Nopales
Nopales are a veggie from the pads of prickly pear cactus. They are very rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Nopales have been known to help control blood sugar. The benefits from them are endless!
When I first tried this veggie, I was very skeptical. I thought I wasn’t going to like it. Boy was I wrong. I absolutely love nopals. In fact I put it in almost everything from Eggs, tacos, and even chili. It’s a great way to add texture to your meal. I like to add it to my meals like I would pickled jalapenos. To be honest with you, it might kind of creep you out. They can be slimy sometimes, but it’s not that big of a deal. Just think of it as a canned French green bean and that’s pretty much the texture of it.
You can find it in a variety of ways. Fresh, canned or pickled. I prefer the pickled version of it. You can even find it in some salsas.
Here are a few websites that offer wonderful information about the mighty nopal:
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Nopalitos con Huevos
(I have never been good with writing down my recipes; I tend to just eyeball it)
3 large eggs (I normally use just eggs whites)
Pickled nopales (you can add as much or little)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Whole stewed tomatoes (I tend to use 2)
Few dabs of Texas Pete hotter hot sauce (optional)
Your favorite salsa
Extra virgin olive oil
Flour or corn tortillas (I prefer corn tortillas)
Prep:
- Heat your tortillas. If you are using store bought corn tortillas suggest patting them with a little bit of water before you heat them up. They tend to be dry.
- Chop your noaples and whole stewed tomatoes in large chunks and set aside.
- Whisk your eggs, seasonings, hot sauce, noplaes and tomatoes in a bowl.
- Heat your pan to medium and lube with the olive oil
- Once your pan is heated properly, pour in egg mixture. Stir gently and cook to your desired doneness.
Serve your eggie goodness in to your tortillas and top it off with your favorite salsa. Really, you can top it off what whatever you like; Cilantro, jalapenos, fresh chopped onions, black beans or even cheddar cheese.
Yesterday, my husband and I made chicken tacos and added a ton of noples to the mix. It was amazing. Your diet doesn’t have to be boring. You just have to be willing to try new things.
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Come to think of it, I also like them in my grits…. Lol. It is very simple to make and perfect for any time of the day. If you do not know what grits are here’s a link that can help explain it: Wiki -Grits
Grits, Egg, and Nopalitos :
For the grits-
Grits (your desired serving size)
Smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Cumin
Smoked cayenne powder (optional)
Chili powder
For the egg mixture-
2 large eggs
Salt & pepper
Chopped nopales
Prep:
- Follow the instructions on how to cook the grits on the box. Once the grits are almost done mix in the spices.
- Once the grits are cooked, set aside and let them cool. While it’s cooling cook up the eggs like the Nopalitos con Huevos recipe
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My husband loves to eat his with cheese and a lot of hot sauce. I on the other hand just like it the way it is. Lol. Hopefully I typed this out to where it makes sense. I’ve never been the type of person to write/type down what I make. Normally everything that my husband and I do in the kitchen, we tend to just wing it. Believe me, this is one habit we need to break. My husband has made some bad ass meals in the past, but we could never recreate them because we didn’t write them down. lol
