Recipe: Mediterranean Naan & Hummus Sandwich

Eating healthy at work is always a challenge, especially when I'm rushing out the door in the morning and don't have time to pack a lunch. I'm lucky enough to work at a company that boasts an amazing salad bar, but buying a lunch every day gets to be expensive. So I'm always thinking of creative ways to get my nutrition in, but still save time with the preparation process.

Recently, I've been reading a lot about the Mediterranean Diet. Dubbed "the heart-healthy eating plan" by the Mayo Clinic, this diet focuses around fresh fruits and vegetables, fish (and other lean proteins), olive oil (and other healthy fats, like avocado), whole grains, natural herbs and spices, and (the best part) red wine in moderation. Of course, eating under the guidelines of the Mediterranean diet doesn't mean you get to eat pizza all day - vegetables should make up the bulk of what you eat.

Keeping this in mind, I created a delicious sandwich combo that I ended up packing for lunch today. Super easy and quick to make, it only has four ingredients:

1. Stonefire Whole Grain Naan Bread (can be substituted with Whole Grain pita)

2. Hummus (I like Tribe Spicy Chipotle hummus, but any flavor works!)

3. Pico de Gallo-style Salsa (I like Sabra Homestyle)

4. Fresh Arugula 

And that's it!

Here's how I made it: Lay one piece of naan flat, and cut it in half the short way so it's in a semicircle shape. Spread two big spoonfuls of hummus generously on both slices of naan. Then, layer the pico de gallo and arugula on liberally, finally putting both halves of naan together in traditional sandwich style. (I wrapped mine in aluminum foil to hold the sandwich together and make it easier to eat later on.) I made mine in the morning before work, so I didn't have to refrigerate it during the day; however, if you make yours the night before, you should keep it in the fridge overnight. 

The sandwich was absolutely delicious as lunch, but it would work equally well as a dinner dish! If eaten after work, I would recommend a fruity Malbec to wash it down. Personally, I think Malbec goes with everything, but for all of you white wine lovers out there, a sweet Riesling would do nicely as well (especially if you use spicy hummus!). 

This bottle of wine is currently sitting on top of my refridgerator- I'm a repeat buyer!

Red wine has been shown to have health benefits when consumed in moderation. It contains compounds such as flavonoids and resveratrol, which have both been shown to have antioxidant properties. Of course, this doesn't mean you should start chugging red wine - remember, everything in moderation! But it makes for a delicious, healthy pairing with a Mediterranean naan sandwich.