Omelet with hazelnut

This is the time of year when people grab hold of tradition for comfort and strength when the days grow short and the nights cold and damp, a darkness and dampness that can creep into the soul and ruin the holidays, if you are not careful. I wasn't thinking about this when Juliette suggested an omelet the other day, but it occurs to me that traditions are habits that become deeply ingrained. I am often called into service with my trusty omelet pan on days when a quick meal is desired for whatever reason, but especially (or so I like to think) when the day needs a little noontime kicker. On this particular dark and rainy day around solstice time, a jazzy omelet was more in order than usual. I had to deliver, so I quit thinking about it. Soon I was up to my ears in creating what might become a holiday tradition, because it did sparkle up the day.

First I chopped an onion and while it sizzled gently in the omelet pan (olive oil and a good teaspoon of curcumin), I went to the frigo to scout for a side dish and found a small head of broccoli, much too small for us to share. So I dug around and located a large black radish and a couple of good-looking carrots. I cut and sliced until I had a good colorful pile in the steamer. I gave the onions a stir and turned the heat down to let them braise a bit.

But I still had not come up with an idea for a making the omelet sing.

"Do we have any sprouts ready?" I asked Juliette when she passed through the kitchen. A good handful of sprouts, as I well know, can save a dying omelet.

"On the back porch, one tray of mung beans. They're really not what you'd call 'sprouted,' just soft and plump."

"Perfect."

I cracked four large organic eggs into a bowl and while I was absorbed in the dexterity involved, it hit me. Hazlenut powder. This will give the eggs an incredible aroma and flavor, a perfect compliment to the nuttiness I expect from the mung beans. I turned up the heat under the omelet pan and began stirring the hazlenut powder into the sauteed onions. When the mixture began to really bubble, I poured in the eggs. When the omelet was set but still runny in the middle, I put the mung bean sprouts across the omelet and turned the heat down. When the eggs had firmed up and the sprouts were hot, I folded the omelet over onto a plate.

to be continued