Not the best title, I know, but hopefully the picture makes up for it. This meal came together in my head and though it was indeed outside the box, it was deemed absolutely “bloggable” by Rich.Â
Do you buy organic? Meats, vegetables? All of it? I have my own system and since I’ve gotten a Costco membership that includes organic meat. We eat a pack of their organic ground beef about once a week and more often than not I make this dish because it’s easy as pie and ridiculously delicious. Well the other day I wanted to shake things up and I also wanted to use up an eggplant that was on its way out. Once I added the eggplant, though, the dish had to go in a different direction than Mexican. I also liked that I could “stretch the meat”. It’s pricey, yes, but by adding a “meaty” vegetable to the mix I could almost double the meal.
The corn tortilla shell is merely a vehicle…it didn’t affect the overall flavor. I find swiss chard to be more mild raw than it is cooked (just tasted like spring mix – even Tessa ate it) but you could sub spinach or shredded romaine. The sauce is what made it but also what makes it different. If you’re looking for something new, a bit of a twist on taco Tuesday, consider these!
Beef and Eggplant Tacos with Swiss Chard
Serves 4
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 1/3 lb. organic ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 c. hot water
Yogurt Sauce
1 c. nonfat (or lowfat or regular) Greek plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 c. minced red onion
salt and pepper to taste
Assembly
12 crispy Corn tortillas, warmed
3-4 c. sliced Swiss Chard leaves
Fresh parsley leaves
1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Add eggplant and saute until softened, about eight minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Add beef and cook until browned. Add garlic, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Add tomato paste and water and stir well to combine.
4. For sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk well.
5. To assemble, fill the bottom of each shell with meat and top with swiss chard. Drizzle sauce on top and continue to the next taco.
