In a world of gluten-free eaters and low-carb enthusiasts, I am totally uncool: I love sandwiches*. Put it in a bun or a baguette or a biscuit (mmm…biscuit…) or a pita and chances are I’ll happily eat it.
So my sandwich-loving eyes lit up when I visited Furn Al Sabaya, the magical little bakery run by three sisters I mentioned when talking about memorable breakfasts in Lebanon. There, I watched Martha, Lorenza and Lucie build a simple morning wrap with the distinctive flavors of Lebanese breakfast mezze, with strained yogurt (labneh) spread over freshly-baked flatbread and topped with chunks of ripe tomato and fresh mint leaves. Rolled up and sliced, it was like a Lebanese breakfast burrito, satisfying and easy to eat, but lighter and healthier than the usual belly-bomb.
My adaptation includes crunchy Persian cucumbers, another Lebanese breakfast staple. Honestly, I can’t remember if the original also included cucumber. Looking back at my notes, I realize I didn’t write anything down about this wrap, although I did just discover some scribbled movie and TV show titles from my fellow travelers, mostly British, whom I asked for recommendations. So I don’t know if Martha, Lorenza and Lucie use cucumber in their breakfast sandwich, but I do know that one person in the group liked End of Watch and another thought I should check out Days of Fools and Horses**.
The original wraps. I don’t see cucumbers, do you?
I can’t comment on those, but I can comment on the addition of cucumber: five stars! Not to be missed! And I’ll say the same about this sandwich, which tastes just as good for lunch as it does for breakfast.
* Note: anything wrapped in lettuce instead of bread is not a sandwich, as much as you might hope it will be.
** It turns out this is actually not the name of the show. It’s Only Fools and Horses.
Yield: 1 serving
1 piece whole wheat lavash bread
1/4 cup labneh (strained yogurt, see note below)
1 Persian cucumber, cut lengthwise into eight pieces
1 small tomato, cut into eight wedges
4 large mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Spread labneh evenly over the lavash, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place the cucumber sticks parallel to the short side of the lavash, about 2 inches from the edge. Top with the tomato and mint. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the vegetables and labneh. Starting with the edge of the bread closest to the vegetables, roll up the lavash. Cut in half or quarters before serving.
• Labneh is a type of strained yogurt that is even thicker than Greek yogurt. You can find it in Middle Eastern markets, but it's also very simple to make at home: you place plain yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. You can find more detailed instructions over at 101 Cookbooks.
• If you don't like mint, you can use basil, cilantro, dill, or whatever soft, green herb you like.
• Olives would also be really good in this.
Inspired by the lovely ladies at Furn Al Sabaya