We grow a few herbs on the porch, including basil.  It’s so much fun to go out there and grab a few leaves of something for whatever I’m cooking.  Today, I was inspired by the leftover brie and roasted red pepper and decided to make them into an omelette with a little corn.  How could I make this omelette even better? I wondered.

Fresh basil!  I was right.  I think the fresh basil is what takes this from good to great.

A note about omelettes (mine, at least): they are not photogenic.  First of all, I broke my favorite square white plate while getting ready to photograph this.  All the rest of my big plates are yellow, which isn’t the best background for eggs.  But also, I struggle to make my omelettes fold right and look pretty.  Any tips?

I think part of the problem is the fact that I’m too lazy to make one omelette for me and one for my boyfriend, so I insist on making one gargantuan omelette for us to share.  It’s just too BIG to be pretty.

At least it’s not too big to be delicious!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 roasted red pepper*, peeled, trimmed, deseeded, and chopped
4 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces brie, cut into thick slices
Handful of fresh basil leaves, julienned**

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the corn with a little salt and pepper until heated through.  Add the red pepper and cook for another minute or so.  Put the vegetables in a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the rest of the butter over medium heat.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with some salt and pepper.  When the skillet is hot, pour in the egg mixture.

Let the omelette set for a couple of minutes, then add the vegetables (reserving some for the garnish if desired), brie, and basil.  When the eggs are almost set, fold the two sides of the omelette into the middle (I have no tips on doing this elegantly.  Don’t worry, it will taste good even if it turns into a scramble).  Cook for another minute or so, then flip onto a plate, garnish with reserved vegetables and more basil, and enjoy hot.

Share this omelette with someone special!  Or, decide you need the lumberjack special and eat it all yourself :).

*If you have a gas stove, you can roast peppers stovetop!  Place the pepper directly on the burner with the flame on high.  Turn frequently with tongs until it’s collapsed and charred on all sides.  If you don’t have a gas stove, preheat your oven to 500 or your broiler, put a little oil on the pepper, and roast on a cookie sheet, turning frequently, until it’s deflated and well-charred.  Place the pepper in a bowl and cover.  Steaming the pepper like this makes it easier to peel.  When it’s cool enough to handle, peel the pepper under cold running water.  Use in this omelette, or for pasta, pizza, or a topping for cheese and crackers.

**To julienne basil, stack the leaves on top of each other.  Roll them up, and slice into thin strips on the diagonal using a sharp knife.

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