Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)

Dan and I have been eating a lot of cookies lately. Cookies for breakfast, cookies with lunch, cookies in between meals, and cookies for dinner. Who’s surprised? That’s just what happens when we buy jumbo cookies from BJ’s, and then I go on a baking spree.  Not that we’re complaining, of course — neither of us has ever met a cookie we didn’t love.

But, while cookies are delicious, they’re definitely not nutritious. And, if you eat too many in one sitting, you’re bound to get all kinds of stomach troubles. Dan’s been suffering from cookie belly all week, so I figured I owed him a real meal for dinner tonight. Omurice seemed like the way to go, since it’s not only yummy and satisfying, but also covers almost all the basic food groups — it’s got carbs, meat, vegetables, dairy, and oil. All that’s missing is fruit, but nobody wants fruit inside their eggs!

Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)

Ingredients:
– 2 large eggs
– 1 tbsp cornstarch
– 1 tbsp skim milk
– 1 cup cooked white rice
– 1 hotdog, chopped into little pieces
– 1/4 cup diced onion
– 2 tsp minced garlic
– 1 tbsp ketchup
– Salt/pepper for seasoning
– 1 sheet Saran wrap

Steps:
(1)  In a small bowl, combine eggs, corn starch, and skim milk. Beat with a fork until everything is well mixed and uniform. Set aside.
** The corn starch holds the egg mixture together and makes it easier for you to flip your omelette without tearing it.
(2)  In a skillet, cook chopped hotdog meat, onion, and garlic until the meat is brown, and your onions are translucent and fragrant.
** You don’t need to oil the pan, since the hotdog meat will start leaking their own oils and juices. Just spray your pan with a little Pam if you’re feeling nervous.
(3)  Add cooked white rice to the skillet with your meat/onions. Season with salt/pepper to taste, and mix well.
(4) Take your fried rice off the stove, and add ketchup. Mix well, and set aside.
(5) Grease and heat a different pan/skillet on medium heat. Pour egg mixture into the pan, and turn to form a round, thin layer of egg.
(6) Cook for about 30-60 seconds, then gently flip your omelette.
** You can use a spatula, or a pair of chopsticks to gently lift and flip. I used a spatula to loosen, and chopsticks to grip/turn.
(7) Cook the other side for about 30 seconds, then slide your omelette onto your sheet of Saran wrap.
(8) Spoon fried rice into the center of your omelette, and spread evenly.
(9) Gently lift opposite ends of your plastic wrap, and bring them together so that the two edges of your omelette fold together and overlap a little. Twist the ends of your plastic sheet like a candy wrapper to help seal the omelette together.
** For a visual of the above step, click here.
(11) Gently turn your bundle over onto a plate, overlapping edges facing down, and carefully remove your plastic wrap.
(12) Top with a squirt of ketchup, and dig in!