This egg white omelet, with the addition of a whole egg, is served with a Japanese-style salad. It’s an Asian-inspired breakfast mashup, so delicious and energizing but also simple enough for this non-morning person to make.
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Japanese-Style Breakfasts
Japanese-style are my favorite kind of breakfasts that you can only have in when visiting Japan. When our family went in 2019, we stayed at hotels which included a full breakfast buffet with lots of nut-free options.
When I stayed with a Japanese couple back in the 1990s, my Japanese home-stay mom used to make a full Japanese breakfast for me. Breakfast usually included some fish, rice, a soup, and salad. The idea of eating salad for breakfast was so novel to me that it made a huge impression on me. Mrs. K made a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers with Japanese salad dressings. This recipe is a mashup of a Japanese-style breakfast salad and an American-style omelet.
Why Do I Love This Breakfast Dish
Aside from avoiding nuts and other allergens due to my sons’ food allergies, I am also mindful of what I eat due to my family’s medical history. This recipe is nut-free, high in fiber from the veggies, and high in protein while still low in cholesterol from one egg.
I’ve been a food allergy advocate for a long time and many of my food allergy mom friends and I are managing our own health issues or taking care of our parents and need to prioritize ourselves for a bit. Even some of our own children or their friends are mindful to adopt some healthy eating habits that are food allergy safe at the same time.
This recipe may remind you of eggs cooked on a rice paper circle or tortilla as a base. I’ve tried them and don’t love the texture, I just want soft tender eggs that’s easy to make. My recipe incorporates more vegetables and the coleslaw mix helps to hold the omelet together so that the omelet is easy to fold over and serve.
Why use egg whites in an omelet?
Egg whites are a great source of protein, approximately 4-5 grams per serving. It’s a good choice for me since I need a more filling breakfast that doesn’t aggravate other health risks.
The cost of egg whites could be less than the cost of whole eggs. My local stores are selling a dozen eggs for $4 to $8 a dozen (33 to 66 cents each). The cost per serving from a carton of egg whites is approximately 25 to 45 cents depending on whether I shop at Costco or a supermarket.
Cartons of egg whites are less wasteful for people who need to limit their dietary cholesterol. The companies that produce cartons of egg whites for consumers, sell the egg yolks to food manufacturers to make other products such as ice cream, mayo, etc.. I can only save so many egg yolks and this omelet recipe is great to use up egg whites when making Po Tat or other similar recipes.
Why add one egg to an egg white omelet?
An all egg-white omelet would have little to no cholesterol and it’s all protein, but an all egg white omelet will be missing some of the micronutrients from a whole egg. The egg yolk contains the micronutrients found in eggs, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, choline and other vitamins which we would be missing out on with an all egg white omelet.
Most people can have one or two eggs per day but if you have concerns, discuss with your doctor. I like that it’s now considered ok to eat eggs in moderation. At some point the egg looks like a sunny side up egg with a huge egg white, which looks interesting and “cracks” me up first thing in the morning. If you prefer to omit the whole egg, increase the egg white amount to 1/2 cup to make a full omelet.
Cooking Eggs with a Non-Stick or a Stainless Steel Pan
I use an All Clad 10 inch non-stick frying pan on low-medium to medium heat. I take care of my non-stick pans and they maintain their non-stick finish for years without chipping or sticking. It’s very important to not overheat non-stick frying pans or use more than medium heat on them. As soon as I turn on the stove, I set a timer for 4 minutes to remind myself to start cooking otherwise the pan will overheat.
I also recommend that you use oil rather than a non-stick oil spray because the sprays leave a sticky residue that builds up over time. Silicone spatulas or turners are less likely to melt and can help you get food off the frying pan without scratching the pan’s surface.
If you prefer to use a stainless steel frying pan, you can make omelets in them like they’re a non-stick pan too. The key to making eggs in a stainless steel pan is to be sure that the pan is hot enough but not so hot that scorches the oil and/or burns the food.
Preheat your stainless steel pan on medium heat and set a timer for 4 minutes. When the timer chimes, sprinkle a few drops of water on the pan and if the drops of water sizzle, then the pan temperature is about 30 seconds away from just right. If the water drops bounce around, also known as the Leidenfrost effect, then your pan temperature is just right.
Add the oil to the pan and swirl the pan to coat it with oil. Allow the oil 15-30 seconds to heat up before adding the ingredients into the pan as directed in the recipe. If the oil starts to smoke upon contact with the pan, then that means that pan has overheated and the next time you preheat the pan, you need to adjust by lowering the temperatue and/or shortening the preheating time slightly.
Allergy Aware Omelet
This recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame. The main allergen is egg and you could make it with a vegan egg product. I used to use a vegan egg replacer when my son was still allergic to eggs, but that trusted product has been discontinued.
If allergic to egg, you might want to look at Orgran, an Australian company. They make a Vegan Easy Egg in a facility dedicated to be free from peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and many of the top allergens that you could consider using to make an egg-free omelet.
There are other brands of vegan eggs but check the labels, websites, and contact the manufacturers regarding allergen cross-contact. Avoid making any assumptions about the food allergen safety of products labeled “vegan.”
Allergy mom tip: check for recalls
Whenever I use or recommend something new I will do a quick internet search to check for recalls in order to learn about potential issues. Search both by the product and/or the brand name to see what come up.
When I searched for “egg white recall” I didn’t find any recalls related to egg whites specifically, but I did find a recall for liquid eggs earlier this year. Basically a company filled cartons of liquid egg with their ready to cook scrambled eggs which contains milk, which could be a problem for someone with a milk allergy.
That recall gives us insight into some potential allergen surprises when we eat out and underscores the need to carry epi always, 100% of the time, no exceptions.
Cheesy Egg White and Veggie Omelet on Fresh Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil or neutral oil
- 1/2 cup coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
- 1 egg*
- 1/3 cup egg whites
- 1/4 cup cheese, shredded any kind
- 1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
- 1 cup salad greens
- 1 persian cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup pear tomatoes or similar
- salad dressing any kind
Instructions
- Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add olive oil, swirl pan to coat. Add cabbage and saute for 30 seconds.
- Crack an egg into the pan and break the yolk. Pour egg whites around the rest of the pan. Allow the eggs to set for 30 seconds and then use a spatula to lift the eggs slightly and tip the pan so that the raw eggs will run underneath, repeat until the eggs don’t run.
- Add the shredded cheese and scallions by scattering over the eggs. When the cheese looks like it’s starting to melt, use a spatula and fold the omelet over. Turn off the heat and allow the omelet to continue to rest in the pan and to cook in the residual heat from the pan for 1 minute.
- In the meantime, assemble your salad ingredients, salad greens, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and salad dressing on a plate and serve the omelet over the salad for a slightly wilted salad or off to the side, as desired. Serve with optional salt, pepper, ketchup, and other condiments at the table.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes:
Additional egg recipes: Instant Pot Soft Boiled Eggs or if you prefer them more hardboiled, The Best Instant Pot Eggs
Breakfast recipes: Make a big batch of blueberry pancakes, for a quick heat and serve breakfast. Or try one of my latest recipes for Japanese Souffle Pancakes.
More savory egg recipes for lunch or dinner:
- Chinese Steamed Eggs is a classic Cantonese-style dish that is generally hard to make but my recipe comes out perfect every time.
- Oyako Donburi (Chicken & Egg Over Rice) Recipe is a hearty family style recipe.
- Mung Bean Sprouts and Herb Frittata, Stovetop Method is a great way to use up Asian herbs by cooking it altogether in a frittata.
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