On 5-2  fast days when I’m feeling hungry I invariably turn to eggs. Low in calories and a wonderful source of protein, they pack a powerful punch, helping keep me feeling fuller for longer. Easily taking care of any pesky, lingering hunger pangs that threaten to derail my resolve. Happily, they can be prepared effortlessly in a seemingly endless variety of ways. A cursory glance through my blog reveals it is littered with a wide array of egg based 5-2 fast day meal ideas. True to form here is yet another to add to the fray which brings the count to twelve. For easy reference, all of the previous eleven ideas are listed at the very end of this post.

Today’s offering? Tamagoyaki. 卵焼き. Japanese style rolled egg omelette. Simple, elegant and understated. Made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg. Popular not just for breakfast but also as a lunchtime bento box filler and sushi rice topper. Usually prepared using  a rectangular mariyakinabe pan, but easily adapted to a regular round frying pan as described in the recipe below. At just 151 calories per four piece serve, it’s not only easy to prepare but can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for an easy meal or pick me up snack.

Tamagoyaki. Japanese Rolled Egg Omelette
Serves 2 (151 calories per serve)

3 eggs (225 calories)
1 tablespoon milk (9 calories)
1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine) (12 calories)
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce (2 calories)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (8 calories)
1 tablespoon carrot, finely diced (3 calories)
1 tablespoon celery, finely diced (1 calorie)
1 tablespoon long green spring onion (scallion), finely diced (2 calories)
freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, to fry (40 calories)

CRACK eggs into a small bowl, add milk, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Lightly whisk together with a fork or chopsticks.
STRAIN beaten egg mixture through a sieve to give your omelette a smoother, finer texture.
ADD finely diced carrot, celery and spring onion to the mixture, stirring gently to combine. Season with a good grinding of fresh black pepper.
GREASE a 20cm heavy based non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat.  When hot add half the egg mixture, swirling and tilting the pan so the egg evenly coats the base.
COOK gently (lower the heat if necessary) until the omelette is not quite set on top. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen the omelette from the pan, then starting from one end carefully roll the egg over itself in a tight spiral, leaving the last 1-2 cm of the omelette unrolled.
PUSH the rolled omelette to one side of the pan. Add half of the remaining egg mixture to the pan beside the rolled egg. Lift up the exposed edge of the rolled omelette with your spatula to allow egg mixture to flow underneath.
COOK this new layer of omelette until it is not quite set on top. Again, loosen the edges with a spatula, and beginning at the edge of the rolled omelette, continue to carefully roll the egg over the omelette in a tight spiral. As before, leave the last 1-2 cm unrolled.
REPEAT the procedure once again with the remaining egg mixture.
REMOVE the cooked rolled omelette to a plate. Trim edges and slice with a sharp knife into eight pieces.

Other 5-2 Fast Day Egg Based Meal Ideas

Avgolemono Greek Egg Lemon Soup
Baked Eggs Wrapped In Prosciutto
Brunch Bruschetta With Soft Poached Egg And Avocado Salsa
Chinese Style Egg Omelette
Egg Omelette Nori Rolls Filled With Fresh Salad
Egg Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Savoury Zucchini And Bacon Muffins
Shakshuka. Morrocan Eggs In A Spicy Tomato Sauce
Spring Vegetable Frittata With Asparagus And Broccolini
Stracciatella. Italian Egg Drop Soup
Tomato And Chilli Omelette With Avocado And Fresh Herbs.