Cactus Tacos Recipes

NOPALES CACTUS TACOS

Steps:

• Special equipment: thin gloves.
• For the nopales cactus:.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Wearing thin gloves, use a sharp paring knife, held at a 45-degree angle to the paddles, to carefully remove the spines. Make 3 to 5 slits in the skin of the cactus and rub all over with the garlic clove, then the oil. Sprinkle with some salt.
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the nopales cactus until lightly charred, and the pad becomes tender, flipping once, 10 to 15 minutes total. Set aside to cool, then cut into 1/4-inch strips.
• For the ancho chile puree:.
• Place a dry, nonstick pan over medium heat and lightly toast the chile, turning occasionally,10 minutes. Turn the heat off and step back from the pan to add 3 tablespoons of water, being careful not to let the steam burn you. Cover and let the chile soak 15 minutes.
• Transfer the chile with its water to a blender with a pinch of salt and puree until smooth, adding more water if needed. Combine 3 tablespoons of the resulting paste with the olive oil and the remaining 2 to 3 pinches of salt, or more to taste. (Save the rest of the paste for another use.).
• For the roasted tomato salsa:.
• Combine the tomatoes, quartered Serranos and onions in a large bowl. Toss with the canola oil. Spread the tomatoes, onions, quartered Serranos, 1 clove garlic and bay leaf in a baking pan. Place under the broiler and char until nicely colored, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the dried ancho chiles in a container of water and allow to hydrate, 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the broiled vegetables evenly with the paprika, then toss to coat and return to the broiler, about 1 minute. Watch carefully and do not allow the paprika to burn. Remove from the broiler. Stir in the chopped Serranos, ancho chiles (discard the water), chile flakes and olive oil. Allow to marinate in the pan at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Chop the tomatoes and stir them together with the other vegetables in a bowl, tearing off and adding small amounts of toasted bread as needed to thicken. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mince the remaining clove garlic. Stir into the salsa along with the cilantro, lime juice and Mexican oregano. Stir in additional salt to taste.
• For the avocado crema:.
• Combine the avocado flesh, lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, cilantro and salt to taste in a food processor, and pulse until pureed. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer and adjust seasoning to taste.
• For the tacos:.
• Place the tortillas on a serving plate. Spread with the ancho chile puree using the back of a spoon. Arrange a thin layer of nopales cactus strips over the ancho chile puree. Add a layer of shredded lettuce and spoon some roasted tomato salsa over the top. Drizzle with some avocado crema, and sprinkle with the cheese. Serve immediately.

TUMERICO CACTUS TACOS

Steps:

• For the Korean sauce: Add the cashews, 2 cups water, olive oil, tamari and lime juice to a blender. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes, until smooth.
• For the fresh salsa: In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, cilantro lime juice, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
• For the cactus: Fill a medium soup pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the cactus, lower the heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon salt and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain the cactus; when cool enough to handle, cut into dice.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cactus and cook undisturbed until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes, until light golden all over.
• Stir 2 tablespoons of the Korean sauce into the skillet; let cook for 1 minute.
• For the tacos: Divide the cactus mixture among the tortillas. Top each with some cabbage and 1 tablespoon of the fresh salsa. Garnish with watercress and serve.

CACTUS TACOS

Steps:

• 1. Cut the cactus strips into 1/4-inch dice and set aside. In a medium skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion, stirring, until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved diced cactus and heat through completely. Set aside. 2. Heat a small nonstick skillet and warm the tortillas, 1 at a time, until soft and pliable. To assemble, put a portion of the cactus filling on half of each warm tortilla. Top with queso fresco and salsa. Fold in half and serve at once. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.