flatbread

Naan Margherita Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Naan Margherita Flatbread! Naan is an exotic oven-baked bread that makes the perfect personal size pizza. It can be made from scratch, but today’s version was available at my local supermarket bakery. I was looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal that wouldn’t weigh me down. Add fresh ingredients and you have a healthy choice for dinner. Basil was in abundance in my herb garden, so I decided to utilize it. Yum!

NAAN MARGHERITA FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

One slice of naan bread

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated 

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

8-10 basil leaves, whole and cut

1/8 teaspoon oregano 

Sea salt to taste

Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spread olive oil on naan flatbread. Layer mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato halves, and basil leaves. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake on a pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Quesadilla Chicken Lavash

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Quesadilla Chicken Lavash! By now you’ve no doubt heard that lavash Turkish flatbread is a healthier alternative to flour tortillas. Not only is it lower in calories, it is higher in fiber, especially if you choose the flax, oat bran, whole wheat variety. Choose your protein, in this case chicken, to help keep you full throughout the day. Add sautéed veggies, radishes green peppers, or mixed greens to ramp up the fiber even more. Flavor is your friend. Now you’re talking about healthy eating. Well done!

QUESADILLA CHICKEN LAVASH 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of lavash flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 cup precooked chicken, shredded

1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, finely shredded

Ranch dressing, for drizzle 

Cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a silicone mat on a heavy baking sheet. Brush one side of the lavash bread with olive oil. Place the oiled side down on the silicone mat. Set aside. To prepare the cooked chicken, add it to a bowl. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over all. Add red pepper flakes. Gently toss the chicken mixture. To assemble the quesadilla, sprinkle half the shredded cheese over one half of the lavash bread. Arrange the chicken mixture over the cheese layer. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the chicken layer. Fold the empty half of the lavash over the filled half. Press down lightly. Bake the quesadilla for 5 minutes; flip and bake 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and the lavash is crispy. Remove the chicken quesadilla from the baking sheet. Slice it into wedges. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Serve immediately with cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish. 

Pine Berry Appetizer

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Pine Berry Appetizer! If you are a strawberry lover, think outside the box with a tropical twist this unique berry carries. The texture remains sweet and juicy, yet highlights subtle notes of pineapple, pear, and apricot. The creamy white flesh is an indication the berry is ripe enough to eat. I only mention that because on first glance you may suspect I am trying to encourage you to eat underripe strawberries. I think not. The “seeds”, so to speak, should appear red in color. For those who wonder, pine berries are the natural result of cross-pollination. This often does make them a little more expensive than regular strawberries. For special occasions, they are perfect! 

PINE BERRY APPETIZER

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Florida pine berries, washed, patted dry, and cut in half

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon Tupelo honey

1 pinch sea salt (optional)

Fresh thyme, for garnish

Rosemary Sesame Flatbread Crackers, for serving

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, cream cheese, and Tupelo honey. Blend until thoroughly mixed and the consistency of whipped cream. Taste before adding a pinch of sea salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. To assemble the pine berry appetizer, slather a dollop of whipped cheese onto a rosemary sesame flatbread cracker. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Serve immediately. 

Fried Lavash Triangles

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Fried Lavash Triangles! Lavash, like anything else these days, can often be purchased in the Deli Department of your local supermarket without having to make it at home. Lavash slightly resembles pita bread or flatbread, but much thinner. Different varieties are available including flax, oat bran, and whole wheat. The package I bought contained 4 sheets. Obviously, you can make triangular snack chips or square crispy crackers. Once you try it, you’ll see how versatile lavash really is. Crunch-time is back to Munch-time. 

FRIED LAVASH TRIANGLES

Ingredients:

2 sheets of lavash bread

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon tajin seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200°. Set aside a baking sheet. Warm vegetable oil in an iron skillet over medium-low heat. Brush the top of each sheet of lavash bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with tajin seasoning and sea salt. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper powder, to taste. Using a kitchen shears, cut lavash bread into triangles of desired size for snack chips. Place a single layer of triangles in the iron skillet. Watch closely. Using a tongs, flip over to fry both sides. When slightly golden, transfer the fried lavash triangles to the baking sheet, still forming a single layer. Repeat frying process until all chips are fried. Place baking sheet in the oven for about 5-6 minutes. Remove and let cool. This turns the chips crispier and adds more crunch. Serve with tzatziki dip.

Lavash Fajita Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Lavash Fajita Flatbread! Lavash is a Turkish flatbread rolled into thin sheets and baked. Its texture is soft and pliable, which also makes it ideal for sandwich wraps or quesadillas. You can often find it in the Deli Department of your local grocery. The size I chose fit perfectly on a 9”x12” baking sheet. A typical package contains 4 sheets of lavash. Being a healthy option for the bread group, lavash contains fewer calories, less carbs, and is low in fat. When making a lavash flatbread pizza, show restraint when adding ingredients. Too many toppings can turn it into a soggy mess. 

LAVASH FAJITA FLATBREAD 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of Lavash bread; flax, oat bran, and whole wheat variety

3 tablespoons marinara sauce

1/2 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 cup shredded fajita meat mixture with sautéed peppers and onions 

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Drizzled ranch dressing, if desired. 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Place the lavash flatbread onto the pan. Spread marinara sauce evenly over all. Layer shredded chihuahua cheese on top. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Arrange fajita meat and vegetables over the cheese layer. Bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges of the flatbread are crispy. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Drizzle with prepared ranch dressing. Serve immediately. 

Vine-Ripened Tomato Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Vine-Ripened Tomato Flatbread! I miss my vegetable garden. Although it wasn’t huge, it provided me with tomatoes in all shapes and sizes. I used to snack on cherry tomatoes as I picked a handful for the evening dinner salad. Sometimes the juices would squirt out of my mouth, which made me thankful no one was around to be the target of such fluid madness. The Roma tomatoes were perfect when puréed into a delectable sauce for pasta or pizza. And the beefsteak varieties provided enough texture to hold everything together in a salty BLT smothered in mayonnaise. Talk about a sensory explosion. Ah, yes, tomatoes make me very happy. 

VINE-RIPENED TOMATO FLATBREAD 

Ingredients: 

1 naan flatbread 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tomatoes, sliced and halved 

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded 

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend

Fresh Basil, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush the bottom of the naan flatbread with olive oil. Dust with cornmeal. Sprinkle with garlic powder and sea salt. Bake flatbread, seasoned side down, on a pizza pan for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Arrange tomato slices over the top of the flatbread. Cut mozzarella cheese slices in half and cover the tomatoes. Top with shredded provolone cheese. Sprinkle Italian herb blend over all. Bake 10 minutes longer, or until cheese is gooey and tomatoes have softened. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.  Garnish flatbread with fresh basil. 

Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread! Introducing another whitefish that is often overlooked. It’s pretty common in the waters around southwest Florida, making it easily accessible from local fishermen. Less expensive too, in case you’re wondering. Now what to do with it. Hmmm. To be honest, I’ve never heard of “fish pizza” before, unless you count anchovies. However, I hadn’t eaten fish tacos until I visited my friend in San Diego twenty years ago, and here we are. I thought to myself, why not put fish on flatbread to make it a pizza? Call me crazy, but it was swimmingly delicious. 

PAN-FRIED PORGY FLATBREAD 

Ingredients:

8-ounces porgy fish fillet, skin and bones removed

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1 prepared flatbread

1/4 cup pizza sauce

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 

2 tablespoons red onion slices, slightly chopped

Fresh baby spinach leaves, gently torn

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven while it is preheating. In a skillet, warm olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Place the porgy into the skillet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook 2 minutes; flip and cook porgy 2 minutes longer until crisp and golden brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside. When the oven is preheated, using hot pads, transfer the pizza stone to a heatproof workstation to build the pizza. Place the flatbread onto the stone. Layer with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese slices, and red onions. Flake the porgy fish with a fork and arrange it on the flatbread. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with gently torn baby spinach leaves. Serve immediately. 

White Chicken Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: White Chicken Flatbread! Nowadays I look for any excuse to have pizza, or a close second. All I have to do is go to my freezer to decide what ingredients to use. In there is often naan flatbread, precooked grilled chicken strips, and previously oven-baked bacon. In lieu of marinara sauce, creamy ranch dressing makes a tasty sauce. People know cheese is always my friend, along with fresh veggies, herbs, and spices. Throw it all together and boom; 20 minutes later it’s ready to eat. I think I deserve a star for that.

WHITE CHICKEN FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

1 Naan flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 cup precooked, grilled chicken chunks

1/4 cup precooked bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons sweet onions, chopped

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush the bottom side of the naan flatbread with olive oil; dust with cornmeal. Transfer to a pizza stone. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and assemble the ingredients. Spread the ranch dressing onto the top crust. Layer, in order, the fresh mozzarella slices, grilled chicken chunks, bacon crumbles, and sweet onions. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately.

Xtra Cheesy White Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Time To Eat: Xtra Cheesy White Flatbread! Know what’s better than chewy pizza-like dough? Chewy pizza-like dough slathered in a mountain of cheese that turns gooey after it’s baked! Honestly, cheese can become addictive. I’ve (finally) broken my cravings for added salt by no longer reaching for the salt shaker at the kitchen table. But, cheese. Now, that’s another story. I’m crazy for extra sharp Cheddar, creamy Brie, pungent Bleu, nutty Jarlsberg, smoky Gouda, and the list goes on.

XTRA CHEESY WHITE FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

1 prepared flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated

4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Red pepper flakes and dried oregano, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Rub the bottom of the flatbread with olive oil; sprinkle with cornmeal, garlic powder, and sea salt. Place seasoned side down on a baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes; remove from oven. Cover the top side with fresh mozzarella cheese slices, grated parmesan cheese, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Bake 10 minutes longer, or until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting into pieces.