spinach & cheese omelet with croutons

Omelets take 10 minutes, they are healthy, they are good for breakfast lunch or dinner, and they are creative. The only thing you need for a perfect one is fresh eggs and a nonstick pan, but I discovered an idea in Sunset that goes one level more: put croutons inside. They turn the omelet into a meal and the crunch is totally satisfying.

ingredients

2 eggs
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
olive oil
1 green onion, thinly sliced, or 2 tablespoons chopped chives
about 1/3 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Jack, Asiago, gruyere, goat or feta)
handful good-quality croutons

directions

Beat eggs in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Put the spinach into a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup (pack it in tight) and microwave for 1 minute on high (or saute it in pan in a little olive oil if you prefer); chop spinach. Set cooked spinach alongside stove. Put the plate you will serve the omelet on there too.

Coat the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch nonstick skillet with olive oil (about 1-1/2 tablespoons) and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion or chives and stir until they start to sizzle and you can smell them. Pour in the beaten eggs and reduce heat to medium. Cook until eggs start to set at the edges, then lift the cooked edge with a rubber spatula and tilt the pan to let the uncooked egg flow underneath. Work around the perimeter of the omelet, doing this a few times, until there are no pools of raw egg on the surface (it will still be moist though) and all the edges are loosened.

Scatter cheese over entire surface of the omelet then spread cooked spinach over half the omelet. Spread the croutons over the spinach. Let omelet cook about 1 minute more to melt cheese, then slide omelet onto the plate, tilting pan so the area with spinach and croutons hits the plate first. Lift the pan to flip the unfilled half over the other filling. It’s okay if a few croutons fall out on plate. Eat immediately.