Tag Archives: Peanut Butter Omelet

Passiflora & Peanut Butter Omelet

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Flower of Passiflora Vine

But wait a second. What’s this passiflora, anyway? Well, it is the name we use here for Passion Fruit, so I guess we should have called this the Passionate Peanut Butter Omelet, or even the Passionate Peanut Omelet. But what’s in a name, anyway? Upon searching the information about passiflora on the internet, I find that this word is actually the name of the genus, of which there are approximately 350 sepcies. Passion fruit just happens to be another name for Passiflora edulis, apparently used in the US and UK and spelled as one word, passionfruit in Australia and NZ. The name, passion fruit, was apparently given to the flower by missionaries because the parts of the flower seemed reminiscent of the torture (the Passion) of Christ prior to his crucifixion. The family Passifloricae is found ubiquitously except in Antartica.

Fruit of the Passiflora Vine

I say that making an omelet such as this is not for the faint-of-heart-cook because when you cut open the fruit and scoop out its flavorful insides, it is very liquidy and runny. This, together with “natural” peanut butter, which we use,  and which can also be a bit runny, could result in a Gooey Runny Omelet. That is, all the contents could run out all over the frying pan, except where you want them. In anticipation of this possibility, I took two precautions, both of which I advise that you utilize when you make one of these omelets. And it is definitely worthwhile to try because the tastes are really fantastic. It is the old “peanut butter and jelly” story all over again. It could even qualify for the “Best Yet Omelet” award.

Precaution number one is to mix a small amount of thickening agent in with the fruit. I used a teaspoon of cornstarch to about two tablespoons of fruit. I mixed it in until it dissolved and disappeared into the fruit. Was this important? I cannot really say as I haven’t made this omelet without doing it. This is, after all, not a scientific experiment with controls and statistical analysis. This is the art of cooking and, specifically, the art of omelet making. O.K. Now you can spread the fruit on the partially cooked egg.

Precaution number two is to dig down the side of the too liquidy, not fully homogenized “natural” peanut butter and scoop out some of the more solid portion from below the more liquid portion. You can then distribute it around on top of the fruit by using another spoon to gently remove small dabs and dropping them here and there.

The rest of the story is in the eating and we wish you a Bon Apetit, or as we say over here, B’tayavon.

Minted Pomelo & Peanut Butter Omelet # 23

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Citrus in an omelet? Who would have thought of it? Does it curdle your gastric juices? Well you are in for a pleasant surprise if you try this one, especially if you combine it, as we did, with freshly picked mint from the garden and dabbled with peanut butter.

But your say, “Whoa — Back up — What is this thing called pomelo?” I am sure many have never heard of this forerunner of the grapefruit. It is also called Chinese grapefruit, shaddock, pumelo, pommelo, and pompelmous. You add that listing its other names doesn’t help you know what this citrus is? If you are from California, you may have seen it in your green grocer, grocery store, or natural food store. It is listed on the Whole Foods web site, but I dare any of you that shop there to ask for one. If you can purchase them, let me know. Here in Israel, it is very popular and can be obtained nearly any place where a variety of citrus is sold. Its scientific name is Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis and this describes the size of this fruit, the largest of all citrus. Each one ranges from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25 pound watermelon, though I have never seen one this large. It has a very think, soft peeling.The full story of the appeal of this fruit is in its taste. Unlike the grapefruit, it is very sweet and has none of the astringency of its offspring. It is also very dry and has almost no juice. Some web sites state that the pomelo is a cross between the grapefruit and orange, but I think that this is wrong. Wikipedia says the tangelo is a cross between a pomelo and a tangerine, which is, in my opinion, also mistaken. The tangelo is a cross between a tangerine and an orange. The inventiveness of Israeli agricutlure has produced a new variety of citrus which is a cross between this pomelo and the grapefruit. Here we call it the pomelit, which is a  combination of the two names in Hebrew, pomelo and eshkolit. It has the sweetness of the pomelo and the jucyness of the grapefruit and when you eat it you will have to wash your face or take a shower afterward. Perhaps we’ll try an omelet with the pomelit soon. The pomelo grows wild in Malasia and was known in China as far back as 100 BC. First attempts at commercial production outside Asia were made at the beginning of the 1900′s in California and Florida. An interesting bit of cultural information is that In optimal conditions the pomelo bears flowers four times a year and the fruit can be picked after 8 – 12 months in four harvests. The fruit keeps well because of its thick peel. In fact, wrapped in paper and kept in well-aerated boxes, some types taste better after three months of storage. So now you know all about this big sweet citrus fruit.

Two pomelos (fresh picked & split open), peanut butter, eggs and mint

Today’s omelet combines cut up sections of the pomelo, sprinkled with chopped mint and followed by peanut butter daubed onto the pomelo and mint. All this is placed on one half of the egg after it is no longer runny. The side of the egg without anything on it is then flipped over onto the side with the contents, completing the cooking of the omelet.Nurit says that this omelet reminded her of eating a freshly baked blueberry muffin with its warm comfort-food softness and sweetness and every once in a bite, there’s an explosion of juiciness from the fruit.

Descriptions of our omelet making techniques have been posted previously. I invite you to go to the top of this (and every israelwinetaster) page and click on the “Omelet List” to view our latest addition to the site. Here you will find a list of all the omelet posts with a link to each.

I also add below, the seven minute youtube video we made showing how to prepare an omelet, israelwinetaster style. Wishing you happy omelet-making and eating.