Fresh Tomato Basil Flatbread

Here is an amazing flatbread recipe that I have been wanting to share with you for awhile now. I finally sat down today and typed it all out. It's so delicious and although it isn't pizza, it defiantly satisfies my pizza craving, without all the added calories and fat. It's great served as a meal with a side salad or cut into even smaller pieces and served as an appetizer.

The recipe below is listed in 2 parts (the basic dough and the complete recipe).

Cut into appetizer size

Basic Flatbread Dough
Makes 6 servings

This is the base dough used for my Fresh Tomato Basil Flatbread. This makes enough dough to make 2 13x5 flatbreads. You can make them both now OR freeze ½ for later.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110º to 115º F)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp active dry yeast
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1 ¾ whole wheat flour
¾ to 1½  all-purpose flour
Olive oil non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir in yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy. Stir in oil, salt and pepper. Stir in whole wheat flour and as much of the all-purpose flour as you can. 
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining all-purpose flour for about 6 minutes. Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1-1¼ hours).
3. Punch dough down. Divide into 2 equal parts.

Dough before toppings are added.

Tomato Topping Ingredients (for 1 flatbread):
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 pinches salt
1-2 pinches black pepper
1-2 gloves garlic, minced
3 tsp sun-dried tomato pesto (see image below)
1-2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
¼ cup 2% shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)
2 tbsp snipped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Prepare flatbread dough (directions above)
2. Preheat oven to 450º F. Use a baking stone for best results.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 portion of the dough into a 13x5-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking stone. 
4. Top dough with salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
5. Spread sun-dried tomato pesto evenly over dough
6. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with cheese. 
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until flatbread is browned on edges. 
8. Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh basil.  (I added basil both before and after cooking but I suggestion just adding it after)

Ready to go into the oven!

The above "tomato topping" ingredient list is enough for (1) 13x5 flatbread. If you are making 2, then you will need double the amount of ingredients. Since the dough recipe makes enough for 2 flatbreads, I usually cook one at a time and freeze the other half. To freeze, wrap the dough in saran wrap and place in a covered container and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to use, simply defrost at room temperature for about 2 hours.

Hot out of the oven! Yum!

This is the sun-dried tomato pesto I use. It has around 250 calories per ¼ cup, which seems high but remember you are only using 3 tsp. If you can't find this brand, just look for one with a similar calorie count.


Nutritional Information:
Per serving, based on 6 servings total

Calories 140
Fat 2.5g
Sodium 276mg
Carbohydrate 20g
Fiber 2.8g
Sugar 0g
Protein 1.6g

This is so low in calories and fat, you could even have more then 1 serving! :)

I'm going to experiment with other toppings to use the flatbread next time I make it. I'm thinking a really good low-calorie chicken alfredo sounds yummy! I'll be sure to post any new recipes I come up with! If you have any suggestions for a topping, please comment on this post and let me know.

Linking this post to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday - Be sure and check out all the wonderful healthy recipes listed!

Product Reviews Coming Soon!

Easy 4 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole

Today was a lazy Saturday. I didn't do much of anything, including not going to the gym. Since we weren't busy, I decided to experiment with a new recipe.

I really need to help the kids get back into the habit of eating healthier. They were doing so well there for awhile, but got sidetracked. Now that I'm back on track, the kids need to be as well!

I'm going to start cooking more for them, especially at breakfast when they usually eat a bowl of cold not-so-good-for-you cereal. So this morning I decided to whip up this low-calorie breakfast casserole. It was very easy to make, filling and the whole family liked it.

It's high in protein, low in fat and carbs. Serve it along with some fresh fruit and you have a great breakfast!


4 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 Whole Eggs
6 Egg Whites
1 1/3 cup shredded potatoes (I used Southwest Style Simply Potatoes)
1/2 cup 2% Shredded Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, mexican blend, it's totally up to you)
2 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Links (sliced into small pieces)


You will see that pitcher of yellow stuff in a lot of my pictures. Those are egg whites, we buy in bulk.

Ready to go into the oven

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º
Microwave the shredded potatoes for about 3-4 minutes to pre-cook them.*
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork
Spray an 8″ pie pan with nonstick spray and pour mixture into it.
Bake for 35 minutes

Slice into 4 large servings or 8 smaller servings.

* The first time I made this, the potatoes didn't cook completely, so the next time I make this, I will microwave the potatoes for a few minutes before mixing with the other ingredients to make sure they are completely cook when the dish has finished baking.

Hot out of the oven

Nutritional Information:
Per serving, based on 4 servings total

Calories 246
Total Fat 6g
Sodium 461mg
Total Carbohydrate 9g
Dietary Fiber 0.5g
Sugars 0g
Protein 17g

I hope you enjoy! If you make it please let me know. And if you have a family favorite breakfast casserole that's healthy, I would love for you to share it. I'll be looking for new things to try with the kids! :)

Have a wonderful weekend!