Chickpea-Flax Skillet Flatbread

I was intrigued and inspired by the skillet flatbread experiments over at Bitten, and wondered if I could use this new weeknight dinner tool to bring more whole grains and fiber into our diet. Flatbread made with flaxseed meal proved too dense and bitter, but a mix of chickpea flour and flaxseed meal makes for just the right flavor complexity. I've been making this simple flatbread at least once a week with a salad or hearty soup for a light, healthy meal.

If you've heard the buzz about flax as a superfood, it just may be true. Flaxseed meal is high in fiber, lignans, alpha-linoleic acid, and protein, and is low in carbs. It has been associated with a host of medical benefits, explained by the Mayo Clinic here and with less jargon by about.com here. Chickpea flour, also known as besan, is also loaded with fiber and protein. You should drink plenty of water with Chickpea-Flax Skillet Flatbread and other foods containing lots of fiber.

You can add any number of seasoning combinations to this flatbread. I've included some suggestions below. Experiment!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: Up to 4? But sometimes I eat the whole thing myself. I often make a second flatbread as soon as the first one comes out of the oven.

Ingredients:
1/2 c chickpea flour (besan)
1/2 c flaxseed meal
1 t salt
2.5-3 T olive oil
1-1.5 c lukewarm water
pepper to taste

Optional seasonings:
1 T fennel seeds and 2 t garlic powder or 2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 diced onion and 1T rosemary (shown above; creates an onion-kulcha-like effect)
1 T herbes de provence

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Combine the chickpea flour and flaxseed meal in a medium sized bowl with salt and pepper. Whisk to break up lumps. Slowly add 1.5 c water, whisking until lumps disappear and batter is the consistency of heavy cream. This makes a custardy-textured flatbread; use less water if you like more of a cracker. Whisk in 1 T olive oil.
3) Heat a 10" (medium-sized) nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1-2 T olive oil to coat the pan well. When oil is shimmering, add the batter.
4) Pop the pan into the oven. Bake 18-20 minutes, until edges begin to crisp and center is set. (Oven times may vary; you can let it bake for longer, ~30 minutes, if you prefer).
5) Keeping pan at least 2" from broiler, broil about 2-3 minutes until flatbread is spotty-brown throughout.
6) Flatbread will release easily onto a plate. Cut into wedges, or simply break off pieces and enjoy.