Baked Nopal Cactus Fries with Avocado Dipping Sauce

Baked Nopal Cactus Fries with Avocado Dipping Sauce

by Victoria Challancin

Ok.  I gave in.  I caved.  I capitulated.  My heart, which knows better than my head, thought these would be better fried than baked, but in the end, I opted for the healthy version.  Yep, I baked them.  And were they ever good!  Good, of course, if you like the taste of nopal cactus, and I certainly do.

I realize that many of my readers will neither have access to cactus paddles, called pencas, in Spanish.  Others won't have the interest because they perhaps sound a bit strange.  But trust me on this one...these baked beauties just shine.  The taste, tart and clean, comes through just fine in the baked version as well.

It seems that Mexico has always appreciated the nopal cactus (one of many in the Opuntia ficusindinca species of Cactus family).  It has figured into its cuisine since recorded history and, of course, before that.  You might know it as the main component of nopalitos, a common Mexican salad.  It even appears on the Mexican flag, so great is its importance.  Why, you ask?  One obvious reason is that it grows wild over much of the republic and it is easy to cultivate as well.  A popular food source, cooked or raw, nopal has gotten a great deal of attention in recent years due to its health benefits and nutritional value.  Both the green pads, which I used here, and the cactus fruit are popular throughout all of Mexico--and were, even before people understood their nutritive value.

Health Benefits of Nopal Cactus

• Used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes
• Helps fight viral infections
• Is antiflammatory
• Excellent for treating colitis, ulcers, diarrhea, and alcohol hangovers
• Good for blood pressure
• Helps lower cholesterol
• Good source of essential micronutrients such as vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium
• Rich in anti-oxidants
• High in Calcium
• Low in calories
• Rich in dietary fiber
• Has potential role in weight control as 88% of their weight is from water, which is calorie-free and helps you feel full

Recipe:  Baked Nopal Cactus Fries with Avocado Dipping Sauce

(Recipe inspired by munchinwithmunchkin.com--I changed a good bit, so do check out the original)

4 nopal cactus pads (thorns removed), cut into French Fry strips, approximately 4 inches x ½-inch

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 egg whites, lightly whisked

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning herbs--or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Grated zest of one lime

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 ripe avocado

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove, pressed

1 spring onion, finely minced

juice from ½ lime or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dill, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking oil spray, set aside.

In a large bowl combine panko, herbs or cumin, lime zest, and cayenne pepper. Place egg whites in a separate small bowl.  In a third bowl mix flour, salt and pepper.

Dip cactus strips into the egg whites and then coat them with the flour mixture.

Return cactus strips to the egg whites (or cashew cream) and then coat them with the panko bread crumbs.

Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

In the meantime prepare the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve immediately.

Similar Recipes from Earlier Posts:

In this earlier post on Avocado Fries with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce, I debated the virtues of frying... and ended up frying.

And in this one I tried these Zucchini Sticks with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli I shared a bit of my Southern heritage...trying these both fried and baked.

Parting Shot:  Buddha at Night with Flower

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Flavors of the Sun Cooking School

San Miguel de Allende,

México

Cilantro with Mushrooms--Another Happy Accident

Pan-Fried Mushrooms with Cilantro

Cilantro with Mushrooms--Another Happy Accident

by Victoria Challancin

At a birthday party dinner last week I enjoyed the yummiest mushrooms cooked with garlic and cilantro.  Cilantro!  It was a new taste sensation for me to have cilantro paired with mushrooms;  frankly, I never would have thought of it.  After about the third helping, I asked the hostess, who is Colombian, if this was a native dish from her home country, this unique combination of cilantro with mushrooms.  She laughed and said, "I was out of parsley, so I used cilantro.  I can't tell the difference!" She might have been teasing, as she is an excellent cook whose food is always flawless, but whatever the reason the cilantro was added, this dish was unusual and good.  Another happy accident? Maybe.  I'm not sure why I would never have thought to put these two ingredients together, but the result is delicious.  And easy.  We ate it as an accompaniment to grilled marinated arrachera, or skirt steak.

As we have mushroom farms near San Miguel de Allende, where I live, I am always looking for new ways to prepare this year-round bounty of a variety of mushrooms.  Immediately, when I next went to the market, I purchased a pound of crimini mushrooms, though any type would work.  Here is my interpretation of this easy, delicious side dish.

Pan-Fried Mushrooms with Cilantro

(My interpretation of a recipe by Adriana Miniño)

3 tablespoons extra-virgen olive oil or butter, or a combination of the two

6 garlic cloves, minced

500g whole crimini mushrooms, stems trimmed

1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves and some stems

3/4 cup water

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil and/or butter over medium heat in a large non-stick frying pan.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown.  Add mushrooms.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until very soft.  Add cilantro and stir to combine.  Continue cooking for 2 minutes.  Add water, salt, and pepper.  Cover pan and allow to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Mushrooms with Cilantro

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Pork Loin with Cherry-Apple Chutney

Pork Loin with Cherry-Apple Chutney

Pork Loin with Cherry-Apple Chutney

by Victoria Challancin

The original recipe for this scrumptious dish, a PAM No-Stick Cooking Spray contest winner posted in Southern Living magazine, was called Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Cherry Apple Chutney.  With apologies to the PAM company, I eliminated the oil spray, used a small pork loin instead of tenderloin, substituted dried cranberries for dried cherries, added a touch of smoked chipotle chile, and still came out with a fantastic cool-weather dish.

This dish comes together quickly.  The chutney can be made while the meat, simply seasoned with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper roasts in a medium-hot oven.  The resulting tart-sweet condiment is absolutely fantastic and could be easily paired with chicken as well as pork or served with goat cheese as a bruschetta. Out of necessity, I also substituted chipotle chiles in adobo sauce for the chilli sauce in the original recipe.  Another variation might be to add finely chopped fresh rosemary and garlic to the oil that is rubbed into the meat. 

The leftovers are just as good served cold as they were hot!  All in all, this is a very elegant dish that required minimum effort.

Pork Loin with Cherry-Apple Chutney

(Adapted from a recipe from Southern Living Magazine)

For the meat:

1 (1 1/2-lb) pork tenderloin or small pork loin

2 tablespoons extra-virgen olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse-grain salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the Chutney:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup cherry preserves

1/2 cup dried sweetened cherries or cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped chile chipotle in adobo sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels, rub all over with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in a roasting pan.  Roast meat for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the meat registers 160 degrees.

To make the chutney:  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1/2 cup diced onion, and sauté 3 minutes or until tender.  Reduce heat to medium, and stir in diced apples, cherry preserves, dried cherries or cranberries, chile chipotle, and Worcestershire sauce.Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until apples are slightly softened.

Allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.  Cut pork diagonally into 1-inch thick slices, and arrange on a serving platter; spoon Cherry-Apple Chutney over pork.

Enjoy!

Cherry-Apple Chutney

Pork Loin with Cherry-Apple Chutney

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.