Tortillas, pitas and other flatbreads are rolled up with any number of ingredients, ranging from the common place to the exotic, from tuna to tomatillos . One of the oldest and most popular breads, flatbreads cook quickly and require only a limited amount of fuel to bake. Throughout history, cultures from around the world have eaten them in a variety of forms as the basis for nutritious, hand-held meals in keeping with a nomadic, active lifestyle. The Chinese are known for wraps made with thin pancakes and filled with a variety of traditional meat and vegetable combinations like spicy pork with mushrooms. In Southern India, crepes made from rice flour provide a delicious wrapper for all sorts of spicy chutneys, stews and curries.
Mexican tortillas are one of the most versatile sandwich wrappers.
Fill one with a tasty, colorful vegetable filling made with chopped red and yellow bell pepper, shredded spinach and minced red onion, and seasoned with chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. When you need an elegant first course or a light luncheon entree, a warm flour tortilla can provide the mildly-flavored wrapper for a spicy fish packet. Take shredded, cooked skinless fish fillets that have been marinated in a mixture of lime juice, onion, jalapeno and salt and toss them with chopped tomato and cilantro. Wrap a half-cup of the fish filling in each tortilla and serve garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs and a lemon slice. Delicious, low-fat wraps start with a healthful base like pita and tortillas and fillings that include lean meats, vegetables and whole grains.