When you hear the word cactus and picture trying to eat it, you might feel a bit wary. It just doesn't sound all that appealing. But don't make the mistake of judging this book by its cover - the sweet red fruit and tart, juicy cactus pads have been a valued part of Mexican cuisine for thousands of years. They can make a delicious addition to your summertime table too.
The prickly pear cactus is one of just a few plants that we use as both a fruit and a vegetable. The fruit, which is about the size of a small pear, is known in Mexico as tuna and in the US as prickly pear or cactus pear. The cactus pads, or nopales are often mistakenly referred to as cactus leaves, but are actually the stem of the plant and are eaten as a vegetable. The whole pads are the size of a woman's palm and bright green. When cooked they turn olive green, have the consistency of green pepper, a slightly acidic flavor or lemony flavor and are quite tasty.
A half-cup serving of cooked nopales is only eleven calories. Cactus pads contain no saturated fat or cholesterol and are a very good source of fiber, the vitamins C, A and K and the minerals magnesium and manganese. They were historically used topically for skin irritations and sun burns and researchers are currently looking into their effectiveness at treating type II diabetes.
The pads are in season in the spring and early summer and can be purchased at farmers' markets and Mexican or gourmet grocery stores. Organic cactus pads are available on-line from Rivenrock Gardens in California at
www.rivenrock.com/ediblecactus.htm.
When buying nopales, look for small, green, firm pads that are free of blemishes and have no fibrous coating at the base. When you get them home, they will last for a week or two in the refrigerator, wrapped in damp newspaper to keep them moist and to protect them from getting too cold.
Many varieties are spineless but you may come across pads that have spines. If so, just hold the pad using tongs and slice the spines off with a paring knife. The eye where the spine attaches should be trimmed out as well. Next, trim the edge all the way around the pad and scrub it with a vegetable brush under cold water and it is ready to go.
Nopales can be eaten raw, but uncooked they contain a slippery viscous liquid similar to okra or aloe. Cooking them dries the liquid up and many cooks prefer to lightly sauté, grill or roast them before using them in salsas and salads. To pre-cook nopales:
Clean, trim and cut them into strips and then sauté in vegetable oil for five minutes or until they turn olive green. They can also be cleaned, trimmed and left whole, then brushed with oil and grilled. Once cooked, they are diced or sliced and added to almost any dish that you would use cooked green pepper in.
In Mexico, nopales, (nopalitos when cut into strips or diced) are traditionally served as a salad and dressed with lime juice, cilantro, onion and tomato, or they are scrambled into eggs, or breaded and deep fried. They are also a great addition to chili and stews.
Cactus pads aren't just for Mexican cuisine. When Columbus sailed back to the old world he took with him corn, tomatoes, potatoes and prickly pear cactus. Cultures around the globe embraced the cactus, which is now cultivated in Italy, the Mediterranean, India and Australia as well as Mexico, California, Florida and the southwestern United States.
I STILL LIKE OKRA MUCH BETTER!!!
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