Eating Cacti

     I love cooking and eating unique foods, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have tried and fallen completely in love with several preparations of Nopales, or Prickly Pears. Not only can you eat the cactus pads, but you can also eat the fruit, and the whole plant makes some delicious dishes. So I figured I'd share with you a variety of Cactus recipes, these recipes are still Gluten Free and Vegetarian, but some of them do include eggs and dairy.

     Before we get into the recipes, here's a quick video on how to clean the cactus pads so you don't eat one of the spines. Nobody wants to do that.

This lovely woman has a YouTube channel devoted to Meatless Mexican Recipes, I encourage everyone to check her out!

But now that you know how to clean your cactus, on to the recipes!

1.  Cactus goes well with eggs? Who knew? But this is such a great dish! And it's super simple, great for breakfast or brunch. My husband and I love to stuff tortillas with this and make a Mexican Breakfast Burrito as well.

Huevos con Nopales

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

4 Green Onions, diced (white and green parts are welcome)

3 Garlic Cloves, smashed and minced

1 cup Nopales, diced (blanch them if you want the goo gone, but this step is optional)

1 small Hot Pepper (Serrano is my go-to, but you can use Jalapeno or Habanero as well), diced

4 Eggs, beaten well

1 small Roma Tomato, diced (optional, but I really like this touch)

¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
     In a skillet, over medium-high heat, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil for about 1 minute. Add in the Nopales and Serrano Pepper (or whatever pepper you choose). The Nopales will start to ooze a bit, keep cooking until that liquid is mostly gone (about 3-4 minutes). Add in the eggs and tomatoes, reduce the heat to low and cook until the eggs are done to your liking. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and pepper and serve warm!



2.  Here is proof that I was born and raised in the South. I swear, if we can eat it, we will find a way to fry it. But this recipe is soooooo good I couldn't leave it out! I use all gluten-free flour (my favorite is Namaste Foods Gluten Free Organic Perfect Flour Blend), but it's also super good with a mixture of corn meal and flour. I also like to use coconut oil to deep fry with, it doesn't break down as much at the higher temperature making it a little bit healthier. This is kind of like frying a grilled cheese, it's great comfort food and pairs well with tomato soup!

Stuffed Nopales

Ingredients

6 Nopal Pads, cleaned and blanched

Oaxacan Cheese (or Mozzarella)

3 Eggs

2 cups Milk

1¼ lb Flour, sifted

Salt and Pepper to taste

Coconut Oil (or whatever oil you want to use for frying)

Instructions:
     For the batter, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the milk while wisking. Whisk until mixture is smooth, then add in your eggs one at a time. Once the batter is mixed well and smooth, cover and chill in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
     After cleaning your Nopales, pair them together with close to the same size pads per pair. If needed, trim them to equal sizes and shapes. Use them to make “sandwiches” with the cheese slices by layering one Nopal, then some cheese, then a second Nopal. Secure them with toothpicks.
     In a deep skillet, sauce pan, or deep fryer, place enough oil to cover your Nopal sandwiches (one at a time). Bring the oil to a boil. Dip each sandwich into the batter, making sure to cover them well (optionally, if you're having problems getting the batter to stick you can dredge them in flour first), and place them in the boiling oil. Fry them until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place them on a clean kitchen towel to drain. Try to remove the toothpicks before eating.
     Enjoy them, while hot, with Salsa and/or Guacamole!



3.  Speaking of guacamole. I just LOVE avocados, and any excuse to use them is a good one! So of course I had to make some guacamole with Nopales. This version is a little more work because I grill the Nopal, but if you want to skip that step, you can just blanch them to get rid of some of the goo. I also happen to collect cast iron, so I am lucky enough to have a stove top grill (like this one) that I can use which makes this recipe much easier.

Grilled Cactus Guacamole

Ingredients

1 Nopal Pad, cleaned

2-3 ripe Avocados

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Roma Tomatoes, diced

½ a medium Red Onion, diced

1-2 fresh Jalapenos, seeded and diced (or Serrano for a little more heat)

a little less than ¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste

Instructions:
     After cleaning the Nopal, brush it with a little olive oil. Heat up your grill and place the Nopal on the grill to cook. It should take about 20 minutes per side, but if you want a little extra of that grilled taste, you can cook it a little longer. Also, you can toss your peppers on the grill too, before dicing them.
     Cut your avocados in half and scoop them out. Mash them up with the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. After grilling your Nopal, and allowing it to cool, dice it up and combine it with all the other ingredients. Mix well. Chill for 15 minutes and serve cold.



4.  What's better on a hot day than indulging in a fruit sorbet? Well, Prickly Pears make a great sorbet. Be sure to use a real ice cream maker (like this one) for this recipe though, if you freeze it and then blend it later, the chunks won't get as smooth and you'll miss out on the awesomeness that is the smooth texture of this sorbet.

Prickly Pear Sorbet

Ingredients

7-8 ripe Prickly Pears

1 cup Water

Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime

½ cup (or a little more) Sugar

Instructions:
     In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, stir together the water and sugar. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. While you're waiting for this, cut the Prickly Pears in half and scoop out the insides, being very careful to avoid the irritating hairs and spines on the outside. Pulse the pulp in a blender for a moment to separate out the seeds. Strain this through a sieve to fully remove those seeds. Once the sugar mixture is cool, add in all the remaining ingredients, including your strained puree. Place this mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
     Once the mixture is chilled, set up your ice cream maker and pour in the mixture, following your factory settings. Serve immediately or put in the freezer for later. If you put it in the freezer, take it out of the freezer before serving to let it soften enough to be able to stir it with spatula and bring back the smooth, velvety consistency.



5.  I have been working in the hospitality industry most of my adult life, and a good majority of that work has been behind a bar. I love mixing new drinks and creating amazing cocktails. So when I heard that Nopals could be juiced, I decided that I was going to make it my next cocktail goal to create a Cactus Margarita. Well, I ended up creating 2! The first one is from the cactus pads, the second is using the fruit. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Nopal Margarita

Ingredients

For the Nopal Lime Mix:

2 Nopal Pads, cleaned and diced

2 cups Water

½ cup Sugar

Juice and Zest of 3 Limes (6 tsp Lime Juice)

For the Margarita:

1.5 oz Tequila of your choice (I prefer to use Silver Tequilas for this recipe, my favorite is Milagro)

.5 oz Triple Sec (or other Orange Liqueur like Cointreau)

2 oz Nopal Lime Mix

Instructions:
     To make the Nopal Lime Mix, combine the Nopal pads, water, and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir while boiling until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 1 hour. When the hour is up, strain out about half of the cactus and put the syrup into a food processor. Add in lime juice and zest, blend until smooth.
     For each margarita, combine 1.5 oz Tequila, .5 oz Triple Sec, and 2 oz of the Nopal Lime Mix. Shake with ice and pour into a glass (optional-rim the glass with salt for a great flavor). If you want to make a batch of frozen margaritas, combine ingredients in a blender with ice and blend away. I make the frozen ones in batches of 4, so that's 6 oz Tequila, 2 oz Triple Sec, and 8 oz of the Mix. I also like to use the Nopal Cactus Pieces (from making the Mix) as a garnish.

Prickly Pear Margarita

Ingredients

For the Prickly Pear Syrup:

1 lb Prickly Pears

Water

1 cup Sugar

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime

For the Margarita:

1.5 oz Tequila of your choice (I prefer to use Silver Tequilas for this recipe, my favorite is Milagro)

.5 oz Triple Sec (or other Orange Liqueur like Cointreau)

.5 oz Prickly Pear Syrup

1.5 oz Lime Juice

Instructions:
     To make the syrup, cut each prickly pear in half and scoop out the insides (be careful of the irritating hairs and spines on the outside of the fruit). Combine the fruit and sugar in a pot. Put just enough water in the pot to cover everything and bring the contents to a boil over medium-high heat, stiring and mashing the fruit as it boils. When the sugar is dissolved, cover and remove from the heat. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, or until it's cool. Add in the zest and lime juice, give it a good stir, then strain out the pulp and seeds.
     For each margarita, combine 1.5 oz Tequila, .5 oz Triple Sec, .5 oz Prickly Pear Syrup, and 1.5 oz of Lime Juice. Shake with ice and pour into a glass (optional-rim the glass with salt or sugar for a great flavor). If you want to make a batch of frozen margaritas, combine ingredients in a blender with ice and blend away. I make the frozen ones in batches of 4, so that's 6 oz Tequila, 2 oz Triple Sec, 2 oz Syrup, and 6 oz of Lime Juice.




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Herbs de Provence

     So last week I posted some information on one of my favorite herbs, Lavender. In that post I mentioned that it's used in French cooking, particularly in a blend called Herbs de Provence. So I figured I'd share my recipe for this amazing blend, and a few recipes that use it. I hope you enjoy!



This is the most basic form of this herb blend. If you want to be a little more adventurous or fancy, you can try adding in 1 tsp of dried fennel seed, 1-2 tsp of dried orange zest, or 1-2 tsp of dried lemon zest. Feel free to play around with it and make it your own! This particular recipe makes about 1 cup of spice blend so make sure you have a container that can hold that amount.

Herbs de Provence

½ cup dried Thyme leaf

¼ cup dried Marjoram leaf

2 tablespoons dried Oregano leaf

2 tablespoons dried Rosemary leaf

2 tablespoons Savory

1 teaspoon dried Lavender flowers

Use a mortar and pestle, food processor, or coffee/spice grinder to lightly grind any of the whole herbs. You want them to be coarse and not finely ground. Combine all the herbs in a bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container away from heat and light.



     So now that you have this amazing herb blend, what do you do with it? This blend works well with all meats, particularly poultry and fish. It also goes great on root vegetables such as potatoes, and it makes a great herbed butter or infused olive oil. Here are a few of my favorite recipes using Herbs de Provence.

Provencal Vinaigrette 

     This salad dressing is so amazing, and super easy to make and uses Herbs de Provence and Dijon mustard to make your taste buds feel like you're dining in Provencal France!

Provencal Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Distilled Water

1 teaspoon Raw Honey

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

½ teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor. Process away for about 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil (my food processor allows me to do this while actively processing the dressing, this is the best way to incorporate the oil, but if your processor does not, just drizzle a little at a time and process for 30 seconds between drizzles). Your dressing should be nicely emulsified and ready to store in the refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour before serving to allow all the flavors to nicely combine.

French Lentil Soup

     Lentil soup is a staple in my household. It's super easy to make and really quick if you're in a pinch for time. This version uses French lentils and Herbs de Provence to make a soup that's out-of-this-world!

French Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

½ of 1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

1 medium Carrot (and greens if possible), chopped

1 Celery Stalk, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1 cup French Lentils, rinsed and drained

6 cups Vegetable Broth (or Bone Broth)

2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

½ of 1 medium Red Onion, chopped

4 cups Swiss Chard leaves (or Baby Spinach)

In a large pot, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, lentils, broth, and all seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes. Add in the red onions and cover, cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the lentils are softened. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in the Swiss Chard. Serve piping hot!

This goes great over rice and/or quinoa.

Sensational Tofu & Roots

This recipe shows off how well Tofu can blend with just about everything. Now, for those of you who prefer meat, you can substitute chicken for tofu (just make sure it's fully cooked, it might take a bit longer than tofu) and get a delicious main dish, or simply take out the tofu and get a wonderful side dish of root veggies with gravy.

Tofu & Roots

½ pound of Fingerling Potatoes, quartered

2 large Carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large Parsnip, peeled and sliced

1 Celeraic (celery root), peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, smashed

½ pound of Cherry Tomatoes

1½ teaspoons Herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1 cup Vegetable Broth (or Bone Broth)

2 tablespoons Arrow Root Flour

1 block (about 14-16 oz) Extra Firm Tofu, drained and pressed

In a large pot, on high heat, begin to boil the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and celeraic. While the root veggies are cooking (about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until tender, but not translucent. Add in the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Add in the broth and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to Low, add in the flour and whisk well to incorporate. Once the mixture thickens, set aside. Once the root vegetables are tender, drain them and set them aside. In another skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Slice the tofu into ¼ inch thick triangles. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. When the bottom is nice and crisp, flip them and add the root vegetables. Season with the remaining seasonings and cook until everything is golden. Pour the broth gravy over the tofu and roots and serve.





     In any of these recipes, feel free to change the ingredients around.  Play with different veggies and herbs.  I hope you enjoy this Herbs de Provence recipe, and have fun using it in every dish! Have fun, play around, and let me know what you think below!

Introduction to Campfire Cooking: Foil Packets

     My husband and I love hiking, camping, and all kinds of outdoor activities. However, we live in Florida and it gets pretty hot here in the summer. We tend to slow our outdoor activities down a bit starting in mid June until the temperatures reach reasonable numbers again (we especially avoid 3 digit numbers). Even though it's still hot here, we're starting to gear up for the fall camping season. So I thought I might share some tips for campfire cooking, and a few of my favorite recipes.

     I tend to prefer to stick to simple meals when I camp, less clean-up and more time enjoying nature is a good thing. I actually prep (and in some cases even pre-cook) most of our meals the week before our trip. One of my favorite things to make are foil packets. You literally chop up a bunch of vegetables and/or meat, add in a it of butter/oil and some seasonings, and wrap them up in foil (make sure to close your packets on the top so the juices don't leak out into the fire). Now, if you don't want to deal with the waste, you can always just pack up the chopped vegetables and sautee them in a pan. But I often have to deal with picky eaters and foil packets are a bit more customizable. If person A doesn't like beets, but person B loves them, you can easily make them separate meals. Or if person C is the only vegan in the group, you can easily make all their food vegan friendly while not making the others have to worry about it. Foil packets are also super easy to cook in just about any situation. If there's a fire ban because of drought conditions, you can still cook the foil packets in a camp oven or in a pot on the camp stove. Oops, you forgot to pack your campfire grill? No problem, put the foil packets next to the fire (or directly on top of the embers) and they'll cook just fine! 

     While you can put whatever ingredients you want into your packets, I figured I'd share a few of my favorite recipes with you guys.

1.   This is a great breakfast idea, and can be made gluten free and vegan friendly by using GF bread and coconut milk. This one is not good to make completely ahead of time, but you can prepare the dry ingredients in foil packets, mix the wet ingredients in a different container and just add the wet ingredients to each packet at your campsite. This recipe makes 3 adult servings (or 2 adults and 2 kids).

Foil Packet Blueberry Bread Pudding

½ cup Whole Milk or Coconut Milk

½ cup Heavy Cream or Coconut Cream

4 eggs or 4 tablespoons ground Flaxseed and 9 tablespoons Water

¼ cup Plain Greek Yogurt or Pureed Silken Tofu

½ cup Sugar (or Honey)

¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Fresh Blueberries

8 slices of Bread

Instructions:

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a blender and blend well. Store in a seal-able container (one that has portions on the side makes cooking much easier at camp) in your cooler.  Cut up the bread into ½ inch cubes. Portion the cubes, and blueberries, equally into 3 foil squares. Seal the squares on the sides and top, but make sure you can open the top again at camp. When you are ready to cook them, open the packets and pour in the wet mixture, evenly into the 3 packets. Carefully stir the mixture in each packet and close them up. Allow the packets to rest for about 5 minutes before cooking. They take 25-35 minutes to cook. Don't place them on direct heat or you will burn the bottom. You also don't have to flip them as long as the packets are sealed well. Remove them from the heat and enjoy!

* You can also try this recipe using any fruit you want, try sliced bananas or strawberries for a different treat!

2. I grew up eating these as often as my dad would make them. They're super great in an oven, but they're best over an open fire, not to mention they're really easy to make. Make them ahead of time to save on prep, or make them at your campsite.

Sweet Onions

4 large Sweet Onions (I prefer Vidalia Onions for this)

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

*optional 4 teaspoons White Wine, Veggie Broth, or Beer

Instructions:

     Peel the onions, leaving the root ends intact. Cut a thin slice from the top of each onion and cut a small hole in each. Cut into quarters, leaving the bottom ½ inch uncut. Place each onion on a square of foil and drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper, into the center of the onions. If desired, also drizzle wine, broth, or beer into the holes. Close up the foil packet tightly. Grill over indirect heat for 45 minutes.

3. This recipe is great for all the vegan's in the camp. It's also super versatile, try adding in some tempeh or chicken. Or maybe try changing up the veggies a bit (add some hot peppers or take out the corn and add 1 cup of chick peas instead). 

Mixed Veggie BBQ

1 cup of chopped Bell Peppers (Red and Yellow are great for this)

1 cup chopped Onion

1 cup Baby Carrots

1 cup cubed Potatoes (about ½ inch cubed)

1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms

1 Corn Cob, sliced about 1 inch thick

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

2 teaspoon Soy Sauce or Liquid Aminos

2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Paprika

¾ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions:

     Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and give it a good toss. Divide the mixture equally between 4 pieces of foil. Close up the foil and place over indirect heat for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Enjoy!

4. This is a crowd-pleasing dessert, and it's super easy and fast. You don't need to prepare this ahead of time. For added fun, try bringing other toppings (marshmallows, blueberries, strawberries, trail mix, granola, etc) and let everyone stuff their own bananas. If you don't have a grill for over your fire, place these babies next to the fire, or in the embers for about 7-8 minutes (or until they're nice and gooey).       

Banana Boats

4 unpeeled Bananas

8 teaspoons Dark Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips

¼ cup Pistachios (or any nut you like)

¼ cup Raw Honey

Instructions:

     Place bananas on a 12-inch square of foil, shaping the foil around the bananas to help them sit flat. Cut each banana lengthwise, about ½ inch deep, leaving ½ inch on each end uncut. Gently pull the bananas open, creating a pocket. Drizzle a little honey into the pockets and fill with chocolate and nuts.  Gently wrap foil around the bananas, closing the packets. Grill them for around 5 minutes. 

     In any of these recipes, feel free to change the ingredients around. Play with different herbs, veggies, and fruits. Have fun, play around, and let me know what you think below!