Guest post from Michelle of The Willing Cook
Do you sometimes gaze at your co-workers deli-prepared lunch, wishing you could just have one bite? Sure it may have been a bit pricey, but all caution is thrown out because it looks so good.
But, wait! You can’t have that deli sandwich because you have Celiac Disease or food allergies. I understand your pain. You just want a good gluten, dairy, and egg-free deli-style sandwich that quenches that desire.
But how? Chances are that you aren’t going to find it at the corner deli. Well, I’m here to offer you a brown bag lunch idea that is fairly easy and should meet your dietary restrictions and your desire for good food.
Balsamic Tuna Salad on Gluten-Free Flatbread
{free of gluten, dairy, egg, & more}
Tuna Salad Ingredients
- 1 can tuna fish, drained
- 2 Tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
Directions:
Mix together all the tuna salad ingredients in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
Gluten-Free Flatbread Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white or brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca or potato starch
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum or 1 teaspoon xantham gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (or 1/4 tsp cream of tartar + 1/8 tsp baking soda)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoon shortening or butter, softened (but not melted)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- parchment paper
Directions:
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the softened shortening in, 1 tablespoon at a time. With a wood spoon, slowly break up the shortening until only small pieces remain.
- Slowly add in the cold water, while mixing it into the flour. Add more cold water (up to 1/4 cup) until dough is no longer dry. Be careful with this step because you do not want the dough to become too wet. The dough should be holding together nicely.
- Pour the dough out onto parchment paper and start kneading it a little with your hands and the back of a wood spoon until the dough is smooth. Have extra tapioca starch close by to add as needed. The dough should not stick to your fingers (but, trust me, it may).
- Once the dough is smooth, start rolling into balls a little smaller than a tennis ball. Make all the balls at this time and set them aside. (If the dough is sticking to your fingers, try rolling it into a ball anyway. It may just smooth out and roll right up for you without any more sticking.)
- Place a dough ball between 2 sheets of parchment paper. With a rolling pin, roll out a circle until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.
- Heat up a griddle to 400 degrees (preferred method) or non-stick pan. Carefully peel away the top sheet of parchment paper and flip the flatbread on the heated griddle.
- Slowly pull away the top sheet of parchment paper. Allow the flatbread to cook 1-2 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side for 1 minute.
- Remove flatbread to a plate and repeat steps 6-8 for the rest of the dough.
To assemble your sandwich, scoop out 1/2 cup of tuna salad onto the center of your flatbread. Top with slices of tomato and avocado; season with salt & pepper. If dairy is allowed, add a little feta cheese to your sandwich for an added punch.
When packing this to take to work or school, I recommend keeping the tuna salad and flatbread separate and assemble when you’re ready to eat it. A soggy sandwich could ruin your whole day!
Enjoy this simple and flavorful gluten and allergy-friendly sandwich! And be sure your co-workers see it too 🙂
Would you like more allergy-friendly brown bag lunch ideas? You can find more ideas at The Willing Cook by clicking on Lunch Ideas for School/Work.
Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children (ages 10, 7, and 4), while her husband works to provide. When she’s not experimenting with allergy-friendly meals, she’s blogging about it at The Willing Cook. Through the Willing Cook, her hope is that you gain peace of mind in your kitchen (and your pocket book) and are able to serve those you love who suffer with food allergies.
Monica says
Thanks for the recipe, it looks really good! Do you think I could sub the shortening/butter for coconut oil?
Michelle @ Willing Cook says
Monica,
Sure, you can substitute coconut oil for the shortening as long as it isn’t liquefied. I’d recommend a mild coconut oil though because I don’t think you want a strong presence of coconut in the flatbread. Of course, if you made a sweet flatbread for breakfast or dessert, say with cinnamon and sugar, a stronger coconut oil would work great!
Michelle
CJ @ Morsels of Life says
balsamic tuna salad sounds like a great idea! I’ll have to give it a try, especially since it looks so tasty and easy. 🙂
Michelle @ Willing Cook says
I started putting balsamic vinegar and oil on my husband and son’s tuna a few years ago because they have several allergies including egg (no mayonnaise). They’ve always loved the results. I like the tang it has and the fewer calories than its mayo counterpart. I hope you enjoy it!
milkallergymom says
Looks delish! I just put tuna on greens yesterday and wondered, “what kind of dressing would be good on this?” I went with honey mustard b/c I had some made up, but balsamic vinegar and oil sounds great. Even if I don’t need to bake gluten-free, this recipe is still helpful! Thanks!
Michelle @ Willing Cook says
I’m so glad to see this recipe on here! I hope it is helpful to all those who need it.
I want to add a little update to the flat bread recipe. I have been using this recipe A LOT lately making tortilla shells, pizza crust (oh my…so good!), and even chicken pot pie.
1) You may need to add up to 2 more TBSP shortening/butter if it just doesn’t seem to be crumbly enough. Furthermore, you may need to add up to about 1/2 cup more water. Experiment with these amounts and see what comes together best for you, starting small and working up.
2) The kneading part can really be done in the bowl as you’re mixing all the ingredients together. I just make sure everything is incorporated well, then start rolling out the balls. It seems to come together very nicely.
Be patient and enjoy the wonders of GF cooking!
Shela says
Hi Michelle,
Can these be made and then either stored in the fridge or frozen for later? I’ld love to make a double batch and freeze if possible 🙂
The Prudent Homemaker says
That looks delicious!