This was probably the best lunch I’ve made in some time. We combined it with a big bowl of my favorite Sweet potato and pepper soup and it was awesome.

I’m not very creative when it comes to special lunch recipes—too attached to my basic cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber sandwich, I guess—but this was something else alright. Think of it as a pizza variation, only way more fulfilling and a wee bit healthier. At least I like to think it is. Don’t burst my bubble, okay. Denial has never tasted so good!

So, what is it? It’s a slightly toasted, warm, chewy Moroccan flatbread filled with a variety of flavored roasted vegetables, combined with a hint of cream cheese, salty salami and melted Gouda. Just eat it and weep, it’s so good it’ll bring tears to you eyes.

Oh, you’ll be needing milk with this. Lots and lots of cold milk.

Ingredients:

1 Moroccan flatbread
5 oz low-fat cream cheese
4 oz deli salami (or chorizo)
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
2 red onions
1 large garlic clove
3 tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 red chili pepper
3 tbsp oil
coarse sea salt
grated melting cheese

Directions:

I desperately needed some color on my plate. The third round of cold winter weather set in and this is all I’ve been seeing for weeks now and quite frankly, I’m getting tired of it. We’ve had the white Christmas thing, we’ve had the sleighing thing, I love snow, but I’m sick of it now. I want spring. My poor lilac tree is suffering.

*Heat your oven as high as it goes! Let’s use all the horsepower you got in that baby!

The happy lot. I’ve missed my mixed vegetables with all the stews and casseroles of late.

We’ll make the oil first so the flavors can mingle. Grate 1 large garlic clove and combine it with 3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp dried basil and 1/3 to 1/2 finely minced red chili pepper.

Coarsely chop your washed vegetables. Leaving them slightly coarser just looks better, more rustic.

And transfer them to a big roasting tray.

Pour the oil over the vegetables and mix it all up. Sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top and pop the tray in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly browned and soft, but still have a good bite.

In the mean time we’ll open up the flatbread.

And spread a thin layer low-fat cream cheese on the bottom half. Thin being the key word here.

Top the cream cheese with the deli salami. Or chorizo. Whatever rocks your boat.

Grate a decent amount of good melting cheese. I opted for young Gouda cheese, it’s mild and lightly sweet.

Once your vegetables are done, lower the oven temperature to 350F (180C) and transfer the veggies from the roasting tray to the bread.

Top with the grated cheese, place the other half of the bread on top and put the flatbread back in the oven for 10 minutes. Until the bread is slightly toasted and the cheese has melted.

This, my friends, is what a little bite of heaven looks like. It tastes like spring!