Introduction: MY SOUTHWESTERN SHRIMP OMELET

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

I call this my Southwestern Omelet . . .it's a hearty omelet filled with fresh gulf shrimp, bell peppers, onions, and a touch of Sargento's Smokey Chipotle Cheddar Jack cheese. Good for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner or at anytime of the day or night!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS

  1. 3 Large Eggs
  2. 1 TBS heavy cream
  3. 2 TBS unsalted butter
  4. 1/4 cup Red onion (or onion of your choice), finely diced
  5. 1/4 cup Bell Pepper, finely diced (I used a mixture of Red and Green Bell Peppers)
  6. 3 ounces medium shrimp; shelled, deveined, cooked and diced
  7. 1 TBS Sarento's Smokey Chipotle Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded (or cheese of your choice) optional
  8. 1/4 teaspoon dried Tarragon
  9. 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  10. 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  11. 1 TBS chopped green onion with top (for garnish)

Step 2: PREPARE SHRIMP

  1. Bring enough water to cover raw shrimp by about 2 inches to a rolling boil.
  2. While the water is heating, prepare a bowl of ice water (an ice bath) in which to place the shrimp the moment they come off the stove. You want to stop the cooking process as quickly as possible once they are done boiling.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning to boiling water, then add the raw shrimp.
  4. Boil just until shrimp begin to turn pink (about 3 minutes) stirring steadily (you don't want to overcook the shrimp - they will be cooked a little more when you add them to the omelet).
  5. After the shrimp have cooled in the ice bath for a couple of minutes, drain, pat dry, and set aside while you continue to prepare the omelet (see next step).

NOTE: While I actually cooked about 9 shrimp, I only used 3 ounces in this recipe (about 4 shrimp). I refrigerated the remaining shrimp, and am still nibbling on them as I write this recipe!

Step 3: PREPARATION, CONTINUED . . .

  1. Finely dice and set aside 1/4 cup each onion and bell pepper.
  2. Chop cooked shrimp into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.
  3. Shred 1 TBS of cheese, if using, and set aside.
  4. Mix together the Tarragon, smoked paprika and salt, and set aside.
  5. Whisk together the eggs and cream; whisk until frothy, and set aside.

Step 4: DIRECTIONS

  1. Melt 1 TBS of unsalted butter over medium heat in your very best non-stick omelet pan.
  2. When the butter is hot add the onions, bell peppers, herbs and spices, and saute, stirring until onion becomes translucent.
  3. Add the chopped shrimp and cook, stirring, for another minute.
  4. Add the remaining TBS of butter to the pan and swirl it around while it is melting.
  5. Give the egg and cream mixture a final "whisk," and add it to pan along with the shredded cheese. Swirl the egg mixture over the top of the other ingredients and around the sides of the pan.
  6. Turn heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid. *Continue to cook covered, swirling the pan occasionally, until the eggs appear to be cooked almost all the way through (almost no liquid on top). HOWEVER, be sure to remove the lid and check to make sure the edges are not browning. If necessary, lower the heat until this process is complete.
  7. Once the omelet is "set" or cooked through, flip it over and cook the other side for a minute more (not easy to do; as you can see, I busted it up just a little)!
  8. Fold or roll the omelet onto a plate, garnish with chopped green onion, and serve immediately.

*NOTE: I periodically removed the pan cover and used a rubber spatula to lift the sides of the cooking omelet, allowing the liquid egg mixture to run to the sides of the pan, swirling the pan as I did so. Repeating this maneuver several times during the cooking process helped to eliminate or cook through all of the liquid.

Step 5: TIME TO EAT . . .

Shrimp Omelet and a toasted slice of Ezekiel's Flax Sprouted Whole Grain Bread . . . that's all I needed for dinner tonight. My omelet was planned to serve two people, but I was sorely tempted to eat the whole thing. I had to force myself to leave enough for tomorrow morning's breakfast!

Bon appétit

(I have calculated the nutritional values of this recipe to the best of my ability using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer (Click on the image to enlarge).