Wednesday Recipe: My Big Fat Greek Tacos

I made these on maternity leave and was astounded by how delicious they are!  They take a little time to make, but much can be made ahead, and the leftovers are just as good if not better, so...it's totally worth it:-)

Big, Fat Greek Tacos

Made almost exactly as posted at Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cucumber and Tomato Relish:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 firm large tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 English cucumber, seeded and diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

Salt and black pepper to taste

Feta Mint Tzatziki:

1 English cucumber

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

Salt and black pepper to taste

Lamb or Turkey:

2 pounds ground lamb or turkey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup minced red onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup broth (chicken, vegetable or beef)

For the pitas:

6-8 non-pocket pita or soft wrap breads (I made our favorite naan recipe--quick tip, for our stove we need to just cook on medium)

DIRECTIONS

At least one hour or as early as one day before you are serving, prepare the salsa and tzatziki. For the cucumber salsa, toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours to marry the flavors.

For the tzatziki, peel the cucumber and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Place the shredded cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess water until the cucumber is very dry. In a medium bowl, stir together the strained cucumber, yogurt, feta, garlic and mint. Again, season with salt and pepper to taste. The tzatziki can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Give it a good stir before serving.

For the meat, heat a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground lamb or turkey with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces and cooking until the meat is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Drain any excess grease. Stir in the oregano and tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Warm the pita breads in a cast iron skillet or in the microwave until soft and heated through. Serve the tacos by spooning meat into the center of a pita bread and topping with cucumber salsa and tzatziki.