Cactus Paddle Tostadas

We've settled in Austin Texas for a few months to be near our niece Caroline and her adorable family. Everywhere you go in Austin, you see "nopales" - ​prickly pear cactus plants - used as landscaping just as you might see azalea bushes in New England. We came upon a large grocery store called "Fiesta" that features beautiful Mexican produce and exotic spices. Next to the bakery was a station where a woman spent much of the day cleaning the thorns off of cactus paddles that were then sold either whole or cut into pieces - and they sold a lot of them! Determined to try them out, Richard adapted this recipe from one of his favorite TV Chefs - Pati Jinich. Caroline and her all-vegetarian family loved it!!

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh "nopales", rinsed, cleaned and diced; or, if canned, rinsed thoroughly
• 1/2 pound ripe tomato, chopped (3-4 roma tomatoes)
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional, but recommended)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (remove seeds or use just 1/2 for less heat)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• Salt to taste

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup refried beans (OK to use canned), warmed in microwave or saucepan
• Garnishes of your choice: queso fresco, Mexican crema, chopped avocado, salsa…

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Process

[I purchased cleaned and diced "nopales" from Fiesta! But if you don't have that luxury...]

​To clean fresh cactus paddles:

• Rinse fresh cactus paddles under cold water, being careful not to prick your fingers with the small thorns on its surface (wear plastic gloves!).
• Using a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife, peel away the darker bumps where thorns grow, as well as the thorns, trying not to peel off all the outer dark green skin.
• Lay the paddles flat on a chopping board, then trim around approximately 1/4 inch of the edges and 1/2 inch of the thick base. Once cleaned, rinse and dice into 1/2-to-1-inch squares, to your liking.

To use cactus from a can, bag or jar:

• After you have removed the diced cactus from the jar or can, rinse it under water and drain well.

To cook the cactus:

• Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a thick, large-sized skillet (one that has a lid) over medium-high heat.
• Add the diced cactus, stir in the salt and stir for a minute or two. Place the lid on the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to medium and let the cactus cook and sweat for about 20 minutes, until it has exuded a gelatinous liquid that will begin to dry out (NOTE: If using cactus from a can or jar, already cleaned and cooked, just cook for an additional five minutes).
• Take the lid off the skillet, stir and let the cactus cook for a few more minutes until the gelatinous substance has dried up. Let the cactus cool slightly.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the cactus with the tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Like this, it can be eaten as a cactus paddle, nopal salad!

To make tostadas there a couple options:

• Pan Toast: Let the tortillas toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally with tongs until they toast and crisp [IMO...this is the fastest and simplest method]
• Bake: place them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning them once halfway through, until tanned and crisp. [best method if you are making a large batch]
• Fry: Add enough corn, safflower or vegetable oil to a skillet to have about 1/2″ and place over medium heat for about 4 to 6 minutes. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, fry each tortilla for about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side until it achieves a nice golden tanned color (not overwhelmingly brown or it will taste bitter) and crisp texture. To drain, place vertically on a tall metal strainer or lay flat on paper towels. ​[method for how most people think of crispy tostadas]

To assemble the tostadas:

• Spread a layer of refried beans on each tostada.
• Spoon some the cooked cactus mixture on top
• Add the garnishes of your choice. [I added avocado slices, queso fresco, and salsa verde!]