Greece - Lunch - Pita Bread

My favorite kind of food that isn't dessert is anything with carbs, especially bread. I love bread. A lot. There are so many different kinds and can be used in so many different ways. Nothing is better than bread to soak up the juices from meat at Christmas or Easter, or just warmed up and eaten straight. Unfortunately, bread isn't the healthiest option ever and there are many fad diets that discourage you from eating bread at all. A great, healthy solution to this is using whole wheat flour in place of bleached, white flour. Whole grain flour is full of nutrients and fiber, and it still retains that bready goodness that we all love. In Greece, Pita bread is traditional and used in lots of meals. I found this lovely recipe that makes the whole bread making process super simple! Use this as a base for pizza, sandwiches and as a dip into hummus or even salsa.

India - Lunch - Garlic Naan

I always knew that I wanted to try and make naan one day, but I never knew it would be this easy! Naan can be made in a variety of ways, but the recipe that I followed gave it a garlic, whole wheat twist. I was so happy with how it turned out. It was the perfect dinner side bread, and I know that it will be a nice breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack. Naan is very versatile. I know that I can eat the leftovers with hummus, cooked veggies, and cheese. In the future, naan would make an amazing pizza crust or sandwich bread (just open up the top and stuff it!). Click "Read More" to follow the steps to make your own naan.

Spain - Lunch - Tortilla Española

When I went to Madrid, we went to this little café called Emma's. It was about 12:00, so we were the only ones there since the Spanish eat lunch so much later than Americans. The café had just opened, and the waiters seemed a little weirded out that we were there, but we ordered anyways. After our meal, the owner, whom we befriended, gave us free Tortilla Española. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it was delicious and I ate every bite. Recently, I went to a café in Cambridge with some friends and one of them got Tortilla Española. As soon as I saw it, I knew that's what I was served in Spain! Here is my recreation, using this recipe. 

France - Lunch - Brie Apple Honey Crêpes

I've always loved French food, especially crêpes. My friends and I are constantly scouting the greater Boston area for crêpe places, and we haven't been disappointed. The only problem is, they aren't the healthiest option. Several years ago, I discovered this recipe from the fitness blogger Blogilates that makes the crêpe batter so much healthier and cheaper! I love this recipe for breakfast and lunch, and you can fill it with anything you like. For lunch, we're going to fill it with brie and apples, one of my favorite combinations.

Italy - Lunch - Pomodoro alla Maresi

One summer in New Jersey, my mom and I were inspired by a family friend's use of burrata in a dinner we had together. If you've never heard of burrata, you're not alone. That dinner was the first time I had it! Burrata is essentially mozzarella balls stuffed with ricotta cheese. Our friend put the burrata on tomato slices with balsamic and basil, and it was delicious! We decided to take her recipe and give it a Maresi twist. My mom (whose name is Estella Maresi, hence Pomodoro alla Maresi) invented this recipe off the top of her head the next day, and it has become one of our summer favorites. This recipe tastes best when using fresh produce, but those are hard to find at this time of year.