I made this recipe up because after a week of heavy crockpot meals and braised stews, I was craving something lighter, something with fresh, cold vegetables and bright flavors. I swore to myself if I saw another roasted brussels sprout I was going to flip out. Even salads in the winter have brussels sprouts, and while usually I’m all for them, there comes a time in the season when I hit my limit and am happy to give myself a bit of a break.

I consider this flatbread wrap to be the antithesis of the crockpot meal. It’s light, super flavorful, and is packed with fresh crisp vegetables and gently flavored chicken. It’s sort of a riff on a spring roll, or also sort of a take on a bahn mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, but it has my very favorite elements of each. It’s also the perfect foil to my carryout habit at lunch, meaning that I can make it myself from ingredients I’m in charge of, it travels easily, and it’s fun and exciting to eat at work. If I bring in a really fabulous thing for lunch, like this flatbread, then I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing. And that’s half the battle when I’m trying hard to stick to a tight budget.

This flatbread recipe is also the perfect vehicle for getting in some great raw vegetables! I’ve found that taking a vegetable peeler and using it to make long ribbons of carrot and cucumber works wonders in this wrap, and everything holds together nicely while I’m chowing it down. I’m crazy for cilantro, but I understand that some readers aren’t, so if that’s the case, mint substitutes nicely, too. If you have both, throw them both in! Get creative.

Flatbread is a bit heartier than spring roll wraps, so I drizzle a little hoisin sauce on the chicken for a little extra flavor; just go lightly here, barely coating the chicken. It’s quick work to roll up and wrap up, and a squeeze of lime seals the deal. If you have your own favorite peanut or satay sauce, by all means, find it and pour some into a little portable container and dip this flatbread wrap into it as you go. I promise you that the ingredients in this flatbread wrap work together magically to revitalize your week’s menu. I can’t say you’ll never eat stew ever again, though. It’s just nice to eat raw every once in awhile!

Amy at Flatout