Corn Omeletatta

Serves: 3

By  Michele Redmond, MS, RDN, FAND

What happens when you cross an American omelet with a lazy version of a frittata? You get an Omeletatta, my made-up term for blending egg dishes from two cultures. American omelets made on the cooktop tend to have 2-3 eggs plus fillings, whereas Italian frittatas typically include 8-10 eggs, some dairy ingredients and finish under a broiler.

This Omeletatta uses 6 eggs, has less ingredients than a frittata and cooks completely on the cooktop like an omelet. The flavor profile includes corn and scallions, good sources of free glutamate, or umami-amino acid flavor boosters, and the umami-rich ingredient MSG.

An MSG-salt blend reduces the typical amount of sodium needed for frittatas or omelets by nearly 50 percent, compared to typical omelets and frittatas.

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • MSG-salt blend (⅛ teaspoon MSG + ⅛ teaspoon fine salt) or use ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ cup corn kernels (about ½ of a large corn cob or drained, dried canned or defrosted frozen corn)
  • 1 scallion, white and green parts sliced thin
  • 3 pinches black pepper

Instructions

  1. Crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Add MSG-salt blend and mix with a fork until frothy. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes to help the eggs retain moisture and cook up tenderly.
  2. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add corn, scallions and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes and stir a couple times.
  3. Re-mix the eggs and pour into the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook 6-8 minutes or until the surface firms a bit and is no longer liquid.
  4. Now it’s time to flip. Using a wide plastic spatula, gently loosen the omelet and slide it onto a plate. Using the spatula, place it under the center of the Omeletatta and flip over onto the hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes uncovered.
  5. Transfer to a warm plate and serve hot or warm or cover and put in the refrigerator for later.

Serving Ideas

If storing in a refrigerator, the Omeletatta can last 2-3 days without compromising texture. At room temperature it works well as picnic food. If you reheat in a microwave before serving, use low temperatures and briefly reheat to avoid a dry and rubbery texture developing.

  • Calories: 180
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Protein: 13 g
  • Sodium: 260 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 6 g
  • Fiber: 1 g