March 14, 2025 // Diocese

Food for Thought: Seeking the Spice of Life

Bethany Beebe

We joke in my family that Velveeta is the spiciest food we can handle.

Sometimes a little more adventurous, I guess you could say I was burned (so to speak) on a recent trip to a local restaurant when I welcomed some Mexican fare where I think Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendego (whom Nebuchadneezer threw into the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3) may have been in the kitchen. It pointed to not just mild sensibilities but how I should have gone about making a change to something bolder.

Rather than beginning where I am and leaping up in heat, I should have taken my time and made gradual changes to the flavors of my food.

Perhaps my live-and-learn experience was perfect for Lent. I know foods from other cultural traditions are loaded with beautiful flavor, are incredibly healthy, and can give us the variety that is, for lack of a better phrase, the spice of life. I am guilty of long stretches where my meals fall into the menu rut of comfort foods that are fast, easy, cheap, and require no thought at the end of a busy day to prepare. I could make dinner with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.

It isn’t the best way to live, though, but it takes small steps to make my way away from the comfort of commonality that I find. Perhaps I can learn a lesson from it that stretches beyond my dinner plate to the rest of the day. Or maybe I could take the further parking spot to appreciate the coming beauty of spring and (try to) remember to say a prayer of thanks. Or I could write a letter to a friend I haven’t talked to in a while or try to reconcile a taxed relationship. Maybe I could listen to the Christian radio station in the car, or I could have a short prayer of thanks for my food while I prepare meals. Those big changes all begin with a small step.

Since my recent restaurant adventure was a little more adventure than I expected, I decided a south-of-the-border inspired omelet could be a tasty way to move in the direction of shaking things up a little, so I tried my own take on this recipe from It’s a Veg World After All. It can be made ahead and then frozen – or served to a crew. An option for any time of day, the final product can be served with toast, on a tortilla (as pictured), or folded into an English muffin. Salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or your favorite condiments can add a little flavor or give a nod to Nebuchadneezer, whichever you prefer.

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Sheet Pan Omelet

Ingredients

Spray oil

3-4 cups add-ins

12 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheese (colby jack is pictured)

Seasoning to taste: freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, dried parsley, garlic powder

Vegetables of your choosing: Peppers, onions, broccoli, corn, or others

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Apply a gentle coating of spray oil to the half-sheet pan. I normally “wallpaper” surfaces like this with parchment paper but used the spray for better photography in this case.

Add some spray oil to a skillet and cook your vegetables. During non-Lenten times, sausage or other meats could be included. For this preparation, I used peppers and onions, but broccoli, corn, cherry tomatoes, or leftover vegetables hanging out in the refrigerator are viable options. Let the vegetables cook while preparing the eggs.

In a large bowl, crack all the eggs and add the milk and seasonings. I used a hand eggbeater, but you could also use an electric mixer or even work on your Lenten resolution for more exercise and whisk it with a fork. After the eggs are beaten to your desired fluffiness, add the cheese and mix.

When the vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness, spread them evenly on the half-sheet pan. Because it is not very deep, I opened the oven and set the pan on the rack, then gently poured the egg mixture into the pan to avoid waves of egg from spilling; I did not regret having foil on the floor of the oven.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until desired doneness.