Hummus + Veggie Flatbread Pizza

This is the type of meal I could eat for lunch and/or dinner every single day, all summer long.

It's quick, light, and so very fresh.  Light unless you eat all the flatbread.  Don't eat all the flatbread.

This meal starts with homemade flatbread which is much less daunting than it sounds to make.  No yeast!  No rising!  Gluten-free!  Cooks in minutes!

Did I sell you on it yet?

Next it's the homemade hummus that takes about 7 whole minutes to throw together.

Schmear it on the flatbread.

Pile on the raw veggies.

BAM.

Dinner.

Lunch.

Snack.

Whatever you want.

Change the toppings to your liking.  Really, the sky's the limit and this flatbread is the perfect vehicle for your favorite ingredients.  

Just don't roll it.

This flatbread stays flat.

Slice + serve. 

Print this!

Hummus + Veggie Flatbread Pizza

gluten-free// yields 8 flatbread pizzas

• 1 batch hummus
• 1 batch flatbread
• 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• kalamata olives
• goat or feta cheese
• fresh oregano + black pepper, to top

other topping options: spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, red onion, roased garlic, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, or add cooked veggies + cheese on top and bake the flatbread at 400* for 4-5 minutes and serve hot

1. Spread hummus on cooled flatbreads then top however you'd like.
2. Slice into 4-6 pieces and serve.

Simple Hummus

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients, starting with 1 tablespoon water, in your food processor and turn on.  *For super smooth hummus peel your chickpeas before adding to your food processor.
2. Scrape the sides as needed and add 1 more tablespoon of water and/or more olive oil if desired.  Process again until well combined.
3. Taste + add more salt if desired.
4. Store in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Why the quick meal?  Why the brief post?

Well, quick meals are just awesome + I have NEWS!  [No baby.  The immediate assumption.]

I wanted to hold off until things were certain and they finally are.  Chris and I are moving back to Denver [from Fort Collins] in about 3 weeks!  After Chris passed the PE just a few months ago he also secured a fantastic new job in Denver.  The commute is awful, nearly 2 hours in each direction, so we are headed back to the city!  It's been a ridiculous, crazy, exciting, insane, overwhelming, hectic past few months but we are happy + ready.  The first thing most people say is, "But what about your house that you worked so hard on!!??"  We did have to sell our house and are buying a new-to-us [but really old, 1930's!] house in a neighborhood we couldn't be happier with.  The move is bittersweet for a handful of reasons, but we are so looking foward to this next adventure in our lives.  I'll be sharing more details in weeks to come but wanted to give you a heads up in case things become a bit sporadic for a week or two at the end of July. 

Now go make yourself a hummus pizza.

Ashley

Basil, Garlic, + Tomato Veggie Burgers

Remember how I was just gushing about my love for cycling?

Well, yesterday I fell off my bike.  And when you fall off a bike with clipless pedals the bike goes right along with you.  Meaning, it falls on top of you.  Before I could unlatch my foot from the pedal I somehow rode off the sidewalk, got caught at the edge, and then fell flat over on the sidewalk.  Good thing I was at almost a complete stop and good thing for that helmet.  If you have ever worn clipless pedals before you most likely have had a similar experience.  

This doesn't dampen my love for cycling, I just found the timing to be funny.

Of course there was a witness to the scene about 10 steps in front of me.  To see someone on their bike almost at a complete stop fall flat over must have been quite the site.  Embarasssing.  

My leg + arm are a little scuffed but nothing too bad at all.  These things are bound to happen I suppose!

Now let's talk about these burgers.

And this cheese.  

There is a time and place for cheese and this is definitely it.

Gooey, melty, stretchy cheese.

I'm kind of on a temporary hiatus from my go-to Mexican style flavors.  They're just not doing it for me at the moment.  Veggie burgers are so great to have on hand for dinners and lunches but can get a little boring if you don't change up the flavors every now + again.

This mix of flavors is exactly what I was looking for.

There's the fresh, summery scent from the basil and a kick of robustness from the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.

Topped with a thick slice of tomato and fresh mozzarella then sent off to your broiler to get all hot + bubbly. 

Served up open-faced style.

Print this!

Basil, Garlic, + Tomato Veggie Burgers

gluten-free, vegan [w/o cheese topping] // yields 6-8, 3-inch patties

• 2 cups chopped lacinato/dino kale, stems removed + lightly packed
• 1 3/4 cup chickpeas, rinsed + drained
• 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
• 5 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3-2/3 cup partially ground gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4+ teaspoon salt/pepper
• oil or ghee for cooking
• toppings: sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, 1/2 bun

1. Place kale, chickpeas, onion, basil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in your large food processor and pulse until all ingredients are well-chopped and uniform in size.  Do not puree.  You want the mixture a bit chunky with the chickpeas broken down.
2. Add in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to combine.  
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add 1/3 cup partially ground oats [ground about 1/2-way to flour], sunflower seeds, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper.
4. Stir to combine.  The mixture should easily form patties and not feel wet/mushy or dry/stiff, you want it right in between.  *If the mixture feels dry, add 1/2-1 tablespoon more olive oil and stir to combine.  If the mixture is too wet add 1 tablespoon more of the ground oats at a time until patties form.  The amount of oil needed will vary depending on how oily your sun-dried tomatoes + how wet your onioins are.  I ended up needing 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup of oats.  
5. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil or ghee to lightly coat the pan.
6. Form a few patties while it's heating about 3-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick.
7. Once hot add a few patties to the pan [do not overcrowd] and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, then carefully flip and cook another 4-5 minutes.
8. Place patties on a wire rack and continue to cook the rest of the patties.
9. Preheat your oven to broil on high.
10. Place burgers on a baking sheet and top with a slice of tomato [lightly patted with a towel] and fresh mozzarella.
11. Place until the broiler until bubbling + golden brown.  Broil time will vary depending on your oven.
12. Top with black pepper + basil and serve over a toasted bun.

And just wait until you see what I do with veggie burgers next week.  They're going to end up on a Friday post if that gives you any clues.

In the meantime, enjoy these summery-style burgs!

Ashley

pssst...check out this mountaintop wedding I shot in May over on my photography site!

Also!  If you live in the Denver/Ft. Collins/Boulder area I'm running a summer photo special!  Contact me for more details!  The photo below is a shot from my sister-in-law's senior photo session last week.