Breakfast is always an important part of a day. It gives you the energy to get you through the oftentimes hectic morning. Sometimes, it can even be a reason for you to get out of bed (that’s if you’re lucky enough to be living with someone who can cook, has some semblance of knowing how to cook, or better yet, if you are a great cook yourself).
The easiest and healthiest breakfast for me is an omelette. It is versatile because I can decide on just how heavy or healthy it can be. Sometimes, the simplest dish such as an omelette can be the hardest to perfect. A flawless omelette should be light and fluffy, as if biting onto a cloud of eggs.
Even I, who have made countless omelettes, can still be a victim of hit and miss (this time I added too many vegetables and not enough egg). Sometimes I simply cannot shake off the notion that the more vegetables a dish has, the healthier it is. But nevertheless, I would like to share this quick and simple recipe for my breakfast omelette. Aside from the eggs and vegetables, I added perilla leaves to give the dish that hint of mint.
Perilla leaves belong to the mint family, with green and purple varieties. They look like nettles but the leaves look rounder. It is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals that can be beneficial to your overall heath.
Perilla leaves are known as zisu in China, deulkkae in Korea, pak maengda in Laos, and tia to in Vietnam. In Japan, perilla leaves are called shiso or Japanese basil. The green type is known as aojiso, aoba, ōba, or aoshiso. The purple variety is called akajiso and it is often used as a dye for pickled ume and sweet, red juice. The younger leaves are also used for pickling. It is often eaten with meat dishes, sashimi, used in spaghetti sauces and salads. It is such a popular herb; Pepsi even came out with “Pepsi Shiso” only in Japan. Who am I to argue with Pepsi and if Pepsi can add it to soda, heck, why not an omelette. Perilla leaves are available at most Asian grocery stores all across the U.S.
The omelette recipe contains approximately 400 calories. It's light and makes a perfect breakfast. Being abroad, I had to pay a nice fee for 200 grams of Red Cheddar. Boy, do I miss my New York City delis.
Scrambled Omlette with Japanese Basil (for two people)
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
100 grams of cheddar
4 eggs
1 bunch of Japanese Basil
2 tablespoons of EVOO
Sautee the onion, red pepper and basil, let it sweat a bit, as it begins to caramelize,please add the scrambled egg mixture, I add a dash of milk to give it some lift/air. 30 seconds before the eggs are finished, you'll want to sprinkle in some red cheddar. A side dish of green pitted olives is perfect.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
September 25, 2011 at 11:49 am //
I want this for breakfast tomorrow!!
myfudo
September 26, 2011 at 5:37 pm //
Thank you for commenting Stephane!
Care's Kitchen
September 26, 2011 at 10:01 am //
this is really beautiful…your post is chock full of good info too…love that! Thank you. :)
myfudo
September 26, 2011 at 5:37 pm //
Hi Care’s Kitchen, thank you so much for commenting, glad you liked the little blip of info too = )
Jill | Dulce Dough
September 26, 2011 at 2:12 pm //
Your pictures are so beautiful! And what a great omelet recipe!
myfudo
September 26, 2011 at 5:38 pm //
Hi Jill, thank you so much, and for commenting.
Shumaila
September 27, 2011 at 5:09 am //
That looks like a hearty breakfast! Love the pictures- its lunch time here, but I wouldn’t mind breakfast for lunch!
myfudo
September 27, 2011 at 8:18 am //
Thank you Shumaila!
Divya Yadava
September 27, 2011 at 6:09 am //
Gorgeous pictures! I’ve never heard of Japanese basil before, but I’m intrigued. Wonder if I’ll be able to find it…
myfudo
September 27, 2011 at 8:20 am //
It’ really does have an intoxicating smell, similar to basil but with a splash of mint, I quite like it, I’m going to add the “where to find” our our food list. Please let us know if you can find it and what your thoughts are, or if you like it? It would be fun to play around with the flavours.
Baltic Maid
September 27, 2011 at 8:56 am //
These pictures look amazing! I think I am going to make an omelette tonight for dinner; this looks so good!!!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm //
Thank you!
Jill @ Healthy Kiddo Snacks
September 27, 2011 at 12:40 pm //
Wow- this looks beautiful and scrumptious. Thanks for stopping by my website!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm //
Thank you Jill!
Tamar
September 27, 2011 at 2:37 pm //
A more common Korean word for perilla is kkaenip. I’m obsessed with it at the moment. I planted some in my backyard (to save myself some money since I’d buy it nearly every time I went to Korean grocery store.
I’ve made it into pesto which I have used with spaghetti and rubbed down on pizza. Yum!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:51 pm //
Hi Tamar, oooo, making it into a Pesto sounds delish, I need to run out and grab some pine nuts!!! Thanks so much for the tip!
chinmayie @ love food eat
September 27, 2011 at 4:52 pm //
Looks like a great breakfast! I love the versatility of eggs too! I don’t eat eggs often but my husband and daughter love it!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:52 pm //
Me neither, but I needed something to replace my boring oatmeal, I splurge on breakfast on the weekends = )
Tartepink
September 27, 2011 at 11:30 pm //
I love breakfasts the most, especially long lazy ones… I just woke up and want your omelette now, it looks delicious as always…
lisaiscooking
September 28, 2011 at 2:11 am //
I love the shape of shiso leaves, and they must make a fresh and lovely addition to an omelette. A great way to start the day!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:52 pm //
Thank you Lisa, they made my eggs feel perky lol It added a nice, yet different flavor.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
September 28, 2011 at 5:59 am //
Love eggs for breakfast. I wonder how much of a difference would it tastes if I only used egg whites? :)
Joanne
September 28, 2011 at 10:01 am //
I am honestly the WORST omelette maker in the history of the world…but you’ve given me hope that I can do better!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:53 pm //
Hi Joanne, me too, me too, I turned into a scramble, maybe it’s my lack of patience.
the food dude
September 28, 2011 at 10:38 am //
I agree, doing an omelette looks deceptively simple, but I still have not mastered it. Your scrambled omelette looks so delicious! Great photos!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:55 pm //
I don’t think I’ve mastered it yet either, I’ll get through a few okay, then I’ll have a flop and turn it into a scrambled egg.
Jennifer Eloff
September 28, 2011 at 12:14 pm //
What an interesting post! Thank you.
tigerfish
September 28, 2011 at 12:40 pm //
How I wish I can have this for breakfast. I do have eggs for breakfast too but I chose the easier way out – hard boiled eggs :) !
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 12:55 pm //
Hi Tigerfish, I needed an alternative to my daily oatmeal routine, I splurge on weekends.
Raymund
September 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm //
What a simple yet great breakfast recipe!
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm //
Thank you Raymund.
Uma
September 28, 2011 at 5:59 pm //
Pictures are inviting so much. Thanks for the easy to make brekfast recipe. Nice to meet you here.
Cheers,
Uma
myfudo
September 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm //
Thank you Uma
cooking rookie
October 4, 2011 at 1:59 am //
Beutiful shot! I could eat that photo :-)
myfudo
October 8, 2011 at 11:05 am //
Thank you Cooking Rookie!
Susan
October 8, 2011 at 7:23 am //
Yummy departure from the typical skillet egg dish. Love the idea of shiso. It’s an amazing herb that gets little play outside Asian communities. Too bad, but at least I have a large Japanese supermarket nearby.
myfudo
October 8, 2011 at 11:06 am //
That’s wonderful Susan, I’d love to try it in a Pesto someday as well, it’s so fragrant, and quite nice as a light dressing with salad.