Readymades: It’s a Wrap

There’s nothing new about ready-made wrapper bases. We’ve been using English muffins for home-made pizzas for years. Pita bread is another much-used wrapper. Eggroll skins are widely available and extremely adaptable for quick ravioli, blintzes, noodles and fried postickers. And it’s hardly necessary to mention tortillas, which transform little bits of leftovers into a wonderful meal. Then there’s filo, which fills the same need in a more delicate manner.

The newest ready-made wrappers are ready-to-bake pizza rounds, Mandarin pancakes and crepes. The following recipes use these products to quick, tasty advantage--with as little fat as possible.

Amazingly enough, thinly sliced potatoes add enough moistness and substance on this pizza to eliminate the need for much cheese. Because the flavors are strong--garlic, oregano, rosemary, imported Parmesan cheese and fresh basil--the taste is great. The asparagus adds a little crunch and a touch of lightness. Heating the olive oil before brushing it on the pizza dough or tossing it with the vegetables makes it go much further. Ready-to-bake pizza dough rounds can be found in the refrigerator sections of major supermarkets; these rounds work very well in this recipe.

CRISPY SPRING PIZZA WITH POTATOES, ASPARAGUS AND HERBS

Cornmeal

1 (12-ounce) package all-ready pizza crust

3 tablespoons olive oil, heated

1/3 cup tomato puree, preferably sodium-free

Salt

Dash red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 small new potatoes, sliced paper-thin (best done with ultra-thin slicing disc of food processor)

6 large asparagus, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh chunky salsa

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

3 tablespoons grated imported Parmesan cheese

8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Lightly oil pizza pan (preferably black steel) and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Place pizza crust on prepared pan. Brush pizza crust, especially edges, with 1 tablespoon warm olive oil.

Combine tomato puree, dash salt, red pepper flakes and oregano. Spread over crust within 1/4-inch of edge.

Combine new potatoes, asparagus, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons warm olive oil, salsa and rosemary in mixing bowl. Toss to coat vegetables with herbs and oil. Season to taste with salt. Arrange vegetables over sauce, dividing evenly over surface. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in lower 1/3 of oven at 400 degrees until potatoes are brown around edges, about 22 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with basil strips. Serve hot. Makes 1 (12-inch) pizza.

Mandarin pancakes, which are very difficult to make at home (even most Chinese restaurants buy them prepared), are available in the freezer cases of Asian markets. They keep indefinitely in the freezer and work well with many combinations of ingredients. These Mandarin pancake-wrapped bundles of shredded raw vegetables make a perfect light meal when served with a spicy rice dish and a leafy green salad. For hors d’oeuvres, just cut them into thirds for great finger food.

MOO SHU CRUDITES

2 large carrots, shredded or finely julienned

1 (8-ounce) piece jicama, peeled, shredded or finely julienned

3 medium green onions, cut into fine 3-inch-long juliennes

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar

4 (8-inch) Mandarin pancakes

4 generous teaspoons hoisin sauce

Combine carrots, jicama, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in mixing bowl. Mix well and chill until serving. Toss well before using.

Stack together pancakes and heat in foil-lined steamer on stovetop or in microwave oven about 40 seconds on HIGH (100% power), wrapped in plastic ziplock bag. Spread each warm pancake with generous teaspoon hoisin sauce.

To serve, divide crudites into four parts and place along lower 1/3 of each pancake. Starting with this end, roll pancake into very tight bundle. Serve immediately or within 1 hour, leaving bundles at room temperature. Makes 4 pancake rolls.

Note: About 3-inch-long shreds or juliennes of carrots and jicama work best when rolled up in pancake. Food processor will do job well. Place 3-inch lengths of carrots and chunks of jicama horizontally in feed tube. Shred or julienne as desired.

Crepes can be time-consuming to make, though the ingredients are simple and inexpensive. Fresh crepes can now be found in the produce sections of most major supermarkets. Freeze left-over crepes by stacking them with a piece of wax paper between all the crepes. Wrapping sliced, flavored strawberries in these crepes and spooning hot buttered orange syrup over them creates a great, intensely flavored fruit dessert. A little creme fraiche or sour cream dolloped on the top certainly wouldn’t hurt.

FRESH STRAWBERRY CREPES WITH ORANGE BUTTER SAUCE

3 cups sliced strawberries (little more than pint)

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, depending on sweetness of berries

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

4 (10-inch) fresh crepes

Orange Butter Sauce

Creme fraiche or sour cream, optional

Combine strawberries, sugar to taste, orange zest and orange liqueur in bowl. Toss gently. Chill until serving time.

To serve, divide strawberries between crepes and place across lower 1/3 of each crepe. Roll up gently but firmly, encasing berries. Place, seam side down, on dessert plates. Spoon about 3 tablespoons hot Orange Butter Sauce over each crepe. Serve immediately. Pass creme fraiche. Makes 4 servings.

Orange Butter Sauce

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (preferably from Valencia oranges), strained

Juice 1 lemon, strained

6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine zest, orange and lemon juices and sugar in 8-inch non-aluminum skillet. Boil vigorously, uncovered, until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Stir in liqueur. Add butter, heat and stir until melted.

Note : Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently before using.