Big Fat Greek Tacos with Homemade Flatbreads/Pitas

Recipes adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients:

Cucumber Tomato Salsa:

• 2 firm large tomatoes, diced
• 1 English cucumber, diced
• 1/2 c. red onion, diced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Feta Mint Tzatziki:

• 1 English cucumber
• 1 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1-2 TBSP fresh mint, minced
• Olive oil, to taste
• Red wine vinegar, to taste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Greek Turkey Taco Meat:

• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. red onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 TBSP tomato paste
• 1/4 c. chicken or vegetable broth

Homemade Flatbreads/Pitas:

• 2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 2/3 c. warm water, 100 to 105F
• 1/2 c. warm milk, 100 to 105F
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 c. (426 g) bread flour, more or less

Directions:

1. Cucumber Tomato Salsa: In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours to marry the flavors.
2. Feta Mint Tzatziki: 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.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the strained cucumber, yogurt, feta, garlic, and mint. Add olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste, and then season with salt and pepper. The tzatziki can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Give it a good stir before serving.
4. Greek Turkey Taco Meat: Heat a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease.
5. 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, if needed.
6. Homemade Flatbreads/Pitas: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the water, milk, oil, yeast, sugar, salt and 1 c. of the flour until well combined. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until a soft dough is formed. Don’t over flour the dough. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl to form a ball and feel soft to the touch without leaving a lot of dough on your fingers.
7. Knead Dough: Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes.
8. Dough Rise: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about an hour or so.
9. Divide the Dough and Rest: Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough pieces rest for 10-15 minutes (this helps relax the gluten so they are easier to roll out).
10. Roll the Dough: Working with one piece at a time on a lightly greased or floured counter, roll the dough into a circle 7 to 8 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick.
11. Cook the Flatbread/Pita: Heat a griddle to medium (about 350F) or place a skillet on the stove over medium heat. When the griddle or skillet is hot, cook the flatbread for 2 to 3 minutes until they bubble and puff. Flip and cook on the second side until golden and spotty.
12. Transfer the flatbread/pita to a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the warm flatbreads as they come off the griddle or skillet. Serve warm.
13. Assemble Big Fat Greek Tacos: In a warm flatbread/pita, spoon meat into the center of the pita breads and top with cucumber salsa and tzatziki.