Asian Roasted Vegetable Wraps
The key to tasty roasted vegetables is the marinating mixture. For simple cleanup, put the cut-up vegetables in a zip top plastic bag with the marinade; seal and shake. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour--or overnight is fine--turning at least once to thoroughly coat each vegetable.
For the marinade
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup white rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons mirin (see Tip)
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of ground white pepper
For the sandwich filling
1 small yellow summer squash, cut into 2-inch-long by ¼-inch-wide julienne strips
2 large white mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long by ½-inch-wide strips
¼ red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
For the bread
Two 10-inch plain flour tortillas
For the spread
2 tablespoons bottled Chinese plum sauce or bottled hoisin sauce
To complete the recipe
½ cup cooked rice, preferably basmati or jasmine
To make the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredients in a shallow bowl.
Add the sandwich filling ingredients to the marinade and toss. Cover or transfer to a zip-top plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 8 hours.
To roast the vegetables, adjust the oven broiler rack to about 4 to 5 inches from the heating element; preheat the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to strain the vegetables and to transfer them to a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan; discard the remaining marinade. Broil the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Place the tortillas between 2 moistened paper towels. Microwave on high for about 20 seconds, or until they are warm and soft. Cover the tortillas on a plate to keep warm.
To assemble each sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon of the sauce horizontally across the bottom half of the tortilla, so that the sauce is about 1 inch from the sides. Top with ¼ cup of the rice and half of the vegetables. Fold the right and left sides of the tortilla inward toward the center and over the filling; next fold the bottom edge upward toward the center and then firmly roll the tortilla away from you until it completely wraps the filling.
Serve immediately at room temperature. Or, if you prefer, heat the wraps: Wrap in aluminum foil and heat in a 350° F. oven for about 10 minutes. Or wrap in paper towels and heat in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes. It’s best to serve the wraps whole to contain the juicy contents.
Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration. 






