A NEW LEAF WRAP & ROLL... SO MANY WAYS TO FILL A BUNDLE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Good things often come in small packages. It's true in the case of lettuce wraps.

Lettuce wraps are turning up on restaurant menus these days. Even though many are offered as appetizers, diners are making a meal of them.

Chinese restaurants have offered variations on the theme for some time. You'll often find lettuce wrap selections available at Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and some fusion-type restaurants. Now, contemporary versions in an array of lettuces are popping up on modern restaurant menus.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro chain offers two choices: a minced spiced chicken mixture or a wok-seared Asian vegetable-tofu medley with mint and lime wrapped in crisp iceberg lettuce leaves. The Cheesecake Factory chain is currently turning out spectacular, colorful-looking and delicious-tasting Thai Lettuce Wraps. Served on an oval platter, they feature mounds of grilled chicken breast strips, shredded carrots, thinly sliced marinated cucumbers, cold coconut curry noodles and bean sprouts attractively arranged atop red cabbage leaves. The dish comes with plenty of butter lettuce leaves and three Thai dipping sauces - peanut, tamarind- cashew and sweet red chile.

Chili's Grill & Bar offers another Asian-inspired possibility. A good- looking wrap platter sports a terrific chicken filling made with cut-up (not finely minced) chicken, sliced almonds, green onions, water chestnuts, fried rice sticks and various Asian seasonings. Butter lettuce leaves, a duo of sauces - including a tasty peanut sauce - and a large handful of shredded carrots are served alongside.

We've come up with a good copycat version for home cooks. To save time and for convenience, we opted to use crunchy chow mein noodles - the kind you buy in a can. Rice sticks like the restaurant uses are preferred if you want to take the time and effort to fry them up in lots of oil, but they're not essential.

In Santa Monica at Chinois on Main, radicchio lettuce cups, four to an order, are an appetizer favorite. Each cup is filled with ground lamb stir- fried with shallots, chopped jalapeno chiles, cilantro and black pepper, notes executive chef Luis Diaz. They are topped with wok-fried Maui onion rings and garnished with fresh mint leaves. When the dish is served, the waiter explains the procedure for rolling the lettuce wraps up and eating the bundles out of hand. Diaz prefers radicchio, which he cuts up and crisps in ice water, because the bitterness gives the wraps extra flavor.

At Spago Beverly Hills, executive chef Lee Hefter offers lettuce wraps in a trio of different variations as a lunch menu selection a couple of times a month. They are also served as hors d'oeuvres or an appetizer course at in-house and off-premises catered parties.

``People enjoy them,'' he says, ``especially those who are apprehensive about eating carbohydrates. They are refreshing and cool and cleanse the palate.'' The secret to good wraps is bold spicing, along with good texture and crunch in the fillings, he adds. ``I like the balance of the crispy, cool lettuce against the spicy seasonings.''

Hefter's repertoire includes three interesting, different lettuce-and-filling combinations. Butter lettuce cups are paired with a room-temperature beef salad, radicchio cups are filled with a lamb mixture, and iceberg lettuce cups are presented with a shrimp-and-lobster combo.

At Spago, the hot or cold fillings are served atop fried rice noodles in the lettuce cups, making the rolling and folding easy on diners. A shredded salad, composed of lettuce, sweet peppers, onions, scallions and string beans and tossed with a sesame oil-and-ginger dressing, fills the center of the plate.

Hefter's beef salad is a combination of thin strips of grilled beef, cilantro leaves and a ginger vinaigrette, topped with crushed peanuts. For the lamb rendition, Hefter stir-fries ground lamb (leg or shoulder) with ginger, garlic, jalapeno chiles, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and a small amount of brown sugar. When it's finished, he tosses in a little chopped arugula and garnishes the works with mint leaves.

The shellfish filling is a mixture of coarsely chopped cooked shrimp and lobster that is stir-fried with a garlic sauce made of garlic, sugar, oyster sauce, a little sambal chile sauce and chicken stock, along with chopped mushrooms and zucchini. Julienned Thai basil leaves add the finishing touch.

Diners love wraps because, as one says, ``you get to play with your food, eat with your hands and it's OK!''

These bundles are a fabulous way to deliver a main dish meal for hot- weather dining, and they can be easily created in an almost endless array of variations at home.

Push culinary boundaries. Think global. Whatever goes in a burrito, empanada, tortilla, lavash, pita bread, spring roll, won ton skin or filo dough is a good candidate for a lettuce leaf. You can also use leftovers like chicken, fish or steak or vegetable combinations as filling bases. If you're watching your weight, you can fill lettuce wraps with low-fat ingredients.

Lettuce leaves can also become a jacket for all kinds of meats, seafood, poultry, vegetables and cheese combinations along with tuna, caprese, Greek, egg, Cobb, nicoise, chicken or shrimp salads and rice mixtures, chilis, beans, tabbouleh, dips, tapenades, taco mixtures, jambalaya mixtures, hot fajita blends, kung pao combos and more.

Here are some colorful and tasty ideas. You can even mix and match Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican and American ingredients for multiethnic combinations. You're only limited by your imagination.

ASIAN CHICKEN IN LETTUCE WRAPS

This is a Daily News copycat version of the wraps served at Chili's Grill & Bar (locations in Canoga Park, Northridge and elsewhere). The restaurant uses rice sticks (fried in oil until they puff up), but to save time and for convenience we tossed in chow mein noodles.

2 cups chopped cooked skinless chicken breast

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/3 cup chopped water chestnuts

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chow mein noodles (canned) OR fried puffed up and crisp rice sticks

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Seasoned salt and pepper

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded red and green cabbage

4 to 6 butter lettuce leaves

Peanut Sauce

Asian dipping sauce OR Asian chile sauce (store-bought)

In a medium glass bowl, combine chicken, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, water chestnuts, green onions, noodles and almonds. Mix well. Season to taste with seasoned salt and pepper. Cover and heat in microwave oven. 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until warm.

On a platter, arrange a mound of chicken mixture and separate mounds of carrots and cabbage along with a stack of lettuce leaves. Add small containers EACH of Peanut Sauce and Asian dipping sauce to platter. To serve, place some of chicken mixture on a lettuce leaf, top with some carrots and cabbage and roll up in leaf. Dip in Peanut Sauce and Asian dipping sauce as desired and eat. Makes 2 entree servings.

PEANUT SAUCE: Combine 1/3 cup peanut butter and 3 tablespoons hot water; mix with fork until well blended. Blend in 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and 2 to 3 teaspoons bottled plum sauce until well blended.

NOTE: Add small amounts of different vegetables such as chopped celery, pea pods, mushrooms or zucchini or chopped blanched asparagus to chicken mixture if desired.

SOUTHWEST STYLE LETTUCE WRAPS

2 cups chopped cooked skinless chicken breast

1 cup bottled chipotle OR other salsa

1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans OR 1/4 cup EACH canned black beans and canned corn

1 tomato, chopped

4 to 6 lettuce leaves

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Guacamole

Sour cream

In a medium glass bowl, combine chicken, salsa, black beans and tomato. Mix well. Heat in microwave oven 1 to 2 minutes, if desired.

To serve, spoon some of chicken mixture on a lettuce leaf, top with a little cheese and guacamole and wrap up. Dip in sour cream and additional salsa, if desired, and eat. Makes 2 entree servings.

--Developed by Daily News food department.

GREEK SALAD ROLL-UPS

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 hothouse cucumber, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, cut in chunks

2 tablespoons drained capers 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup kalamata olive halves

1 green onion, chopped

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 3/4 cup cut-up OR crumbled feta cheese

6 butter lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients except lettuce leaves. Toss until blended. Chill until serving time. To serve, place some of filling mixture on lettuce leaf, wrap up and eat out of hand. Makes 2 to 3 entree servings.

Developed by Daily News food department.

TUNA AND WHITE BEAN WRAPS

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 (6 1/2- OR 7-ounce) can solid white water-packed tuna, drained

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (OR use 2 to 3 teaspoons dried)

2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and well drained

6 red lettuce leaves

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tuna, green onions, basil, capers, vinegar, olive oil, garlic pepper and seasoned salt. Mix until blended.

Gently fold in beans. Wrap up some of mixture in each lettuce leaf and eat. Makes 2 entree servings.

Adapted from ``365 Easy One-Dish Meals,'' by Natalie Haughton, Harper & Row.

CAPRESE SALAD LETTUCE WRAPS

4 tomatoes, chopped (squeeze out some of juice before chopping, if desired)

1 1/2 cups buffalo mozzarella cheese cubes (about 8 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 butter lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients except lettuce leaves. Toss until mixed. To serve, place some of mixture on lettuce leaf, wrap up and eat out of hand. Makes 2 to 3 entree servings.

NOTE: For variety, add 1/2 cup canned, rinsed and drained artichoke quarters and 1/2 cup chopped salami to tomato mixture.

Developed by Daily News food department.

LETTUCE-WRAPPED CHICKEN AND SHRIMP

WRAPS:

8 dried black Chinese mushrooms

10 fresh water chestnuts OR 1 medium carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

2 green onions, diced

3 chicken thighs

2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 

Peanut oil

1/2 pound raw shrimp

3 heads iceberg lettuce

2 ounces rice sticks

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

SAUCE:

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon Chinese chile sauce

To make Wraps, soak dried mushrooms in hot water until soft, about 20 minutes. Discard stems and dice caps. Combine with water chestnuts, red pepper and green onions. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Cut meat from chicken thighs. Chop meat coarsely, then add sherry, soy sauce, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil. Mix well.

Shell and devein shrimp. Cut shrimp crosswise into a very thin slices. Mix with chicken mixture and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Cut top third off each head of lettuce. Carefully separate leaves of tops; you should end up with about 18 round cups, about 3 to 5 inches across. Refrigerate leaves (reserve rest of lettuce for salads).

Cook rice sticks in 3 batches in 1/2-inch of hot peanut oil in 10-inch skillet or wok over medium high-heat, until rice sticks puff up and expand, about 5 seconds. Turn rice sticks over with chopsticks or tongs and cook 5 seconds more. Drain on paper towels. Place cooked rice sticks in a paper bag and store at room temperature.

To make Sauce, in a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, mixing well; set aside.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water; set aside. With your hands, break rice sticks into small pieces. Spread in an even layer on a serving platter.

Place wok over high heat. When wok becomes very hot, add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to center. Roll oil around sides of wok. When oil just begins to smoke, add chicken and shrimp mixture. Stir-fry until shrimp turn white, about 2 minutes.

Immediately add vegetables and stir-fry until vegetables brighten in color, about 1 minute.

Add pine nuts and sauce. When sauce comes to a low boil, stir in a little of cornstarch mixture so sauce glazes food. Pour out onto rice sticks. Serve at once with lettuce cups. Each diner puts some of filling in a lettuce cup, gently cups edges up and eats quickly. Makes 2 entree OR 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

From ``Pacific Flavors: Oriental Recipes for a Contemporary Kitchen,'' by Hugh Carpenter, Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

TURKEY BUNDLES

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts

1 1/2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground turkey

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 green onion (including top), finely chopped

3 tablespoons Korean teriyaki sauce

8 butter lettuce leaves

Coarsely chop water chestnuts; set aside.

Place oil in a wok or large skillet and place over high heat until hot.

Add turkey; stir-fry 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Add water chestnuts, bell pepper, zucchini, green onions and teriyaki sauce; stir-fry 2 minutes.

To serve, place 1 heaping tablespoon turkey mixture in center of a lettuce leaf, wrap up like a burrito, and eat out of hand. Makes 2 servings.

From ``All That Sizzles: Easy Oriental Recipes, '' by David Tsang, House of Tsang, Inc.

Lettuce begin ...

A few tips for lettuce wrappers:

For best results, pick the largest, most pliable lettuce leaves. We found butter lettuce leaves one of the best choices for wraps. Iceberg, red lettuce and radicchio leaves or cups along with large spinach leaves are other possibilities.

Core the lettuce and soak in ice water for an hour or two for easy removal of intact leaves, recommends Spago chef Lee Hefter. Separate the leaves and drain each one individually, then refrigerate on a towel for a couple of hours to crisp them. Lettuce leaves or cups can also be rinsed, dried and stacked, wrapped in a plastic bag and refrigerated several hours or overnight.

Be sure to dry the lettuce well prior to serving; otherwise you'll end up with a messy watery mixture running out of the wrapped-up lettuce leaf. This was experienced at one restaurant.

Filling possibilities are endless. Think about ingredient combinations you favor and wrap them up in lettuce leaves. You might try prosciutto and melon; hummus topped with sliced cucumbers and roasted red or yellow peppers; caponata (a melange of cooked Mediterranean vegetables) sprinkled with feta cheese; an olive tapenade atop grilled vegetables; Southwestern chicken; tuna and white bean salad and more.

Vary texture, colors and flavors in fillings and sauces. Depending on the mixture, you might want to have cool and hot, sweet and spicy, and crisp and tender in some of your creations. Make fillings as appealing in looks as in taste. Use colorful vegetables, sauces, etc. There's nothing worse than a blah, uninviting-looking and -tasting filling.

Be sure to season fillings well as the flavors must stand up to the lettuce wrapper. Peruse the seasonings you have on hand - and tinker until you end up with something that tastes good - the bolder and spicier, the better. Don't forget that vinaigrettes, Dijon and other mustards, yogurt, a wide range of dressings, plum sauce, soy sauce, oils, vinegars, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Tabasco sauce, capers, green onions and more can jazz up fillings.

Make fillings ahead and keep refrigerated until shortly before serving. If you want to take the chill off or serve them warm, simply zap covered, in a glass bowl or dish, a minute or two in the microwave oven. Watch carefully to avoid overheating and changing the texture of the meat or other ingredients.

Prepare dipping sauces in advance and keep refrigerated, if desired. If time is limited, use prepared sauces from the supermarket, but beware - they're not inexpensive. Or use a combination of both prepared and homemade.

We did a double take recently when a jar of Asian peanut sauce in one supermarket had a price tag of more than $5 (however, Trader Joe's has a new refrigerated peanut sauce priced at under $3). Seek out reasonably priced options like fruit or tomato salsas, hoisin sauce, plum sauce, chili sauce, cucumber yogurt sauce, etc. Offer sauces in small bowls, saucers or cups.

Present the filling and dipping items attractively on shredded lettuce, in small lettuce cups or on a bed of red or green cabbage leaves on a platter or individual plate (or even on a larger buffet) and invite diners to design the combinations they like.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Lettuce entertain you

Fill tender leaves for an abundance of easy summer meals

(2 -- color) Head for Chili's for this delicious wrap or make a version at home with our easy facsimile.

From Chili's Grill and Bar

(3 -- colr) Lettucec cups filled with a chicken and shrimp mixture have Far East flavors.

From ``Pacific Flavors,'' Stewart, Tabori & Chang

(4 -- color) Greek Salad Roll-Ups

Box: Lettuce begin... (see text)