Reply To: Recipes — Cactus1

tash_n_tail wrote: Title: Cactus Candy
Categories: Candies
Yield: 6 servings

3 c Granulated sugar
1 c Water
2 tb Orange juice
1 tb Lemon juice

From: Arizona Cookbook

Select prickly pear cactus (or small barrel cactus if you own this
type of cactus, since it’s illegal to remove it from the desert).
Remove spines and outside layer with large knife. Cut pulp across in
slices one-inch thick. Soak overnight in cold water. Remove from
water, cut in one0inch cubes and cook in boiling water til tender.
Drain. Cook slowly in the following syrup until nearly all the syrup
is absorbed. Do not scorch!

SYRUP for 2 QUARTS of CACTUS CUBES

Heat all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Then add cactus.
Remover cactus from syrup, drain and roll in granulated or powdered
sugar. For colored cactus candy, any vegetable food coloring may be
added to the syrup.

Title: CACTUS SALAD (ENSALADA DE NOPALITOS)
Categories: Salads, New Mex, Mexican
Yield: 4 servings

24 oz sliced or diced
prickly pear cactus
2 md tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 sm onion, chopped
2 T snipped fresh cilantro
3 T vegetable oil
4 ts white wine vinegar
1/4 ts salt
1/4 ts dried oregano leaves
Dash of pepper

This is from "Betty Crocker’s New International Cookbook". According to the
recipe, "No salad is more characteristic of Mexico than Cactus Salad.
Nopal, or
prickly pear cactus paddles, are fleshy little wedges that are delicious
tossed with a vinaigrette. The dressing above features aromatic cilantro.

Place cactus, tomatoes, onion and cilantro in glass or plastic bowl.
Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered jar. Pour over vegetables;
toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves if
desired. 6 servings.

NOPALES:

The recipe states, "These cacti are not so viciously spined as many
others. The paddles (leaves) are the edible portion, a great favorite in
Mexican cooking. Called nopalitos, they are boiled and eaten crisp-tender,
dressed in salads, or served tender and hot, as a cooked vegetable. Their
little spines must be removed before cooking. Look in specialty stores
featuring Mexican groceries for cans and fresh nopalitos."

Agua Fresca de Fruta – Mexican Fruit Cooler

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beverage

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 cups cold water
1 cup ice
2 cups fruit (cut into 1-inch pieces unless
otherwise specified)
1/4 cup sugar — or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice — or to taste

This basic recipe is delicious with any of the fruits/herbs listed below
In a blender combine all ingredients and blend on high speed until
completely smooth. Pour cooler through a fine sieve into a glass pitcher.
Chill cooler and stir before serving. Makes about 5 cups.
Suggested fruits: honeydew or cantaloupe mango (use only 1 cup fruit;
about 1 small mango) pineapple with a few fresh basil leaves watermelon
strawberries (halved) with a few fresh mint leaves papaya seedless red
grapes (whole) red or green cactus pears (also known as prickly pears;
available at specialty produce markets and some supermarkets), halved,
pulp and seeds scooped out (wear rubber gloves)
If you want, you can always add a shot of Tequila to above drink to make
it alcoholic.
Recipe is from June 1997 Gourmet Magazine.