Middle Eastern Omelet

Kukuye Kadou (Persian Zucchini Omelet)

I remember growing up and my mom would make these amazing omelets on the weekends. She said she learned a lot of the recipes in Iran when her and my father escaped from Northern Iraq into Iran before moving to the States. She said they were called Kukuye (pronounced koo-koo). Most of the recipes were vegetarian and we didn't just eat them for breakfast. A lot of times she would whip these up for an appetizer or served them alongside her other dinner dishes. I love serving them for brunch because they are easy and can be served warm or at room temperature.

I bought some zucchini at the farmers market and am giving you the recipe to what they call Kukuye Kadou in Persian.

Kukuye Kadou (Zucchini Omelet)

6 eggs (whipped)

1 large or 2 small zucchini (peeled and sliced) 1/2 white onion (chopped) 3 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric (if you don't have turmeric you can use cumin or curry powder)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

8 inch casserole or baking dish (nonstick or glass or ceramic is best)

Saute the onions and zucchini in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute on medium heat stirring and until the onions and zucchini are nicely browned and soft about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the turmeric and sugar. Cool completely. You can put them in the fridge to cool if you're in a hurry.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs until nice and fluffy and season with a small pinch of salt.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread in the bottom and sides of your baking dish. Pour the vegetables in the bottom of the baking dish and pour the whipped eggs on top of the vegetables. Bake the kukuye for 30-35 minutes on 350 degrees. The omelet is done when its puffed out and golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes and cut into squares and serve with fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and pita bread. You can also serve this for dinner with rice and pita.