eggplant and nopales

Cooking experiments

Nopales are a staple here in Mexico.  I remember when I stayed with Gloria in her AirBnB, she told me that if I live in Mexico I have to learn to eat nopales.

I have not.  They have a green taste, grassy, and can have a slimy texture.  They are, after all, cactus.  I was visiting a friend, and he was fixing his meal.  He had nopales cooked in tomato sauce.  That, I thought, is the solution.  Ochre is also slimy, but it cooks up well in tomato sauce.  Why not nopales?

Cubed eggplant, sautéed in a little coconut oil for a couple minutes, and then topped with arrabiato pasta sauce.  Add water.  After a couple of minutes, add a package of nopales, chopped.  Lastly, after a total of five minutes, add lentils (orange) and let simmer 15 minutes.

Bought carne al pastor.  Sounds like lamb, doesn’t it?  No, it is pork marinating in a red sauce. 

Sauteed half a white onion in coconut oil. (does this add coconut flavor?  yes)  Added a little water, covered, let simmer.  Opened a new can of ‘dulce chipotles’.  Sweet, hah!  Smoked, is that what chipotle means?  Or is it a kind of pepper?  Chopped up one soft pepper from the can, added it to the onion, then added the meat.  Stirred it around, turned it over, then covered it.  It got tender very quickly.

Later, after dinner:  Well, the chipotle added a nice flavor, but no heat.  I could have added two more.  The meat cooked quickly, being coarsely chopped, and was tender.

The vegetable dish was good, but the dahl did not cook as it should have.  Perhaps in the past I toasted it first.  The nopales retain their texture, adding a slight crunch to the dish.  Since eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, I will continue to enjoy this dish for quite a few days.  I made a big pot.

How many calories?  I have no idea.  In which case, the key is portion control.  I had about a quarter cup of each, the veggies and the meat. 

A fresh loaf of crispy Italian bread would have just hit the spot.