Okay, I normally don’t do this and highlight a specific
grocery product and I’ll be honest, I don’t have any investment or vested
interest in this product but I really like these Flat Out flatbread products
sold in most supermarkets. Why? These thin flatbreads can be used in multiple
applications and depending on the product you select, most are high in dietary
fiber, low in calories, provide ample protein and only provide one or two
servings of dietary carbohydrates which is important for those with diabetes or
pre-diabetes who need to portion control their carb intake.
Roll-Up Sandwiches
Sure, you can go to Costco and purchase a container of
Hye-Roller sandwiches or those Armenian cracker bread based rolls filled with
lettuce, various cold cuts and cheese or you can simply create your own with
Flay Out flatbread. The Flat Out are just as pliable as moistened cracker bread
but the biggest bonus is you can control what you fill with your self made
rolls which means substituting healthier options for your fillings.
Since the Costco version usually has a flavored cream
cheese spread, I create my own using fat free cream cheese (I’m pretty sure
Costco uses regular cream cheese which contains 10gm of fat along with 5gm of
saturated fat per ounce) that I “spike” with additional flavor depending on my
selected protein which I slather over the surface of the Flat Out as the first
“filling”. When using either turkey or chicken, I mix the softened cream cheese
with cranberry sauce… yes, I’ve even used chunky canned cranberry sauce when we
don’t have a batch of freshly made sauce lying in the refrigerator. If my
selected protein is roasted pork, I mix a chunky jam such as peach or mango
into the softened cream cheese as hearty stone fruits are the perfect partners
with Mr Porky. And if the selected protein is beef, I’ll reach for something a
little more savory to add to the cream cheese like chopped sun dried tomatoes,
minced Kalamata olives or even freshly minced chives. But why cream cheese? Because
of its slightly tacky quality, I find that cream cheese also functions like a
“glue” that holds the rest of your roll-up fillings in your sandwich instead of
having them squirt out the back end with your first bite.
And like the Costco variety, you can also slice your
rolled sandwich into individual servings that look like… sushi! Like a Flat Out Sushi!
Roll cold smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber and avocado slices for the
perfect smoked salmon rolled sushi.
Or shredded roasted duck with hoisin
used in place of the cream cheese and sliced green onions for a Peking duck
rolled sushi. Or shredded roasted
pork, pate also used in place of the cream cheese along with pickled julienne
of carrots and daikon and lettuce and mint for a rolled banh mi! All you really need is a sauce or “glue”, a protein and
accompaniments to tie the flavors together.
Croutons
Unlike the usual toasted cubed bread that gives salads a
nice contrasting crunch, Middle Eastern cuisine uses toasted or fried pita
bread as their “croutons” even giving their salad a name; Fattoush. And since
Flat Out resembles pita bread without a pocket, I simply tear pieces of Flat
Out flatbread then toss them in a zip top bag with olive oil and various spices
depending on the “theme” of the salad. For my Middle Eastern salads, I tossed
the shredded Flat Out with olive oil and Ras el Hanout or a 12 dried spice blend
from North Africa then bake them for 15 to 20 minutes until the pieces are nice
and crisp. When tossed with salad greens in a pomegranate molasses based
vinaigrette, one bite has me speaking in my pseudo Middle Eastern accent of my Egyptian
alter ego, Anee.
Or toss the torn pieces with canola oil then sprinkle
with either furikake or Chinese five
spice and bake then toss with won bok
based greens and shredded carrots with a sesame oil based vinaigrette for an
Asian inspired fattoush. Or for an American twist, toss those torn Flat Out
pieces with vegetable oil and either Tony Chacheres, Old Bay seasoning or any
good barbecue dry rub then bake and toss with salad greens, smoked proteins and
a tomato based vinaigrette and it would do any summertime picnic proud.
Another benefit of these flavored Flat Out “croutons” is
that once they bake crisp and toasty, you can even consume them as is without a
salad. Great in a salad but just as good on their own. A healthy toasted snack
in itself! How many of you can say you simply nosh on boxed croutons while
watching TV?
Flat Out Pizza
This is kinda a no-brainer as Flat Out also makes a
product called Artisan Thin Pizza Crust which basically is just a slightly
larger traditional Flat Out. I still prefer the traditional Flat Out as their
smaller size allows them to be baked in most toaster ovens. And when it comes
to pizza toppings, your imagination is your only limit whether you desire
traditional red sauce, white sauce, BBQ sauce or any varieties of pesto to
cover the bottom of your pizza then whether you want a protein or simply go
with veggies then finally your choice of cheese. The only difference with Flat
Out pizzas (other than a complete lack of guilt after consuming the whole
pizza) is their thinner crust doesn’t allow hordes of toppings… unless you
don’t mind sharing those toppings with your lap. And to crisp the bottom of the
crust requires placement directly on a hot surface like a pizza tile or cast
iron surface.
My absolute favorite pizza application is the slather the
Flat out with a mushroom and truffle cream made by an Italian firm named Menu
and sold by the website igourmet.com. I top the mushroom cream with thinly
sliced fresh mushrooms, a little cracked black pepper and both grated
Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella (the mozzarella mainly functions as “glue”
to hold the fresh mushrooms in place). I can simply have one (or two) of these
baked beauties with a glass (or three) of Pinot Noir for breakfast, lunch,
dinner or all three…
Quesadillas
Anyone?
If you simply fold a Flat Out in half, you have the
perfect vehicle to hold cheese, shredded proteins and even beans and rice that
toasts nicely in a frying pan that also can be topped with the salsa of your
choice. And because it’s folded, it leaves one less seam where your fillings
can escape during their flat top or pan toasting. And if you notice, most of
the quesadillas made in restaurants use flour tortillas so Flat Outs don’t
deviate that much from the authentic… just a little more dietary fiber and
protein. But why stop with just the traditional Mexican fillings? Shredded
chicken, fresh chopped rosemary, thinly sliced potato rounds and Monterey Jack
gives you a Cali quesadilla or crumbled meatballs, marinara, sliced fresh basil
and mozzarella for an Italian quesadilla? All you basically need is your
filling and some type of cheese to hold the Flat Out sides together.
When Bread Gets
Old
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