I saw these nopales (known as cactus paddles in English) in the grocery store last week and they were just asking to be photographed! It reminded me also that it’s been awhile since I’ve had ensalada de nopales from one of my favorite places so I think I’ll have to make a trip this weekend. The place where I like it from opens very early in the morning and they usually sell out by noon. I’ll post pictures next week if I can make it there on time!
- What’s your favorite way to eat nopales?
I love them in eggs & beans inside a burro. Puro heaven.
Also, every once in a while I’ll cut one off from the yard and toss it on the grill after scraping it.
Que rico Joe! If I lived in an area where I had cacti, they’d probably all be bare from me swiping the paddles and the fruit! I’m jealous! When you grill it, how do you prepare it? Or do you just eat it plain grilled?
They’re good! Just a little olive oil and then grill them. Slice them in 1/4″ strips about 2-3″ long and include them with the grilled jalapenños, onions, tomatoes, etc.- great variety of flavor. Also, take a bite of one same as you would a jalapeño when eating.
Awesome, thanks for the tips Joe! I’ll have to try it out this weekend!
I love nopalitos scrambled with eggs, in a salad with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and chile serrano topped with queso cotija; I also love them with swordfish fajitas….delicious.
Simona, it seems like everybody loves them with eggs because I like my salad with eggs for breakfast too! Or I could just eat a big plate of it for lunch (and have done so many times). Swordfish fajitas, though? Never seen those before! Sounds like an interesting combination. 🙂
My favorite way to eat nopales, is to just swallow them fast (like a shot of tequila) so I don’t taste it! haha, not a fan of nopal but I try it every time its on my plate, hoping its an acquired taste!
Ha, Jessica you’re too funny! Sometimes it takes it being cooked a certain way for someone to like it, so don’t give up. I applaud you for continuing to try! For me, I never liked lengua, and then I tried it somewhere where I was doing a taco tasting for an article I was writing last year. I didn’t want to be rude by saying I didn’t like tacos de lengua because I really respected the cook, so I took a little bite and boy, was I surprised. It was cooked perfectly and I really liked it! I still haven’t found any other place that I like lengua, but at least if I have a hankering now I know where to get it. And surprisingly of all places… I had the lengua at a taco truck in San Antonio, TX. It’s a husband-wife operation cooking out of their little red kitchen trailer and she’s from Mexico and he spent some time living there (they met in BCS). If you’re ever visiting there, look them up and tell them I sent you! You can find more info about them at chelas-tacos.com.