Turmeric grilled salmon with ginger yogurt sauce and grilled pita

Prep: 20 minutes

Marinate: 1 hour or more

Cook: 10 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

2 salmon fillets, about 1 pound each and 1 ¼ inches thick

½ small red or white onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon each: salt, turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper hot sauce

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon milk, half-and-half or whipping cream

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or refrigerated ginger puree

2 or 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops or chives

6 pita breads (with or without pockets) or 6 thick slices country-style bread

1 large tomato, halved, seeded, chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted, diced

Chopped fresh mint or basil or a combination

Lime wedges

1. Pat fish dry with paper towels; place it in a baking dish. Use a four-sided grater to finely grate the onion into a mixing bowl. Stir in oil, garlic, paprika, ½ teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the turmeric, cumin and cayenne. Mix well. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a separate bowl; set aside. Smear remaining mixture over all sides of the fish. Let sit at room temperature while the grill heats (maximum 30 minutes) or in the refrigerator for several hours.

2. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium hot. When the grill is hot, heat the grill grate. Alternatively, heat a broiler to high and position the rack so the food will cook 6 inches from heat source.

3. While the grill heats, make the sauce by stirring the yogurt, milk, ginger, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and turmeric into the reserved 1 tablespoon of marinade. Stir in the green onions or chives. Makes: 2⁄3 cup

4. Set the fish on the grill directly over the heat source, skin side up. (Or on the broiler pan.) Grill, covered, without turning the fish until it releases from the grill grates, about 4 minutes. Use a thin spatula to gently flip the fish fillets. Grill, covered, until flesh almost flakes, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.

5. Set the flatbreads over the grill grates (or in a toaster); cook turning, until warmed and a bit crisped, about 2 minutes.

6. Top fish with a generous spoonful of the yogurt sauce, tomatoes and avocado. Serve garnished with herbs and lime wedges for squeezing over everything. Pass the grilled bread. For sandwiches the next day, simply break the fish into large chunks and serve tucked inside the pita or piled on top to fold in half to eat.

Nutrition information per serving: 532 calories, 22 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 97 mg cholesterol, 42 g carbohydrates, 4 g sugar, 44 g protein, 813 mg sodium, 7 g fiber