tamagoyaki fillings: smoked salmon and stir-fried spinach

Are you feeling not so sunny- side-up about the same old eggs you always eat for breakfast?

Are you looking something brand new to start your day? Would you be interested in a healthy breakfast that tastes good, fills you up all morning, and would be a new fun challenge to learn how to make?

From Japan, here’s a new breakfast for the new you: tamagoyaki.

No more soggy, runny scrambled eggs… Good morning, sunshine! 

tamagoyaki filling: black sesame seeds

My Tamagoyaki Food Fantasy

“By the way, mister, what’s a ta-ma-go-ya-ki?” …Awh, I thought you’d never ask. Thanks! 

It’s a Japanese-style rolled omelette– tamago means egg and yaki means fried or grilled. It’s awesome.

This is my newest food fantasy. 

My dream is that tamagoyaki will be the next Japanese food to become popular worldwide since sushi in the 1990s. 30-something ladies wearing heather grey yoga pants will order them with matcha-infused green smoothies at the sit-down counter at Whole Foods. Their jet black rectangular-shaped pans will glimmer, lightly painted with organic virgin coconut oil. All the pseudo-celebrity RNs tweet out “the new eggs-citing superfood breakfast from Japan.”  

Note for readers: I have no clue what 30-somethings wear when they go to Whole Foods- I live in Japan. However, I confirmed on Pinterest that they do wear heather grey-colored leggings and have Instagram-perfect abs. Also please note that the nurses are the ones using egg puns on Twitter, not me.

Speaking of nurses and abs, are you someone who wants to lose some weight?

tamagoyaki fillings: sakura ebi (small shrimp) and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) 

Let me rephrase that.

Are you someone who would maybe PREFER to weigh less but you don’t really want to GIVE UP eating yummy food? I don’t either.

Maybe you’ve tried to lose weight in the past and just haven’t been able to. Even if you’ve already given up hope, this is your chance to get back in the game… if you like eggs. Destiny’s chicken child is clucking your name.

If you’re willing to start your day to a different beat, but you don’t want to feel hungry all the time or live on rabbit food,

then this is for you.

…if you like eggs. You gotta like eggs.

tamagoyaki fillings: cooked ham, red and yellow peppers, and nasu (Japanese eggplant)

These were the reasons I decided to lose weight:

1. This was the biggie for me- when you lose weight and then keep it off, you gain confidence, at work, in social situations, and in a relationship. When you start to look like superman, you start to act and feel like him. (But beware!- sugar and carbs are cryptonyte!) For women, I imagine the experience is somewhat similar, possibly with less flexing in front of the bathroom mirror.

2. Feeling strong and being in control of what I eat. I schedule in rich chocolate cake every possible Saturday, oftentimes multiple desserts. I indulge once a week and don’t feel any guilt, none. Keiko-san at Pierre Hermé knows me by my first name and that she won’t see me any other day of the week.

3. Getting healthy. Short term, I wanted to have more energy. Long term, I want to avoid disease and increase my longevity, like a lot.

4. Look your best. Kids and some grown-ups, not in a mean way, used to tease me about my belly sticking out. It doesn’t happen anymore. Now I get compliments about me not having a belly or “being skinny”– it never gets old.

tamagoyaki fillings: tarako (cod roe) rolled with nori (seaweed)

I used to eat granola.

Now I eat eggs for breakfast pretty much six days a week. Initially, I’d eat two boiled eggs every morning before work until I could barely stomach the last half of the second egg. Bleh! At that point I decided to switch to fried eggs using a minimal amount of oil and I still managed to lose weight on a consistent basis.

I don’t shoot for perfection. Yes, poached eggs are the healthier option- no oil, not fried. But seriously, how many poached eggs can eat in a row before you crack and go back to your old eating habits?

Toast is toast. Friend, from now on you’re gonna be eating the Rolls Royce of rolled omelettes. With tamagoyaki, the options are endless. I promise you, once you learn how to make them *, you’ll find out just how gratifying it is to fold over golden sheets of egg in a pan, like wrapping silk kimono into your dresser drawer. You are the new emperor, the empress of your town.

Would an emperor eat cornflakes?

*Note: your first attempt may be a total disaster. Mine was.

tamagoyaki fillings: fresh green peas

Why eggs? – Tamagoyaki Nutrition and Weight Loss

• Eggs are a superfood. Nutritionists call them nature’s most perfect food.
• They’re one of the best sources of protein on the planet.
• Eggs have a high satiety index, which means they make you feel full so you end up consuming fewer calories.
• Eggs, especially their yolk, are full of vitamins and nutrients that help your brain, your eyes, and heart.
• For the vast majority of people, it’s safe* to eat up to 2-3 eggs a day.
• For most people, eggs won’t increase blood cholesterol or the risk of heart or artery disease.
• Unlike cereal and toast, eggs go well with vegetables. Experts recommend including a serving of vegetables with every meal.
• And eggs are relatively inexpensive.

Choose eggs that are free-range, pasture fed. Make sure the yolk is deep yellow or orange in color.

Sources: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Johnny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., Dr. Joseph Mercola (YouTube), The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, authoritynutrition.com, John Berardi, Ph.D. for Huffington Post

*Disclaimer: Please consult with a medical professional to see if eating tamagoyaki or cutting carbs is right for you. When you are at the doctor’s office, please share this post- your doctor may want to try tamagoyaki too. 😉

Give it a try?

First, watch this short video. I’ll teach you how to make your first tamagoyaki. You can start experimenting at home with a regular fry pan even if you don’t have a rectangular-shaped tamagoyaki pan.

I ordered a tamagoyaki pan for my mom from Amazon.

Trick to Rolling Up Tamagoyaki- Watch the Video

Tamagoyaki Recipe- The Basics

Ingredients:

• two eggs
• two pinches of salt (some people add soy sauce instead)
• a pinch of sugar (optional)
• two tablespoons of hondashi* (fish/seafood allergy)

*I always add dashi which technically makes these dashimaki, not tamagoyaki. You can make them without dashi, but I highly recommend adding it for flavoring. Dashi is the secret ingredient in Japanese cooking.

What to eat with tamagoyaki?

I always have tamagoyaki with a salad or steamed vegetables.

Also, I make my own tsukemono, Japanese pickled vegetables, which is really easy. I just made simple pickles out of daikon radish, cucumbers, carrots, or whatever vegetables are in season.

I’ve also acquired the taste for natto, fermented soy beans. 

And if I’m lucky, I have some miso soup.

tamagoyaki fillings: cooked green beans, carrots, and onions

tamagoyaki filling: nori (seaweed)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Did you find it useful? I hope so because there’s more on the way! If you think someone you know would also be interested in tamagoyaki, please share.

tamagoyaki filling: boiled shrimp and Japanese cucumber

Which tamagoyaki would you like to add to your breakfast plate? Do you have any questions? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.