With Memorial Day weekend only days away, and the weather turning balmy, it’s a great time to gather ideas for picnic fixings. When a grill isn’t available, try these simple, good-for-you sandwiches that make the most of the season’s fresh produce. These sandwiches travel well, and your friends and family will love the mix of flavors while out enjoying the sunshine.
 
To make your sandwiches extra special, try a mix of breads. Featured in these recipes from Chef Demetrios Haralambatos, the executive chef at Kontos Foods (www.kontos.com), are multi-grain flatbread, Lavash bread (a bread popular in Armenia and Turkey) and zesty ‘Pan Plano’ Latin bread with roasted jalapeño, cilantro, onion and spices baked in.
 
#1 – Multi-Grain Roast Beef Sandwich
 
1 Kontos Multi-Grain Flatbread
4-5 slices of lean roast beef
3 slices Swiss cheese
3 fresh Romaine lettuce leaves
¼ thinly sliced red onion, tomato (optional)
Thousand Island dressing for drizzling

  • Layer the roast beef and Swiss cheese on one slice of Kontos Multi-Grain Flatbread.
  • Drizzle Thousand Island dressing on the beef and cheese
  • Add red onion and Romaine lettuce
  • Top with another piece of Multi-Grain Flatbread
  • Wrap in foil for transport in a cooler. Pack a knife so you can cut in half before serving.  

#2 – Hummus and Veggie Sandwich on Lavash Bread
 
1 Kontos Foods Lavash flatbread
4 tablespoons hummus
1 roasted pepper
2 oz. Feta cheese
1 large carrot, cut into ribbon strands with a vegetable peeler
½ small cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Spring mix (or try spinach or arugula if you prefer)
Pepper to taste

  1. Lay Lavash bread on a cutting board. Place 1 tablespoon in each of the four quadrants of the bread.
  2. Layer all ingredients on one side of the Lavash bread.
  3. Roll, jelly-roll fashion, the bread, starting on the side with all the fillings.
  4. Trim ends of bread, wrap tightly in foil for transport.  

#3 – Pan Plano Chipotle with Bean and Corn Filling
 
1 Pan Plano Chipotle Flatbread
½ cup black beans
½ cup red beans
½ cup sweet canned corn
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup cubed red or green pepper
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. minced garlic
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. each of red wine, apple cider and balsamic vinegar
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

  1. Cut the flatbread in half.
  2. Mix together the chopped vegetables, cilantro and garlic.
  3. Mix together olive oil and vinegars; add to vegetable mixture.
  4. Stir in feta cheese.
  5. Fill Kontos Pan Plano flatbread with your vegetable and feta filling, using a slotted spoon to avoid bringing along too much dressing.
  6. Wrap tightly in foil for transport  
Note:  The vegetable mixture can be made a day in advance to intensify flavors. You can double or triple the recipe to make more sandwiches.

“These healthier-for-you sandwiches offer a great balance of fiber, protein and fresh produce. As shorts and bathing suit weather approaches, these picnic ideas can help you enjoy time with family and friends while being kind to your waistline,” said Steve Kontos, vice president of Kontos Foods.
 
Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, NJ-based provider of traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evripides (Evris) Kontos together with his son Steven, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. To learn more, visitwww.kontos.com.