Huaraches Stuffed Prickly Pear Cactus Paddles Stuffed Nopale Recipes

GRILLED NOPALES HUARACHES

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium heat.
• Blend first 3 ingredients in blender just until blended. (Some chunks can remain.)
• Combine oil, oregano and cumin; brush onto cactus. Grill 8 min. or until tender, turning occasionally. Transfer to plate.
• Spread cactus with beans; top each with 1 Tbsp. tomatillo mixture. Cover with onions and cheese. Serve with remaining tomatillo mixture.

HUARACHES - STUFFED PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS PADDLES - STUFFED NOPALE

Steps:

• Place the whole cactus paddles, onion and garlic in a large pot with water to cover and salt to taste.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until the nopales are tender but still firm.
• Drain and rinse.
• Starting at the wide, curved end, carefully slice each paddle horizontally, as if butterflying a chop for stuffing.
• Do not cut all the way through to the narrow end (the thicker part where the pad is attached to the main plant) but leave approximately 1 1/2" uncut.
• Place a slice of cheese between the two sections and press flat.
• Dredge the paddles in flour.
• Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and fold in the lightly beaten egg yolks.
• Pour enough oil into large skillet so that it comes up at least 1/2 inch.
• Heat the oil until sizzling hot.
• Dip the stuffed nopales in the egg batter to coat and fry in the hot oil until golden brown on each side.
• Serve immediately with red salsa.

NOPALES-STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the stuffing: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, cactus, onions, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables sweat, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes longer; set aside.
• For the chicken: Place about 2 tablespoons of the cactus stuffing on one side of each chicken breast. If you have remaining stuffing, reserve it for garnish. Top with the cheese. Using a brush, coat the edges of the chicken breasts with the egg and fold over the chicken to close.
• Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Carefully place each stuffed breast in the hot pan. Cook each side until seared and a nice crust forms, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and bake until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F, about 25 minutes.
• For the sauce: Reduce the heat to low under the saute pan that was used for the chicken. Add the cumin, coriander and paprika and cook, stirring, until toasted, for a minute or two, taking care not to burn the spices-add a little oil to the pan if it looks dry. Add the lime zest and juice and cook, stirring, until the juice has reduced. Very carefully add the tequila; it may ignite, but not for too long. Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper; lower the heat and cook until reduced, about 10 minutes.
• Place the chicken in a serving dish, cover with the sauce and garnish with any reserved cactus stuffing and chopped fresh parsley.

SHRIMP-STUFFED NOPALES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and tomato and sauté for 8 minutes, or until the pepper is nearly tender. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Season the stuffing to taste with salt and pepper, and set it aside.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut a slit along one long side of each nopal without cutting all the way through, to make something resembling a pita pocket. Grill the nopales for 4 minutes per side, or until they are tender and grill marks appear.
• Stuff the nopales with the shrimp mixture, dividing it equally, and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.