Flatbreads forever!

I bloody love a flatbread. I don't know what it is about them, but I cannot get enough. Whether it's a naan or a tortilla, roti or chapati I am game. If it's bread and it's flat, it's mine.

So yesterday, the lovely Sabrina Ghayour (author of Persiana and Sirrocco) was a guest on Saturday Kitchen and she had made spiced cod flatbreads with an avocado salsa, pul biber onions and a harissa and lime yoghurt. I sat there in my PJ's, dribbling, whilst she threw together these amazing flavours and textures and honestly, I felt a bit faint. They looked SO good.

The thing that really piqued my interest though, was the garlic flatbread. I couldn't get the thought out of my head. I had to make them, so last night I gave them a bash using Sabrina's recipe. They turned out beautifully and were really easy to make - so I really recommend you trying them out (recipe linked above). I'd made a ras el hanout and garlic marinated chicken with spinach and peppers to top them, whacked on some hummus and pickled red onions and it was a delight. Definitely food for more thought.

Less than 24 hours later, I wasn't (still not) over my infatuation. Today at lunch I tweaked the recipe a little, substituting butter for a lighter spread version (I used Lurpak lighter but I think other reduced fat spreads could work here too), which worked in combining the dough. The texture of the flatbread was a little firmer, but not too noticeable and it didn't fall apart as I thought it might. Instead of brushing olive oil around the frying pan, I spritzed it with a calorie controlled cooking spray and it worked just as well. The aim was to make them a little more WeightWatchers friendly, so I could incorporate them more into weeknight dinners, rather than the odd treat.

I fancied something fancy, so instead of adding garlic granules to the mix, I used za'atar instead. Za'atar has this citrusy, herby quality which really lifted the whole thing to a new level. I topped the flatbread with reduced fat hummus, wilted spinach and feta, spicy chicken and homemade pickled red onion and cucumber. It was so, so good and came in at 12SP with the tweaks.

You could totally leave out the chicken and substitute it for a veggie option. Could even try to make these flatbreads vegan friendly? I'll work on that. Anyway, here's how I did it:

Flatbread (makes 2 large):
88g plain flour
2tsp of Za'atar (optional)
1tsp ground black pepper
50ml of semi-skimmed milk
15g of reduced fat butter/spread
calorie controlled cooking spray

Topping:
3 tsp houmous (reduced fat for WW) per flatbread
Handful of spinach
40g feta cheese
1 garlic clove (roughly chopped)
2 red chillies (deseeded and chopped)
2 chicken breasts,
3tsp paprika
2tsp chilli powder
2tsp turmeric powder
Salt

Pickles: 
1 red onion finely sliced
1/2 cucumber peeled into ribbons,
2tsp sugar
4tsp cider vinegar


How to: 

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 
• For the flatbread, melt the butter or marge in the microwave. Mix together the flour, pepper and za'atar. Add the milk and butter to the mix and bring together until it forms a ball of dough. Set to one side and leave to rest for half an hour. 
• Mix together paprika, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and rub the mix into the chicken so it is completely coated. Put the chicken onto the baking tray and pop them in the oven for 25 minutes. 
• While the chicken is doing its thing, it's time to make the pickles. Add the finely sliced onion into a bowl, and add 1tsp sugar, along with 2tsp of cider vinegar. Give them a good stir. In another bowl, add the cucumber with 1tsp sugar, along with 2tsp of cider vinegar. Stir, and leave them to mingle. 
• Mist a frying pan with cooking spray (or oil if using) and fry off the garlic and chillies with a little salt. Add the spinach and stir together until the spinach has wilted. Crumble in the feta cheese and give it a stir through. Take off the heat and put to one side. 
• Take the chicken out of the oven to rest once done. Slice it up. 
• After half an hour, take the ball of dough and divide into two. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a round shape, to the thickness of a tortilla. 
• Mist a frying pan with cooking spray. When the pan has reached a medium heat, place the flatbread and let it cook for 60 seconds on each side. 
• Plate up! Flatbread, houmous, feta and spinach mix, chicken pieces, pickles. Get it down ya Gregory and enjoy!