meats. Making omelets may seem a tad tricky at first, but once you’ve mastered the basic technique, there are endless variations.
Our son’s delicious, but in process, omelet
One of the best tips I can give for beginning omelet makers is to start small. As you can see by the picture of my son’s turkey, cheese and tomato omelet, it can be challenging for beginners to flip and maneuver a large omelet. But even if your first attempt doesn’t look picture perfect, it’s sure to be delicious.
Then, after the omelet mastery, I’ll move onto my Oh, so easy, Egg Puff Recipe and Elegant, but Easy, Egg Bake, both which take about five minutes of prep time, and are perfect for company.
Basic Omelet
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water or milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon butter
Additions
Cheese (any kind)
Meat (smoked sausage, sliced turkey, ham, bacon or any of your favorites)
Vegetables (fresh, fried, sautéed or even in a cream sauce)
Directions:
1. Beat eggs and liquid together, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat butter in the skillet over medium heat. As soon as the butter is sizzling, but before it browns, pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir for about 30 seconds with a fork.
3. Lift the cooked part of the omelet so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. As soon as the eggs set on the bottom, but are still soft and creamy on the top, add in your variations, then press the skillet handle down and let the omelet slide toward you, so you can flip the omelet over toward the center of the pan.
4. Quickly tilt the pan in the opposite direction and allow the omelet to slide partially out of the pan so you can flip it out and over to the waiting plate. You should now have a perfectly shaped oval omelet.
I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it is to create new variations.
Omelet making is one of those skills that make my high school sons now feel like the “real deal” in the kitchen.
What are your favorite omelet fillings?
And what meal would you teach your son if he asked for help?
I can’t wait to see what you are cooking up in the kitchen.
(As always, link up, link back here in your post, limit it to two, no recipe carnivals or giveaways, then browse around and spread some comment love to your favorite bloggers.)
I adore mushrooms and peppers in mine! I also like to top mine with salsa to punch up the veggies!
I like veggies in mine too! Confession: I’ve never made one! Thanks for sharing YOUR recipe, and for allowing us link up our own. 🙂
I’ve been working with my son (8 1/2) this summer to learn some basic cooking. I share a lot of ways to cook veggies (or just prepare them raw) so hopefully he won’t avoid them in later years!
We love mushrooms, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini in our omelets. Oh, broccoli is great too.
The first meal I taught my sister how to make when she moved into her own apartment was a three cheese ziti. The recipe makes an 9×13 pan, so we made the whole thing and then she froze it in single serving sized portions that she could just reheat in her dorm room kitchen!
I want to know why I never break the yolks when I crack eggs for an omelet, yet when I crack them for fried eggs, I always end up breaking one… Sigh…
Thanks for hosting this link up party.
Have you seen the blog http://collegecookingcrashcourse.blogspot.com/
It is co-written by a mom (who blogs as Frugal Scholar) and her equally frugal son. They have an e-book as well. Most of the recipes can be prepared with just a microwave and/or rice cooker and are mostly made from shelf stable foods that can be ordered through amazon’s grocery site (at one time college students got free Amazon Prime membership. I don’t know if they still do).
I love my omelets with spinach and cheese.
Just another thought would be to prep a bunch of veggies, your choice of meats to keep in your fridge and then you can throw together a ziploc bag omelet really quick!
My son is also learning to cook this summer in preparation for getting his college apartment. He keeps telling me that he’ll just use my cooking blog as his “recipe book.” He has some basic cooking skills (many learned over Boy Scout campfires, but they translate to kitchens) and so far this summer has mastered jambalaya, which means that he’ll be getting his vegetables!
I love almost anything in my omelettes– from hot dogs to veggies. 🙂 Thanks so much for hosting!
We love all sorts of omelets – it’s a great way to use up odds and ends around here! My favorite would have to be guacamole omelet though. Just love the flavors!
I LOVE eggs but hate cooking them!! What kind of pan do you use for your omelets??
I have tried to make them, but have never had them turn out. Eggs for me (all kinds..I’m afraid) either end up over cooked…under cooked..or plain stuck to the pan. We have a gas
stove. Am I cooking at too high of a heat? I am not crazy about teflon..
Thanks Jen, for any tips you can share! Am I the only person who hates to cook eggs?!
Love to order them when dining out..(same goes for seafood, too!!)
-ann
I like to make omelets – my sister taught me how. You almost HAVE to have a teflon pan; the eggs need to slide around in there. And I watched Alton Brown make eggs on the Food network, that helped a lot! 🙂 But my favorite is just a plain cheese omelet. My kids won’t eat eggs plain yet; only in things, so no omelets for them.
My eldest would have to learn to make his own pizzas – they’re his favorite food. Maybe my second son would need to learn to make his own spaghetti & garlic bread; or perhaps just a balogna sandwich. 🙂 That’s his fave right now!
Love your blog, as always, Jen! Keep up the good work!