Turkey Bacon Pizza with Roasted Garlic

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

This beautiful recipe is big on garlicky flavor and SmartPoints friendly, plus it satisfies any burning pizza desire, all thanks to flatbread’s versatility.

Last year, my efforts to grow my own garlic in the big city sort of fizzled, when, come July, I pulled up little heads of garlic not much bigger than the cloves I planted the fall before. I think the soil was far too compacted from years of friendly neglect (and day lilies) that those sweet little bulbs just couldn’t grow any bigger. I used up every bit I grew, though, and only this week did I head to the store for a fresh supply. Next year, my garlic will hopefully be a success, thanks to a very kind neighbor a block over with dark, beautiful dirt and a lot of space. Thanks, Robert! Here’s to our shared garlic in 2017.

Because the grocery store bulbs are much larger, that means I’m freely roasting whole huge heads of Spanish garlic again, and the house smells great because of it. Roasted garlic is largely very low in calories, but it provides a lot of the things that high calorie foods are typically known for: richness, moisture, flavor, and depth. Roasted garlic does all of these things in spades. Plus it wards off vampires, so….bonus!

In this recipe, we slather the roasted garlic on our Light Original flatbread like a sauce, then add the ingredients on top. The heat of the garlic is softened way down from roasting, so don’t skimp or worry about the dreaded garlic breath. This pizza is going to be worth it. Do you really want to be around someone who would be offended by garlic, anyways? I thought not. After all, they might be a vampire….

-Amy at Flatout

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Wrap

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

When I’m trying to eat well, I find that the food I make at home has to be 1) flavorful, 2)pleasurable, if not exciting absolutely all the time, and 3)filling, so I’m not hungry right away, which can lead to being hangry. And no one, not one soul, wants to be hangry.

I just read a paper which found that lower glucose levels in couples led to increased tension, arguments, and strife. Every day during the study, the participants were asked to stick zero to 51 pins in a voodoo doll to measure their level of anger towards their spouse. So basically, the lower their blood glucose levels were, the more pins the poor doll got. At least it was a doll, but still, people! To most all of us, it’s not new news that we get grouchy when we’re hungry or really watching what we eat. But 51 pins angry, well, that’s really something else. At that point, I might have to eat a chocolate bar or two, but that’s just one opinion.

For me, the key to achieving the “golden ratio” of eating is to use the concentrated flavor of roasted vegetables, lots of herbs and spices, and acids like vinegars and lemon juice in with all of my flatbreads and wraps to maximize taste and minimize calories. Sun dried tomatoes, roasted zucchini, capers, oregano all qualify in this sunny little flatbread wrap. Whole grains, ample protein, dark green vegetables come together in healthy harmony. What it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in pure, Mediterranean pleasure.

So breathe, relax, eat a little something, and take some pins out of that doll. You have flatbread.

-Amy at Flatout

Spiced Chickpea Wrap

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

Garbanzo, chickpea, either way you were raised to say it, these little fiber packed legumes are worth their weight in gold, when it comes to flavor. I prefer to say ‘chickpea’ because after all, they really do look like little baby chick heads up close. Cute and delicious.

For a couple years now, I’ve been cooking my own chickpeas using bags of dried peas I find easily at a nearby Middle Eastern market. Doing it this way saves a lot of money, in the long run, but it is also healthier, because the beans I make myself are sodium free. I simply soak 1-2 cups of dried peas overnight in a big pot of water, drain them, then add about a teaspoon of baking soda to the fresh water when I cook them in order to soften them up even more. The baking soda really works wonders!

I think it’s better in general to limit the amount of canned food one eats, and often canned beans have a lot more sodium in them than you want, as well. But if you’re in a hurry or just don’t have the patience to cook your own, don’t skip over this recipe, just use canned. Your body will be happy that you’re enjoying a plant-based meal this week!

This is one of those quick to assemble recipes that costs very little to make, too, while still keeping lunch interesting. I saw a chickpea salad bowl at a swank café in my neighborhood for $10, so think of the money you could save by making your own food every week, instead of eating out: $50/week, $200/month, $2400/year…let that figure sink into the ol’garbanzo. Making your own lunch is worth it; I firmly believe that there’s no such thing as an exquisite grab it and go work lunch except, of course, the ones you make yourself. All you need is a little time and baking soda.

-Amy at Flatout

Skirt Steak Tostadas for Two

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

So, I’m getting a lot of emails with suggestions for Valentines gifts: perfume companies, chocolate companies, jewelry ideas. And of course, flowers. But what do you get….a guy? It’s sort of an age old dilemma. Well, at least as age old as Valentines Day itself, which isn’t all that old, considering…still. For me, it’s a difficult gift time. Socks seem boring.

There’s a little Belgian chocolate place up the road from me that makes super lovely, very special chocolates that you can select and assemble together in boxes to give as gifts. But the problem with buying my better half chocolate is, unlike me, he shares. What to do?

Then there’s the issue of dinner. As a restaurant server for many years, going out to eat on the dreaded “V.D.” as we called it in the industry, was verboten. Everyone had to work, no matter what. Whole dining rooms would be broken up into little tables of two for a Noah’s ark style procession of diners who seemed to only pretend to be romantic, out of duty, just for the night. Maybe it’s all those years of taking care of people like that, but I’d rather stay home and be romantic with my true love. Over a bottle of wine, and maybe, because I live him so much, a steak!

Guys love meat, meat, and more meat. So stay in this year and grill up some steak tostadas using skirt steak you marinate over night beforehand. These flatbread tostadas are easy to make together, and share with some wine, beer, whatever. And there’s still room for a piece or two of chocolate, if you absolutely gotta have it. Here’s to love, chocolate, and steak!

-Amy at Flatout

Salmon Nori Wrap

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

This post is not sponsored by Groupon, I swear! In fact, it might be a warning. I will admit: I get into serious trouble with Groupon, and Groupon gets me into trouble, often. These are two separate things! Sometimes, in the morning over coffee (or late at night if I can’t sleep) I will peruse Groupon for sweet deals, just like they want me to. Usually, I’ll buy a deal or two, especially if it’s a restaurant that I want to try in my neighborhood, or a new local yoga place. (I love being able to walk to yoga.) Sounds innocent enough, right? Until I accidentally buy more than one of something in a computer mishap. And until I forget about the deals I bought and at the last minute, almost ninety days later, my better half and I are scrambling around trying to use them all up before they expire. That creates a major headache for us, which is doubled, because my better half, in his frugal moments, buys Groupons too.

Just this weekend it happened: three months after one of our buying sprees. I had a perfectly good filet of salmon sitting out to thaw, ready for dinner. Everyone was working away, minding their own business. Until: “Uh-oh,” he says. “What?” I respond. “Our Groupon is about to expire.” We look at each other with terror for a moment, then race out the door to claim our giant bag of fried fish. This happened! The salmon went uncooked, and I grilled it off to make a flatbread recipe or two once we were feeling repentant for having consumed a giant bag of fried fish.

But oh, the luxuries of having enough leftover grilled salmon from the weekend to be able to concoct this divine little flatbread wrap today, using nori, a toasted sheet of pressed seaweed, inside the flatbread. Wasabi flavored mayonnaise makes it hurt just a little. Ingenious! Lots of flavors, loads of texture, and no fried fish in sight, all thanks to Groupon.

-Amy at Flatout

Citrus Thai Shrimp Wrap

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

Winter citrus fruits just sparkle, don’t they? A couple years ago, in January, I visited some good friends in Phoenix. It seriously was the best decision of my life! My plane got cancelled due to weather a couple times, but I finally made it and landed in what felt like heaven. My goodness, the sun- how it shined that January. Such a stark contrast to what was one of the worst documented winters in my hometown. We hiked, we walked, we grilled flatbread pizzas outside, we drank wine, all in perfect weather.

In the early mornings, because I was up earlier than everyone due to the time change, I’d walk through the sleepy little neighborhood, and soon enough realized that most of the houses’ backyards were filled with citrus trees that would hang way down over the fences in the alleys, just begging to be picked. I started carrying bags with me on those walks, filling them with huge grapefruits, blood oranges, lemons, and tangelos. I’d bring them back, juice ‘em, and that was how we started the day. It was heavenly.

When I left, I stuffed as many grapefruit as I could into my duffel bag to take back home. It made the space around me in the plane smell fabulous. I’m sure the flight attendants were used to people doing that every winter. I just couldn’t help myself. Those grapefruits tasted better than any I’ve ever had, since. But maybe it was because of the sunny memories with friends and the fact that they were free, picked in an alley!

Either way, this flatbread recipe shines with in-season citrus segments and lots of low-calorie shrimp. A perfect reminder that food eaten seasonally tastes the best. Enjoy!

-Amy at Flatout

Butternut Squash and Kale Flatbread

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

Back when vegetarians had it hard, I was a vegetarian for a couple years. My go to meal was red sauce on spaghetti and a side of steamed broccoli. I was in college, and just learning to cook, and the Moosewood Cookbook was my only reference on hand for plant based anything. This was before the internets, which has changed the world so drastically in terms of diet and how people eat and prepare meals.

Squash and kale make a great pair in this flatbread pizza, but like all hearty vegetables, they’re even better with a smooth, creamy goat cheese.

Butternut squash is so delicious, and easy to cut up and roast into caramelized cubes of sweet vegetable candy so you can add it to salads, flatbread wraps, grain bowls, and pizzas. One squash goes a long way, so plan your menus accordingly!

I promise you won’t even miss the meat in this recipe, and neither will the confirmed meat-eaters in your life. The kale adds some crunch and texture, (not to mention tons of fiber, vitamins, and minerals) the goat cheese is pure pleasure, and the lemon juice brightens everything up. And the pepitas? A little nutty protein never hurt anybody.

Plant based meals have come a long way since spaghetti sauce and steamed broccoli. I hope you love this flatbread as much as I do!

-Amy at Flatout

BBQ Shrimp Pizza

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

Seriously, is there anything that doesn’t go well with BBQ sauce? My current hometown just doesn’t understand it, but my old hometown, Kansas City, is the capital of barbecue, so everyone there, well, they understand. The grocery stores in KC have an aisle dedicated to their beloved sauces, and here? Maybe one or two kinds, tops, and neither is very good.

Never fear, because down in my basement, I have a cabinet stocked for the year with all my favorite saucy varieties, brought in whenever I make a visit. The bottles make great gifts, as they introduce newbies to what makes a “real” sauce. Next time you’re in KC or some other famous BBQ town, stop at a grocery store and stock up on sauce. Bring a bottle along with your favorite wine or beverage. Your friends will love you for it!

In our house, barbecue sauce tastes great on everything. It really does! You’d be hard pressed to find a ketchup bottle anywhere, but we’ll add sauce to wedges of crispy potatoes, some leftover chicken, steak, pork, and in this flatbread recipe, shrimp! Its spicy sweetness is perfect for this flatbread, which I load up with freshly chopped onions and cilantro when it comes out of the oven.

This flatbread recipe comes together in under twenty minutes, even if you have frozen shrimp. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or fun lunch any day of the week.

-Amy at Flatout

Avocado Flatbread Four Ways

By Rob Carroll on February 6, 2017 in

My house today, a one act play.

(A, chewing.)

G: What’re you eating?

A: Wheat toast with chocolate spread. (swallows)

G: I didn’t know we had chocolate spread.

A: We do. (bites toast)
G: Is there some secret stash of chocolate spread?
A: (silence)

The end.

Sometimes, it may feel like a chocolate kind of day. That’s where flatbread comes in. And avocados. I think of avocados as nature’s chocolate spread. This recipe for toasted avocado flatbread is silky, rich, satisfying, a powerhouse of nutrients, and best of all, shareable with your significant other.

One bite, and you’ll fall in love with this toasted flatbread, piled high with enough healthy ingredients to keep things interesting. And feel free to change it up as you see fit, or what’s in your fridge. It’s all about variety and creativity.

Next time I’m faced with a not-so great day, maybe I’ll ditch the spread, and see what happens. I know someone in my house will be happy to share.

-Amy at Flatout

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Suggested Products Archives: Light - Garden Spinach

Turkey Bacon Pizza with Roasted Garlic

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Wrap

Spiced Chickpea Wrap

Skirt Steak Tostadas for Two

Salmon Nori Wrap

Citrus Thai Shrimp Wrap

Butternut Squash and Kale Flatbread

BBQ Shrimp Pizza

Avocado Flatbread Four Ways

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