Recipe: A Healthy, Delicious Dish for Father’s Day

Maura's na'an grilled pizzas

I love my dad, and I’m sure you love yours, too. All summer long, he slaves over the hot grill, flipping burgers and dogs, taking requests for “cheese or no cheese.” This Sunday, take over for Dad and add a healthy twist to the menu: flatbread pizzas on the grill using na’an.

The idea, as always, is to create something fun, good for you, delish, and the majority has to like it (i.e., the kids and your picky brother-in-law). This dish does it all, and it’s a great alternative to common BBQ faves for a couple of reasons. You skip the highly processed, less-than-flavorful white hamburger rolls, there’s no need for sugar-laden condiments like ketchup or BBQ sauce and, of course, you’re getting lots of fresh, yummy veggies (most of which can be bought at a local farmer stand) as opposed to high-sodium, nitrate-rich hot dogs. Plus, you skip the sugary pizza sauce that most traditional pies use. And if Dad (or you!) is really jonesing a burger, grill one up with some blackening spice and crumble onto the Mexican flatbread to get your red meat fix, and viola!

Na’an is a traditional Indian flatbread that you can now find at most regular grocery stores. My personal favorite is Tandoori’s Whole Grain. It has a great, chewy consistency, nutty flavor and can be used a ton of different ways. Plus, it usually doesn’t have a bunch of foreign ingredients that you can’t pronounce — always a plus! Add some corn on the cob and a grilled Caesar salad and you’ve got yourself one awesome Father’s Day BBQ. Everyone in the family will love it! Plus, Dad will love the extra attention you paid to making his day special.

Instructions
Dust each side of na’an with olive oil and grill over medium heat for one minute on each side. Then, add toppings (sauce and veggies first, cheese last) and close the grill. Cook for roughly five minutes or until cheese has melted.

Variations

Margarita: 1 medium tomato, sliced; arugula (or basil); dash of sea salt; 4-5 thin slices fresh mozzarella; if you are feeling really creative, add fresh or store bought olive tapenade for an extra kick.

Mexican: 1 medium tomato, sliced; 1/4 cup sliced onions; cilantro, to taste; 1/2 medium Haas avocado; 1/4 cup cheddar/jack blend of shredded cheese; drizzled of low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt; dash of sea salt.

Mushroom lover’s: 1/4 cup Rosselli’s pizza sauce (it has no added sugar; available in almost any local grocery store); 4-5 baby portabellas, sliced (marinate in balsamic vinegar at start of prep if desired) ; 4-5 thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.

Maura Manzo is the Managing Director of RYAH Yoga and Health in Conshohocken. She is also a certified health coach and yoga teacher. To learn more about her classes and workshops, visit mauramanzo.com or ryahyoga.com. Read her full bio here.