Easy Healthy Tamago-Yaki Recipe | Cooking is a Therapy

Tamago-Yaki | Cooking is a Therapy

I’m a big foodie. When I was much younger and had all of the time in the world I used to enjoy writing recipes and testing them in my kitchen in my free time. I had the buzz from thinking about the ingredients, my mouth salivating from imagining the combination of flavours and colours. I got so excited about the presentation ideas that I’d instantly made my way to the kitchen shop to get a pretty plate or bowl to serve the new dish. In my mind it was always picture perfect – like something from Gourmet Magazine. (Often it wasn’t – but it was so much fun!)

For some reason, despite all of the efforts I put into it, I found it really therapeutic, relaxing and rewarding. From putting the recipes together, buying the ingredients, marrying them all in the cooking process and presenting them – it’s so satisfying. Especially if it turned out to be a crowd pleaser. When it didn’t, oh well, better an oops than a what if! Ha!

Nowadays time seems to slip away from me, but I’m still a foodie and I still love to write my own recipes and try them. One really easy healthy recipe that I wrote from my trip to Japan for Snow Goddess Retreats a few years ago is Tamago-Yaki, or can be translated into Japanese-Style Rolled Omelet. The name sounds prettier in Japanese. It’s such a humble dish that’s made of 5 ingredients. It’s nourishing and so easy to make. If you love eggs for their cleansing and balancing power you will love Tamago-Yaki! I LOVE eggs, and breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. Every time after I have Tamago-Yaki for breakfast, I feel ready to conquer the world!

There are many versions of Tamago-Yaki and to be honest you can put anything you love in it! Make it vegetarian or add some ham. Using so few simple ingredients keeps the meal easy and healthy, so its great if you’re on a diet too. There are no rules! Make it luxurious or make it humble! This is what I love about Asian cooking. If you put too much of something you can add another thing to correct the flavour. Not like cooking a soufflé.

Some Tamago-Yaki is sweet but I prefer the savoury kinds. My favourite ingredients are so simple and healthy.

tamago-yaki-rolled-omlet-nourishing-solo-meal-japanese-
A deliciously simple and nourishingly healthy meal for one. Lay your finished omelet on top of rice like this, or eat as is! Honestly mine never lasts that long.

 

Tamago-Yaki. Serves 1.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp of Shoyu (or Soy Sauce)
  • 1 tbs Water
  • 1 Tsp Spring Onions finely chopped.
  • 1 tbs Coconut Oil, you can sub out Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil.*
  • Grated Cheddar Cheese or Parmesan to taste
  • a Sprinkle of Salmon and Nori Furikake (usually used to sprinkle on a bowl of steamed rice, but I also love it on top of the omelet before serving.) Use only Nori if you’re making this vegetarian.

*I used to use vegetable oil or olive oil, but some time ago I started using coconut oil in my cooking I found that it adds a nice tropical flavour to the omelet.

Method:

Step 1 Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the Shoyu, spring onions and water, mixing well with a fork or chopsticks. It is easier if you use a small square frying pan as it will shape the omelet into a perfect square log in the end. You also need a small soup ladle to scoop the egg mixture into the pan and a spatula to roll the omelet in the pan.

Step 2 Put half of the oil into the frying pan on medium heat. Using the soup ladle scoop one third of the egg mix into the pan and cook until half done.
Break up any small bubbles with chopsticks. At this point you can turn down the heat, which is good if you like your egg soft. Lift the half-cooked egg from the your side of the pan with chopsticks or a spatula, and take one-third of it and fold it into three. Then move it to your side of the pan. Add more oil on the pan and add one third of the egg mixture. Lift the first roll so that the egg mixture runs underneath. If you like cheese you can add grated cheddar or parmesan on this layer. Sometimes I put a nori sheet. Repeat the step until you don’t have any egg mixture left.

Step 3 Remove the Tamago-Yaki from the pan on to a small-ish rectangular or oval dish. Slice it about 1cm thick and sprinkle a teaspoon of Salmon & Nori
Furikake or your favourite furikake.  You can get this from an Asian supermarket nearby you. Use only Nori to make this a Vegetarian recipe. Somehow Tamago-Yaki is more delicious if you enjoy it with chopsticks and accompanied by a cup of hot ocha. In Japan it’s also enjoyed with a beer on a Friday night at a local izakaya, a kind of tapas bar very popular in Japan.

Enjoy! I’m so excited for you to try this healthy balancing meal!

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