Meatless Monday

My favorite flatbread at the moment is Ezekiel's sprouted grain tortillas. And this Meatless Monday I used them to create a sensational, vegetarian meal-in-a-sandwich.

I like the sprouted grain flat-bread because it's moist and chewy and full of chunky bits of sprouted grain, literally! Plus, it's not made from processed flour.

Though not gluten-free, the whole grains (including wheat) in the bread are sprouted prior to being made into dough, and it is this process that makes the gluten in the grains more digestible.

So with sprouted flatbread on hand, and lots of tender kale leaves in the garden, and fresh herbs, i.e. parsley, mint, flowering chives, I decided to combine mostly raw ingredients for this meal, bar, what I consider this sandwich's piece d' resistance: warm, caramelized onions.

Follow the slide show below, and the method recipe below that to make:

Herb Cheese, Kale & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

1) Wash and drain a handful of fresh herbs such as parsley, mint and chives, or parsley, basil and chives or parsley, sage and chives.
2) Place patted-dry herbs into a large cup and chop coarsely with kitchen scissors until.
3) Toss chopped herbs into a bowl; add a heaped spoonful of one of, or a combination of, cream cheese, goat cheese ricotta cheese or any soft, white cheese.
4) Peel and chop and chunk of cucumber and add that to the bowl, plus a quarter of a soft avocado.
5) Using a fork, gently mash the ingredients together, maybe add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper -- test taste to determine whether you want to add the juice and seasoning.
6) Spread the creamy mix onto one side of a piece of flatbread.
7) Now peel and slice an onion, adding it to a pan with a chunk of butter and about a teaspoon of brown sugar.
8) Stir over low heat so that the butter and sugar coat the sliced onion. Put the lid on the pan, and allow the onion to soften -- about 5-7 mins. At the last minute add about a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar; stir it in well. The vinegar will offset the sweetness of the onion while also adding a golden color.
9) Tear several kale leaves into pieces, and place into a bowl. Pour about a tablespoon of your choice of oil over the kale (I used walnut oil)-- just enough to coat the leaves. Add a pinch of salt, and now work the oil and the salt into the kale with your fingers so that the leaves soften. Add a dash of vinegar or lemon juice.

To Serve: Layer the kale over the creamy filling on the flatbread, and then top with lots of caramelized onion. Place a second piece of flatbread on top and then using a sharp knife slice the sandwich in four, placing the triangles decoratively on a serving plate.

You'll note in the pic at top that I added a couple pieces of sliced tomato for color, though you could add sliced bell peppers, chunks of raw carrot or any number of colorful vegetables. For a decorative garnish, and for fun and interest, I used the flowering chive buds, plus some stem.