Alex's Ultimate Pancakes

I am very lucky to have amazing foodie friends. They are a great source of inspiration and I just love bouncing ideas off them and picking their brains for cooking tricks. My friend Alex is one such foodie; baking is his specialty, and he gets my mouth watering every time he mentions his latest experiments.

I am very honored to have his permission to reproduce this pancake recipe he spent years perfecting. When he announced he had created the ultimate version, I knew I had to try it.

This is literally a copy-paste of the recipe he sent me, so you'll find the narrative style a bit different from my usual prose; I thought that the best way to detail his recipe was to use his own words.

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Dry ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder (do NOT put too much)
Dash of salt

Wet ingredients:
2 large eggs
3 cups of milk
6 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Splash of vanilla extract

Mix the dry in one bowl. Mix the wet in another bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. DO NOT WHISK! DON'T EVEN USE ONE! Mix with... GASP! a SPATULA! Fold and gently mix until well incorporated but still with some lumps. Luuuuumps. We like dee LUUUUUMPS!

Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (no less, not too much more). LIGHTLY stir with the spatula. The flour will have expanded and the lumps should have moistened and will come apart. PRE-HEAT a pan to medium heat (4/10... 5/10... depends on your stove). I use an ice cream scoop to make sure my pancakes are the same size (I'm anal about pancake stacks). You need to flip when they bubble and the edges look dry.

They are soooooo fluffy they DRINK up butter/margarine. We get "Celeb" which is Maxi's house brand of Becel. 2$ less and tastes EXACTLY the same (buttery, with less guilt). I put a lot on them; it melts and the pancakes soak it up. Then I finish with the DARK maple syrup we found this spring at the Marché Jean-Talon. C'est de la tire en canne, c'est tellement bon!

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and half of that of nutmeg to the batter for a comforting yummy nutty kick!

*If they are not browned enough increase the heat and let the pan warm up.

*Note that a perfectly smooth batter means you over-mixed and hence developed gluten. SHAME! Your pancakes will not be miraculously fluffy, but they will still be delicious. Smile. Just be careful next time!
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I followed Alex's instructions very carefully. I used my stirring spatula to gently mix the batter, I preheated my crepe pan with a light psssht! of non-stick cooking spray, measured the batter with my ice cream scoop and used a thin slotted spatula to flip the pancakes. By the way, pancakes are very much like crepes: the first one is always a mess, so don't get upset. Just keep going, the second pancake will already be a huge improvement.

Besides 2 flipping incidents (my hand-eye coordination sucks early in the morning), making these pancakes was quite simple. They are ready to flip rather fast, so give them your full attention if you don't want to overcook them. If they start bubbling too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low: giving the pancakes time to set properly will make them easier to flip and will reduce batter splashing - they will also rise higher if they cook more slowly.

The fascinating part is that once flipped, you can see them rise before your eyes! They have the perfect texture and density to stack up high on a plate and drench in butter and maple syrup, just like in movies and 24-hour diners.

My ice cream scoop is small, so I used 2 scoops of batter per pancakes, and I got 16 little fluffy wonders. Alex usually makes bigger pancakes, and gets about 8.

And they really DO drink butter! A little nub of butter on one of these hot pancakes goes "slurp" and disappears. I am definitely a real butter kind of gal (my dad being French, I was brought up to think margarine was the devil's lube, and therefore, not something fit for human consumption), and when it comes to maple syrup, I like to use a lot. The pancakes drank up the butter and the maple syrup like little sponges, making each bite deliciously oozy.

Given the impressive quantity of pancakes wielded by this recipe, I suggest halving it if you are making them for 2. While they were delicious plain, I am sure a handful of fresh berries or banana slices would make them stellar.

Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, Alex! You are ze baking-master!

French Toasts

On a nice sunny Sunday morning, is there anything more awesome than a pile of French toasts? Having them served to you in bed, maybe, but since the cat really can't hold a spatula properly, I have resigned myself to making them and eating them somewhat vertically.

People have been making French toast, or pain perdu, for a long time. The oldest recipes for it date back to the 4th century, and it was already the yummiest way to use up bread gone a bit stale (it soaks up more egg mixture without falling apart than fresh bread will, so feel free to leave a few slices on the counter overnight if you plan on making French toast the next morning). It was eaten by peasants all over Europe, but I am not sure when it became nominally French. Today, it is a lovely brunch dish that you can make with any kind of bread that's sliced thick enough.

Some people top it with all kind of extravagant stuff, but I like to keep it simple (mostly because I am generally per-caffeinated when I make them): fresh berries and maple syrup. Feel free to use any other fresh fruit you like (peaches and bananas are especially awesome), toasted walnuts or pecan, and top your creation with whipped cream, creme anglaise or honey (sprinkle powdered sugar on top if you want; it's naughty, but I have to admit it IS pretty). I used rather conventional bread in the pictures, but a nice baker's bread stuffed with nuts and fruits makes French toast extra-special!

Nadia G.'s "Bitchin' Kitchen" recipe is virtually identical to the one my grandmother taught me, with the slight difference that my nonna spiked her French toast with nutmeg, making us all a bunch of raving addicts who only swore by her recipe. Here's how to do it:

4 eggs
1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Brown sugar

Freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup milk
Sea salt
4 to 8 thick slices of bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup fresh berries
Maple syrup

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, the seed of 1/2 vanilla bean (or the vanilla extract), a big pinch of brown sugar, a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg, a splash of milk and a small pinch of salt.

Slice 4 pieces of bread 1-inch thick. Drown in the egg mixture. Melt the butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry bread until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side (fry in batches of 2 slices, if needed).

Pile the toasts on a serving plate, sprinkle with fresh berries and serve with maple syrup.

This makes a lovely breakfast for 2, but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd (the mixture with 4 eggs can soak up to 8 slices of bread, so only double that if you plan of frying an entire loaf). Serve it with some OJ and coffee, unless it's a special occasion, in which case, mimosas and a side of bacon are mandatory.

If eggs are not your thing, here is a vegan version from my dear "Vegan with a Vengeance". Mixing flour with a non-dairy milk makes an interesting substitute for the eggs, and chickpea flour is as close to the real thing as you can get. Simply use this little mix instead of the traditional egg mixture:

1/2 cup soy creamer

1/2 cup rice milk or plain soy milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup chickpea flour

Pour the soy cream and rice milk in a wide, shallow bowl. Mix in the cornstarch, and stir until dissolved. Add the chickpea flour and mix until it is mostly absorbed. Add vanilla extract if you want to sweetened it up a bit, use canola oil instead of butter to keep your bread from sticking to the frying pan and voila! Vegan French toasts!

With a little imagination, French toast can be quite versatile. Omit the vanilla, sugar and nutmeg, and you can make savory French toast served with breakfast proteins like sausages or ham, some roasted breakfast potatoes, a few asparagus and a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce...

Enjoy the beautiful Sunday!

(Healthy) Breakfast on the Run!

Work has been kind of crazy lately (hence fewer recipes posted... I apologize) and I generally get home completely beat, so I have been trying to maximize my hours of sleep as much as I can. I noticed that if I set up the coffee machine to get it's magic done while I shower, and if breakfast is something I can grab and eat (none of that fancy toasting business - no time to waste!), I can get up almost an entire half hour later!

Being a grown-up with a grown-up job is tough sometimes. Silly office clothes are merely the tip of the iceberg, but let's not change subject. Breakfast food that's quick and awesome is the subject. Focus. I'll bitch about office attire later.

Muffins are a great solutions when mornings are a race against the clock because you literally just pick it up and eat it. But the quality of store-bought muffins always being something highly questionable, I decided to go on a little muffin baking spree, and have delicious and nutritious breakfast food that I can just grab and devour while wrestling with my pencil-skirt.

The two recipes below are from "Vegan with a Vengeance", and they are almost variations on a theme: healthy and raisins. Eating breakfast is important, but eating it on your way to the bus stop is bad. So if you are gonna follow my horrible example, you should at least eat healthy stuff as you chase public transportation around in high-heels (don't forget to throw a fruit in your bag for the bus ride and fill your thermos bottle with OJ!).

Both recipes call for you to soak the raisins in hot water. That step is not mandatory though highly recommended. It resurrects the raisins from dried and insignificant fruits to plump and chewy wonders. It won't take any time at all: fill a bowl with hot water and leave the raisins in there while you measure and mix your other ingredients.

I also generally double the recipes, keeping only 6 muffins out and defrosting them overnight as needed, but bake and freeze according to your needs (e.g. if you are one of my brother's friends who eats his weight in food twice a day, don't bother freezing the extra muffins).

Carrot-Raisin Muffins (12)

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease lightly with canola oil. Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots. Remove the raisins from the water and fold in as well. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire-rack.

The longest part of this recipe is grating the carrots, but it's worth the effort! These muffins are moist, chewy and delicious.

Ginger-Raisin Bran Muffins (12)

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bran
1 1/4 cup rice or soy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin pan. Soak the raisins in hot water to cover, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the bran. Create a well in the center and add the rice milk, oil and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Drain the raisins and fold them in along with the crystallized ginger. Fill each muffin cup most of the way full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clear. Cool on a wire-rack.

This one is slightly more adventurous, with the sweet and zesty crystallized ginger pieces.

Both recipes fill the kitchen with a lovely smell, and though the carrots and the bran make them wholesome, they also taste delicious enough to eat just because they are yummy. Enjoy, but do try to sit down when eating your breakfast!

Scones

Scones are wonderful, doughy biscuits that are, as the British have known for a long time, the perfect thing to nibble on while enjoying a cup of tea (or coffee, if it's before 10am). I like to make them on Saturday mornings, providing us with yummy breakfasts for a few days. A wonderful advantage to this recipe is that it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. You then throw them in the oven, and 20 minutes later, you can enjoy freshly baked scones!

I found this recipe in "Vegan With a Vengeance", and I have yet to find an easier, or more delicious scone recipe. The basic version is great, but I love to play with it. In the summer, I add all kinds of fresh berries to my scones, and in the colder months, nuts, chocolate chips and chopped dried fruits find their way in the mixing bowl. Scones never have to be boring! The ones pictured below are a variant I found on the Post Punk Kitchen blog: chocolate chunk and ginger! How could I resist trying that?

This recipes makes 12 to 16 scones, depending on how big you make them. They freeze really well in a plastic bag, so feel free to double the recipe, and keep a stash in the freezer that you can reheat in the microwave as needed.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola)
1/2 cup soy cream or soy milk
3/4 cup soy milk mixed with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the oil, soy cream and milk. Mix until just combined. Using a baking measuring cup or ice cream scoop, drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto the baking sheet and pat the top just a bit to round them up; sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom and firm on top. Transfer to a cooling rack for a few minutes, until they can be safely handled.

Berry scones: fold 1 1/2 cup of fresh berries in the batter (raspberries work especially nicely, and are my ultimate favorite).
Chocolate chips scones: add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the liquid ingredients, ad 2 tablespoons of sugar, fold in 1 cup chocolate chips.
Maple walnut: add 2 teaspoons of maple extract to the liquid ingredients, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, fold in 1 1/2 cup walnuts.

Ginger-chocolate (pictured): add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of allspice to the dry ingredients, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the liquid ingredients and fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of chopped crystallized ginger.

Words of warning: this dough is very sticky! Flour your hands well before handling it, and grease the measuring cup (if using) before you scoop the dough out of the mixing bowl, or baking may turn into a wrestling match.

Oh, and to the lazy bums out there: yes, the cooling rack is important!! You can cool baked goods on the baking sheet, but the bottom won't cool and/or solidify if it stays on that surface. I use the rack that came with my roasting pan, 'cause I am thrifty like that. If you are stuck, you can simply flip your scones upside down to give the bottom a chance to cool, but finding some sort of cooling rack is a good investment if you like baking. You can't really flip cupcakes upside down to cool, now can you?

All the variations of scones described up there are awesome with a pat if butter (if you are into such things, though it ruins the scone's vegan cred) and a steaming cup of black tea. I recommend a good Earl or Lady Grey, though they will still be awesome with any nice brew. They also make a great, light dessert to bring along with your lunch.

Crêpes!

Today, I am sharing a beloved family secret: my dad's recipe and method to create delicious crêpes! It's got a bit of everything that makes cooking awesome: they are very easy to whip up, taste great and can be stuffed with almost anything that crosses your mind. They can be breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack!

I had a late morning today and wanted something that could be both breakfast and lunch, as I would need sustenance running all over the island to make my appointments. And let's be honest, I also had a sweet tooth... I have an almost obsessive love of maple syrup, and of all the sweet tasting things in the world, nothing beats it as far as I am concerned. I wanted something I could drown in the golden-brown wonder and devour. Crêpes were just the thing to make me finish my coffee and run to the stove.

Fun fact: in Paris, they have crêpe-stands in the streets, the same way you have hot-dogs carts in New York City! They give it to you rolled up in parchemin paper, so you can stuff your face with a warm crêpe full of chocolate spread and banana slices as you walk down the Champs-Élysées! I confess that this luxurious snack left a lasting impression.

My dad is the son of a French innkeeper, so this technique is old-school French crêpe-making (or so I am told). I used to consider them a treat, but once I got the hang of it, there was no stopping me from making them every weekend. The quantities given make enough batter for 4 to 6 crêpes about 10-inches across, which is perfect for 2 people to pig-out on at brunch. However, it is very easily doubled if you have company.

I found a great non-stick crêpe pan at Stokes, for about $25. It's worth every penny if crêpes become more than an occasional treat in your kitchen. They distribute the heat evenly, and make flipping the buggers with a flick of the wrist very easy, if you plan on looking impressive and professional. A good old frying pan works just as well; just make sure to give it a quick spray of non-stick cooking spray (too much greasy stuff in the pan will make your crêpe congeal), and use a thin spatula to flip the crêpes.

Also, let's not confuse crêpes, which are thin and flexible, with pancakes, the thick American breakfast food that is similar in some aspects (i.e. they are cooked in a pan and generally served under lots of maple syrup). I will tackle pancakes in the future, but this morning, let's make some crêpes, baby!

Here are the ingredients, and method:

1 tablespoon butter

approximately 2 cups all purpose flour

approximately 2 cups milk

2 eggs

1 pinch sugar (if making sweet crepes)

1 pinch salt (if making salty crepes)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl blend the butter, the eggs, the sugar or salt, and 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk. Mix well with a whisk and progressively add the rest of the flour and milk, mixing well, until the batter is a lovely cream color, and thick but not firm or stiff; it must still drip from the whisk. At this point, you can cover your bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Just make sure to let it get back at room temperature before you start cooking.

Preheat a crêpe pan over medium heat. Let it get as hot as you can; it will make your life easier. Give it a light spray of non-stick cooking spray (light!). Spoon the batter on the pan with a ladle; 1 ladle-full should give 1 crêpe. Quickly swirl the batter in the pan so that it form a thin layer that covers the entire pan. Let it cook until it is easily flipped with a wide spatula. Flip every minute until it is lovely and slightly golden on both sides. This should take about 2 minutes for each crêpe.

This should yield 6 to 8 crepes, depending on how big and thick you make them. Feel free to use non-dairy milk if you want to: the crepes will be just as creamy and tasty!

I also experimented with a vegan crêpe recipe, from "Vegan with a Vengeance". Family bias aside, the end result was good, though perhaps a little bland for plain crêpes; these babies fare better stuffed with fruit (spectacular with banana slices and maple syrup, as pictured). If you plan on eating them by themselves, I would suggest adding a sprinkle of nutmeg to the batter.

1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups water

Combine the flours and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the water and olive oil. Blend until completely smooth, by hand or with an electric mixer. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for half an hour. Preheat a crepe pan over medium-high heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. Use a ladle to pour the batter in the pan; tilt and rotate the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan. When it looks like the top of the crepe is set and the corners of the crepe are beginning to brown lightly, flip over with a thin spatula and cook on the other side for a minute.

Although good, I find these are a bit harder to work with than my dad's batter. They tend to stick together a bit more, and the taste of flour is more present. Still, as far as animal-free alternatives go, I've yet to find a tastier recipe.

Here are a few ideas to make your crêpes memorable morning (or, you know, whenever) feasts:

Sweet crêpes ideas = any of the following garnishes: sliced fruits (strawberries, bananas, mangoes) or whole berries with whipped cream, Nutella, English cream...

Salty crêpes ideas = any of the following garnishes: steamed asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, cheddar or Swiss cheese, prepared ham.

Or for sweet and salty experiment, serve crêpes with sliced Granny Smith apples, Brie cheese and candied Pecan nuts.

Now, keep the following in mind: the first crêpe is the test-crêpe. Use it to judge if your batter needs more milk or flour. If it spreads thickly or unevenly, add a splash of milk, blend well and try again. If it's so liquid it won't "catch" and cook, add some flour, a small handful at the time. You can only really tell from experience, and it's worth tearing a crêpe or two to get a good end result. You should see it cook pretty clearly if your batter has the right consistency: the edge will curl up very slightly, the surface will brown evenly and it will be easy to flip.

I can eat plain crêpes with maple syrup every day (for every meal, in fact), but if you plan on garnishing, have everything ready BEFORE you prepare your batter. Chop the fruits, sauté or grill veggies, prepare the cheese. Speaking of cheese, the secret to a lovely, uniform coat of melting cheese at the heart of your crêpe is: pre-sliced! Buy a pack of neatly, thinly sliced Swiss cheese and cut the little squares in half and carefully place them in a long strip in the middle of your crêpe for the last minute in the pan, just to let it get warm and melty. Top with asparagus, mushrooms, ham, etc.

Unless you own a huge crêpe pan, keeping the crêpes perfectly folded for a fancy presentation can be tricky, as they tend to slip. A naked toothpick is a bit unsightly, so I suggest camouflaging it. A whole strawberry upside down is always cute, but anything you stuff your crêpe with can work: a mushroom cap, a chunk of banana... or go tropical with a cocktail umbrella!

Omelets or Post-Ska-Show-Life-Saver

Here's a funny story: one gray, mucky Saturday, I felt too tired to do much around the house, and my boyfriend and I had tickets to go see the Real McKenzies and the Planet Smashers that very night. We figured we'd do some grocery shopping the next day, so we just enjoyed our day of farniente, went to our show, danced our hearts out because the bands are absolutely amazing (we discovered an awesome British band called Random Hand; check them out, they will blow your socks off!)... and woke up the next morning ravenously hungry to an almost empty fridge... Curses were mumbled as we made some coffee and tried to figure out what to do to get some food in our alcohol-shocked system. We were out of milk, so muffins and scones were not an option, we had finished the bagels and the bread, we had one lonely mango in the fruit bowl... I looked bleak.

And then, I saw eggs, cherry tomatoes and a small block of cheddar in the fridge. Saved!

Omelets are an amazing morning-after breakfast, as they are easy and quick to prepare,  they will soak up any alcohol left in your belly, and give you energy to get up and do all the important things you need to take care of (you can even make them upon returning from your nightlife adventures, before you pass out into a Jack and Coke stupor). Obviously, they are very versatile, so lazy folks rejoice, as this recipe can be used not only for breakfast, but also for lunch and dinner, when you can't be bothered to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen. Unless you want to go very fancy additions, omelets are also cheap, making them a favorite dish of students and broke musicians everywhere.

Allow me a hippie moment to strongly suggest that you encourage free-range and organic farming, and make sure you buy eggs laid by happy hens who run around a bit. They are not really more expensive than the other eggs, and you'll sleep better at night. Oh! And avoid those prepackaged egg mixes like the plague!

The following recipe serves one, so my advice is to not crowd your pan, and make your helpings one at the time if you are not cooking just for yourself. Omelets are good fresh, and in a morning-after haze, social conventions are not as strict as usual. I use a small frying pan (cast iron is great!) and a firm spatula, to fold the omelet over and serve it. Make sure you slice anything you want to add to you omelet before you turn the heat on under your pan, to avoid frustrating accidents and messy results. If you want, you can grate the cheese directly on the omelet as it cooks, but whenever you grate it, use the small holes on a box grater. Big lumps of cheese won't melt well in your eggs.

Here is the basic omelet recipe from Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution", followed by a few of my favorite ideas to pimp up your omelets. The version I cooked post-ska show was the tomato and basil omelet; I can never get enough of that combination of flavors.

3 large eggs
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 small nub of butter
1 small handful grated Cheddar cheese

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, and beat well with a fork. Put a small frying pan on medium-low heat and let it get hot. Add a small pat of butter to the pan; when it has melted and is bubbling, add the eggs and move the pan around so that they spread out evenly. When the omelet begins to cook and firm up, but still has a bit of raw eggs on top, sprinkle the cheese. Using a spatula, ease around the edges of the omelet, then fold it over in half. When it starts to turn golden brown underneath, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelet on to a plate.

Tomato and basil: Pick the leaves off 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh basil and roughly tear them. Cut a handful of cherry tomatoes in half and add it to a hot frying pan with a bit of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Fry and toss around for about a minute, then lower the heat to medium and add the basil leaves. Add the eggs and proceed with the recipe.

Mushroom: Roughly chop 2 or 3 nice Portobello mushrooms and add to a hot frying pan with a bit of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Fry and toss around until golden. Turn the heat down to medium, add the eggs and proceed with the recipe. Not a bad idea to switch the Cheddar for Swiss cheese in this variation.

Hangover: Finely slice 1/2 fresh red chile. Squeeze the meat out of 1 good-quality sausage and crumble it into a hot frying pan, with a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Fry until golden, turn the heat down to medium and add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds, the chile and the eggs. Proceed with the recipe.

I also threw a small handful of chopped scallions to our omelets, along with the tomatoes, to give the flavor a bit more bite. Use your imagination and whatever is left in your fridge to give your omelet that personal touch and turn it into a quick feast. If you are serving it the morning-after, don't forget the huge mug of black coffee and a big glass of orange juice!

P.S. My flipping-of-the-omelet went slightly awry, so this picture shows the genuinely messy, but delicious, breakfast we enjoyed! Presentation is not that relevant when it's just you and a half-asleep significant other...