vegifying beef meals

Lately I've been relying on easy meals, if I've been cooking at all. Chopping and preparing vegetables is high on my list of "tedious tasks." Nevertheless, every Wednesday we bring home four to six gallons of vegetables from our local CSA. These require the dreaded--preparation.  Thank goodness that I have had either my mom or my mom-in-law around to do these tedious veggie jobs. This leaves me free to do much less tedious things, like feeding and snuggling this little guy.

But back to the food goods. One of my favorite veggies, eggplant, has been a high volume producer every week for the past two months. We love staple eggplant recipes, like ratatouille, moussaka, and baba ganoush, but we also like new ways to use our eggplant. Enter Eggplant Tacos, a la me and my mother-in-law.

Eggplant Tacos
1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium to large eggplant, diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tb. olive oil
1/2 cup water
3 to 4 Tb. Penzey's Bold Taco Seasoning

Brown the ground beef. Then add the onion and eggplant. Add olive oil as needed. Saute till onion is tender. Add the garlic, the taco seasoning, and enough water to prevent the garlic from burning. Simmer until the liquid thickens.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings. We enjoy the following:
tortillas
sauteed zuccini or summer squash (seasoned with salt and pepper)
sour cream
pinto beans or refried beans
queso fresco
tomatoes
salsa
olives
lettuce or spinach