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by Derrick D. Brown, Sport Nutritionist (CISSN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 125g (1/2cup) cooked starch (I recommend quinoa, an amino acid-rich grain-like seed, or brown rice as both are easier on gluten sensitivities.)
• 100g or a NICE portion of spinach, Swiss chard, kohlrabi leaves or rocket greens for a pungent kick. (Remember that spinach wilts down when cooked. 100g is about 3 cups, so adjust accordingly.)
• 2-3 eggs depending on size (and your appetite)
• a-bunch-o herbs of your choice (±25g) finely chopped. (Chives, parsley, dill, and tarragon all have a kick with eggs but I would stay away from basil for this recipe.)
• 60ml of milk. I’m using spelt ‘milk’ and cow’s milk is great for those who digest it. Goat’s milk adds a yummy bit of bitter. Coconut milk will be even better but then I would recommend no tarragon or dill for the herbs. Try cilantro for a little Indian flair!
• juice of half a lemon
• clove of garlic (I used the roasted variety .. less pungent more smoky)
• 1 tablespoon oil vegetable if you tend to use a HOT pan .. olive oil if you use the heat wisely
• Salt and pepper to taste
• a dollop of cold…I use chèvre (goat cheese), créme fraîche or cream cheese. Cheddar cheese would make this omelette delicious and calcium rich, but not so skinny.

If your quinoa is not cooked, do so first following instructions on the packet. (For those who like more flavour, cooking your grains with a vegetable cube adds interest.) Let grains cool to the side.

Shred your greens any way you like, as long as they are quite fine. For those not comfortable with a knife, roll up your leaves separately or together and use a good pair of kitchen sheers and simply cut your leaves into tiny slivers.

Heat a large non-stick or smooth sauté pan to hot but not SMOKING, (especially if you are using Teflon based products.) Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté garlic on low heat and add your greens. Cook until just tender but still full of colour and add a squeeze of lemon just before turning off the heat.

Depending on the greens and how fine you slice, cooking time will be no more than 3-5 min. If you are using rocket simply sauté the garlic until golden brown, turn off the heat, and toss the rocket and garlic together with the squeeze of lemon. Cover and let wilt for 1 minute. Transfer the greens to a bowl and allow to cool.

Whisk eggs together with the milk, herbs and some salt and pepper. Add egg mixture to pan. I make mine really thin as my greens are very thinly sliced, so it ends up being ± four ‘pancake’ size omelettes, depending on your eggs and the amount of liquid you used.

Slip a piece of kitchen paper between each omelette until you are done, and allow them to cool .

Creative types can have a go at the assembly of your choosing. I simply fold in quarters and stuff the greens and quinoa mix inside adding a dollop of the cream/cheese of your choice. You can roll, bunch, or make pouches…anything you wish as long as they are stuffed!

Put your creation in the oven at about 172°C for about 5-6 min just to slightly melt the dairy.

To go with this recipe, I make a salad with tomato and mint with just a lemon and oil dressing!

Eggs are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. (It’s usually the butter, bacon, and ham that give them a bad name!) They are also a very good source of protein, riboflavin and selenium, making them easily a powerful food to be included in a dancer’s diet.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of folate, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of manganese. Quinoa also has a full compliment of amino acids to contribute to the total protein content of the dish, and as added plus, is it is gluten free.