In My Lunchbox This Week: Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Pita Flatbreads

I can't believe that March is almost over already-- the beginning of 2015 has been a busy whirlwind of work, travel, and personal commitments. And I have to admit that my eating habits have suffered because of it. This week though, I'm home and have no travel (personal or work!!) on the docket again until May so it's time to get back on the wagon and put something homemade and healthy in my lunchbox.

This recipe was inspired by a flatbread that I recently had at a work lunch at South Water Kitchen, a downtown Chicago restaurant. Their whole wheat flatbread was topped with roasted beets, goat cheese, frisee, and toasted pistachios. It was a wonderfully flavorful and filling lunch that was both meatless and pretty healthy for a restaurant meal. This recipe is my easy at home interpretation that is slightly different, but just as delicious as the original.

Beets and goat cheese is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Beets have such a wonderful earthy flavor and paired with creamy tangy goat cheese, it is just perfection. Toasted nuts add great flavor and richness. I prefer pecans to the pistachios on the original flatbread, but toasted walnuts, almonds, or even hazelnuts would be delicious here too. And don't forget the green salad! A little hit of lemony acid on the greens is a great compliment to the flatbread flavors and textures. If you're planning on eating these immediately after you prepare them, you could place the dressed greens right on top of the baked flatbreads too. If you're planning on packing this to eat later, pack the salad and the flatbread separately.

Ingredients:

• 2 small whole wheat pitas 
• 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 to 5 peeled and cooked baby beets *I like to buy them pre-packaged/prepared like the Melisa's brand
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp. dry parsley
• 2 to 3 Tbs. pecan halves, toasted
• 1 cup of mixed greens *I used a spinach/arugula blend
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pitas on a baking sheet and brush the tops lightly with 1/2 tsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the beets thinly into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices in rounds on the tops of each pita, slightly overlapping the edges so that the surface is totally covered. Each pita will need the slices of 1 1/2 to 3 beets, depending on the size of the beets.

Sprinkle goat cheese evenly over the beets and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is softened and slightly golden.

While the flatbreads are baking, toss the greens with the lemon juice, remaining 1/2 tsp. olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Once flatbreads are out of the oven, sprinkle parsley over the top, and top with the toasted pecans. Plate with mixed greens and serve.