Did you know Whole Foods allows you to sample cheeses? Yup, I didn’t know that either.
On a recent visit to Whole Foods, I dubiously asked the guy behind the cheese station if I could sample a cheese, and he surprisingly said YES. 
After recently purchasing Fontina cheese and not being able to handle the pungent taste, I didn’t want to buy yet another cheese and toss it away.
Even though I ate a lot of Manchego cheese when I visited Spain and Mexico in the past, I never really tried Manchego on its own to know for sure whether I’d like the flavor or not. 
First impressions… it was slightly salty, very buttery, and had a hard texture. Manchego cheese is a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk, I absolutely loved it, and it now tops one of my favorite cheeses.
This delicious breakfast was inspired by the Egg White Omelet I recently ate at the Imprevist Restaurant in Mexico. It was the best omelet I ever ate in my life, and so I had to recreate it. Here is a photo of the original omelet.
Truth be told, I wasn’t able to replicate the grilled veggies exactly, I’m probably missing an important Mexican spice, nonetheless the buttery flavor of the Manchego Cheese seals the deal. 
This breakfast consists of lots of protein, fiber, vitamins, some fat, but NO CARBS, looks like the perfect way to start the day. I was full for 6 whole hours! Enjoy!
NUTRITION: Egg Whites are high in protein, low in calories, and contain minimal fat making it ideal for those trying to lose weight. Manchego cheese is high in protein and consists of a great amount of Calcium and Vitamin A, however there is a lot of saturated fat in this particular kind of cheese. Spinach is loaded with tons of nutrients. It is rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, and is an excellent source of Iron and Folic Acid. Spinach also contains small amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. Mushrooms are a very good source of Vitamin B6 and Protein. Bell Peppers are a great source of Vitamins A, B6, and C. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A and C.
INGREDIENTS:
for the grilled veggies (serves 3 people):
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
- Crushed Red Pepper – 1 tsp
- Onion – 1 medium (sliced)
- Green Pepper – ½ medium (sliced)
- Baby Bella Cremini Mushrooms – 5 buttons (sliced)
- Fresh Spinach – 6 ounces
- Plum Tomato – 1 (chopped)
- Black Pepper – ¼ tsp
- Garlic Powder – 1 tsp
- Salt - to taste
for the scrambled egg whites (serves 1):
- Organic Canola Oil – ½ tbsp
- Organic Egg Whites – whites of 3 eggs
- Salt - to taste
- Black Pepper – to taste (sprinkle)
- Manchego Cheese – to taste (grated)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Here are the main ingredients.
2. Begin by slicing the onions and ½ a green pepper.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium, once hot, add EVOO and crushed red pepper.
4. Once the pepper flakes sizzle, add the onions and green pepper. Season with salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft.
5. In the meantime slice the mushrooms. Once done, add the mushrooms to the onion/green pepper mixture and season with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
6. In the meantime chop a tomato and wash the spinach leaves.
7. Once the veggies are cooked, season with black pepper and garlic powder.
8. Add the spinach and tomato. The spinach will wilt down in a few minutes, however allow the spinach to cook since it will release a lot of water. About 5-7 minutes.
9. In the meantime, grate the Manchego cheese.
10. The water should all be absorbed as follows, at this point turn off the stove.
11. Beat the egg white and season with salt.
12. Heat a small pan on low to medium heat. Once hot, add organic canola oil. 
13. Pour the egg whites and see if you can form an omelet. 
14. I wasn’t able to form an omelet with egg whites, hence I made scrambled egg whites. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until lightly golden. The egg whites tend to stick when using a stainless steel pan, hence keep stirring.
15. Plate the egg whites and top with Manchego cheese.
16. Add the grilled veggies on the other side and top with Manchego cheese. Buttery deliciousness!!!
TELL ME: Have you tried Manchego Cheese? What’s your all time favorite cheese with eggs?
Akila says
Want to finish the whole plate now
Event: Dish name starts with R till April 15th and a giveaway
Khushboo says
Buttery cheese?? Okay I need to start looking for manchego cheese! Is it weird that despite my love for runny yolks, I actually prefer egg white omelets to regular? As for my favorite cheese to add in, I'm loving feta with my eggs lately...and some basil for added flavor :)!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I LOVE manchego cheese! I wish I had this for breakfast today 🙂
diaryofanindianmum says
I prefer egg white omelettes too, althought have to use a non stick pan to form an omelette! I usually get the Viejo variety of Manchengo cheese which has been aged longer so is a firmer and use it instead of Parmesan. Love the colours on the plate!
Parita says
Love it when Whole Foods has samples. The other day they were showcasing a buffalo mozzerella that was out of this world - guess what found its way into my shopping cart. 🙂 Will definitely buy a small block of manchego next time. I think this would be great on a bowl of spiced up black beans well!
Asmita says
Wow,
This dish looks awesome!
My daughter's favorite part of visiting Whole foods is trying out the different cheeses. Mother- daughter both love Whole foods.
They also let you try any of the bagged products before you buy them. When my daughter was allergic to gluten I used to buy a lot of gluten free cookies and snacks there. They are kind enough to open a bag so you can sample it before you buy the whole bag. Love their service.
healthycookingnfitness says
I have never tried Manchengo Cheese and I have no idea that Whole Foods agrees to sample cheese. thanks so much for this info. I saw this dish on Instagram and was drooling over it. My favorite cheese is Mozarella
Dixya says
never tried Manchengo cheese before but now it looks like I have to. I love how you take step by step pictures 🙂
Deepti says
Oh wow seriously, never knew whole foods would allow to taste cheese. I always like to try new cheese, just afraid of getting a lot of it and waste it if the taste is not good, now on i can sample them and get it! Dish looks wonderful...
Ameena says
I love all kinds of cheese, including manchego. But I have to steer clear so that my skin doesn't look horrendous!
Looks delicious. I love eggs any and all ways!
xxswtzparadisexx says
Looks yummy! It looks similar to the migas they have where I live. What I believe the key ingredient to the mexican spice is cumin/jeera. I know its shocking but that's what they use along with taco seasoning to saute their veggies. Try it and you'll be surprised that it actually tastes good.
honeywhatscooking says
@xxswtzparaidsexx - Yes, cumin is a major ingredient in Mexican cuisine, but I was trying to really work on that flavor of the veggies in Mexico. It is quite possible cumin was one of the ingredient. Love taco seasoning! 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Ameena - Yes, I've heard dairy can cause skin issues with some, I think for me it's alcohol and greasy food. Love cheese though, except the pungent ones. See you soon Ameena. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Deepti - yup, you can sample cheeses at WF, just have to ask them. Now going forward, I'll be sampling all kinds, I'm just so fascinated by cheeses from different regions of the world.
honeywhatscooking says
@Dixya - I think most people would appreciate manchego, it's not pungent at all, but rather buttery and mild/salty. Thank you.. that was the whole point when I started this blog, step by step pics.
honeywhatscooking says
@healthcookingfitness - I know, you learn something new everyday! It's nice that they allow you to sample cheese. My favorites are cheddar, parmesan, pepper jack, and manchego.
honeywhatscooking says
@Asmita - WOW back! I had no idea you could sample a pack of something, that's really interesting and I must say excellent customer service. Thanks for sharing.
honeywhatscooking says
@Parita - Yeah, manchego would taste amazing on black beans, agreed.
honeywhatscooking says
@diaryofIndianMum - Sejal, I need to try the aged Manchego, I went for the 6 month aged, but I guess the older the stronger the flavor. I stopped using nonstick, I'm paranoid of all the cancer issues associated to it. 🙁
honeywhatscooking says
@Khushboo - I really wish I could love feta and goat cheese, everyone raves about them. Feta I can still handle, but goat - eeek. Feta and basil sounds amazing, oooh and some cherry tomatoes. I really like egg whites, it tastes buttery to me.
honeywhatscooking says
@Bianca - You and I both! 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Akila - thanks!
Julia says
Cheeeeese! Now that I know that Whole Foods gives cheese samples, I know what I'm doing for lunch 😉 Your dish looks fabulous - so full of health benefits and flavor with that manchego. A definite winner!
Monet says
Oh yes, whole foods is wonderful for many reasons. Cheese samples being one of them! This looks like the perfect omelet. Thank you so much for sharing. Delicious, as always...and inspiring! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
GlamorousGirl says
yummy!
Amelia Grace says
I love all cheeses, am a big fan ! I'm reading this in the morning, you have just inspired me to cook something (similar) to this for breakfast, thanks!!
honeywhatscooking says
@Amelia - I'm glad I inspired you.. hope you enjoyed breakfast. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Monet - I plan on sampling cheese everytime I go to Whole Foods now. Thanks so much, Monet. Have a great weekend. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Julia - thanks for saying that.. I know, that'll be my new thing, to sample cheese at Whole Foods. I really want to be open-minded about trying new flavors of cheese.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Oh my gosh! I need to jump into the "manchego" cheese wagon. That looks incredibly drool-worthy 😀
honeywhatscooking says
@Kiran - thanks.. I loveeeeeeeeee manchego cheese. It is so yummy, try it.