Roasted and grilled meats are ubiquitous throughout the Middle East. This marinade, infused with allspice and cinnamon, would be excellent on lamb or chicken as well. Tuck the grilled chunks of meat and onion into warm whole-wheat pitas

Makes 8 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges each
Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Combine garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, salt, allspice, cinnamon and pepper in a medium bowl. Place beef in a large sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
2. Preheat grill to high.
3. Remove the beef from the bag. (Discard the marinade.) Brush onions with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Divide the beef among 6 skewers and the onions among the remaining 3 skewers. Grill the onions until charred and tender, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Grill the beef, turning once or twice, until slightly charred but still pink in the middle, about 6 minutes. Serve with Tahini Sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 314 calories; 19 g fat (4 g sat, 8 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 2 g fiber; 235 mg sodium; 473 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (40% daily value), Zinc (35% dv), Vitamin C (25% dv), Iron (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 1 and refrigerate for up to 1 day. | Equipment: Nine 12-inch skewers

RELATED RECIPES: Tahini Sauce