Greek Tacos...my kind of Food

Tonight we had Greek Tacos for dinner, the recipe was found on on the website of Food Network.  Let me start off by saying I LOVE Greek food...it's simply my favorite.  The nice thing about this meal was it was easily adaptable for my 12 year old who doesn't like all the ingredients and it was diet friendly for myself - even better!

Ingredients: 

Beef or Lamb mixture:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (I chose beef so I could purchase a leaner cut)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine

Feta Tzatziki:

• 1 cucumber
• Salt
• 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt- I only use Fage brand
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• fresh ground black pepper

Cucumber Tomato Relish:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 firm tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• Salt

Directions:

For the beef or lamb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef or lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the meant and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions in the juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant. Season. Add the tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the meat back in, stir and set aside. 

For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a fine-meshed strainer or cheese cloth fitted over a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess moisture. Add the strained cucumber into a bowl with the yogurt, feta, and garlic. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

For the cucumber tomato relish: Toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour to marry the flavors.

For the sandwich build: Smear the tzatziki on the pitas or flatbread, then the relish and meat on top...fold and you have a GREEK TACO!  Kids seem to prefer sour cream on the flatbread and then the meat mixture with some grated cheese you might have on hand.  

We served this meal with a Greek salad on the side and I made a small Ceasar Salad for my 12 year old. 

This is a delicious meal, one that the whole family will love!