Classic French Omelette

We recently went to brunch at Misfit in Santa Monica and they had a "French Omelette" on their menu - we were hesitant to order it for fear of it not living up to the incredible omelettes we had enjoyed in Paris last fall.  We asked the waitress if she could describe it and if it was really a "French" omelette - but really, she wasn't going to know if it was what WE had eaten, so we skipped it and had some incredible food nonetheless.

SO, I decided to research this to see if I could make a classic "French Omelette" at home.  I followed these instructions, and I have to say, the results were pretty fantastic (while not quite identical to what we had in Paris).

It's all about using a fork to break up the eggs while cooking (and heavy on the oil/butter - the recipe called for 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter; I would only use 1 tbsp of the oil next time) and freezing the butter ahead of time.  It really doesn't take much time for the little diced cubes of butter to freeze, so just prep and freeze them while you set everything else up.  You'll incorporate half of the butter in with the eggs, and half to the heated oil. 

Have your shredded cheese (and anything else you want to incorporate in your omelette) and lid for your pan ready.  Once the oil/butter mixture is frothy, pour in egg/butter mixture, and slide fork back and forth to break up the eggs while cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.  Push eggs back together with a spatula, top with cheese, then cover for about another minute or two.  Remove from heat, and slide the omelette onto a plate, simultaneously folding it over.  Serve with toast and enjoy!

Dijon Croque Monsieur

My husband had a serious craving for a Croque Monsieur, and in the interest of saving our arteries from sure doom, I decided to make a healthier version at home for dinner... Health being relative here. HealthiER, not healthy, ok? :-)  The mustard in this recipe adds a nice touch of flavor.

I used this great "whole grain & flax" bread from Trader Joe's that I'd never tried before. It is delicious!  So much flavor, comforting, and good for you too.

I always have a jar of this "Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce" (also from Trader Joes) on hand.  It elevates even the simplest sandwich and I'm never without a spare jar in the pantry.  Substitute this for the mustard/mayo mix called for in the recipe if you can get your hands on some.

Instead of sliced ham, I used prosciutto (just because).

When I got home, I realized the gruyere cheese I bought was actually a gruyere-cheddar blend.  Amazing.  With the addition of a slice of low-fat swiss cheese, this turned into a 3-cheese Croque. Monsieur.

Once your sandwich is assembled, coat in egg/milk mixture before grilling in a buttered pan for about 3 minutes on each side (you could skip the egg mixture and just butter the bread for a more classic grilled cheese approach):

Too tired to throw together a salad, I served alongside a sliced up apple which helped cut the heaviness of all the melted cheese... Enjoy!