Wrap

Tofu has a custard-like texture and is available in soft, firm and extra-firm varieties; firm is preferable here. Serve these hearty burritos topped with purchased salsa and some plain nonfat yogurt.

Market Tip: Avoid packaged ground lamb, which can be extremely fatty. Instead, buy shoulder meat or lamb stew meat, which has some fat, and ask the butcher to grind it.

A vegetarian takeoff on the classic Chinese minced squab dish. Chopped raw vegetables, not fried noodles, add crunch.

At Vong in New York the lobster is rolled in paper-thin strips of daikon radish. Zucchini, which is much easier to find, is used here; its more flexible and easier to cut.

(Rouleaux de Poulet aux Kumquats, Sauce épicé) These spring rolls can also be made with duck instead of chicken.

The chicken is cooked with onions, lemon and dill, then spooned onto warm pita bread rounds and topped with a yogurt sauce. Then the sides of the bread are folded up and the sandwich is eaten like a taco.

Look for chipotle chilies in adobo sauce in the Latin American foods section of the market. Serve the wraps with purchased salsa and an avocado, grapefruit and red onion salad with oil and vinegar dressing. Complete the menu with chocolate wafer cookies and coffee ice cream.

Mix chopped cucumber and tomato into plain yogurt for spooning into the pita. Also offer couscous salad and marinated vegetables from the deli. Round out the meal with baklava and grapes.

You can substitute flour tortillas for lavash.

These rolls are baked instead of deep-fried, making them a healthful, satisfying alternative to traditional egg rolls.

You can also make these with chicken, ham or roast pork.

"At the Manhattan law office where I'm a legal secretary, it seems as though the phones are always ringing," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York. "And if it isn't the phones that have me occupied, then there are lots of documents that need my attention. By the time I get home from the city, I usually have only about 45 minutes to put together dinner for my husband, Angelo, and myself. Still, that's enough time to make something filling and delicious, like a salad and a hearty pasta or soup. My best cooking, though, is done on Sundays during the fall and winter, when I become a football widow. An afternoon of cooking can be very therapeutic after a busy week." Any mixture of vegetables you have on hand would make a great filling. Serve the wraps with purchased salsa and sour cream.

Nearly everyone has tasted a Spring Roll, as they are served in dim sum houses and Chinese restaurants all over America: But a homemade Spring Roll is a rare treat. The roll should have a crackling crisp skin with a filling of fine shreds of mushroom, barbecued pork, celery, cabbage, and just a touch of bean sprouts. Most restaurant spring rolls are full of bamboo shoots, celery, and bean sprouts; have a chewy or soggy wrapper; and are seldom fried in fresh oil. The wrapping dough is available in most Chinese markets, sold as spring roll wrappers, and should be as thin as possible. There are about ten wrappers per package, although most packages do not indicated how many they contain. Keep the dough covered with a slightly damp cloth as you work with it, to prevent it from drying out.