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margojean

Nov 27, 2008, 12:51 PM

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nopales

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We love nopales in many guises - in soups, stews, scrambled eggs, sauteed veggies, stir fry, home fries etc. and yesterday I discovered a new one. Superlake in Ajijic (San Antonio actually) sells an Indian seasoning package for green vegetables called "bhindi masala" that is wonderful with nopales. Curried nopales, more or less. The package calls for a 1/2 cup of olive oil, but a few tablespoons will do much better. orr just a little chicken broth. If Superlake runs out (I just bought 5 more packages) you can improvise with ground coriander, cumin, and garam masala, or curry powder. I added a touch of miel de agave, because the nopales are sour on their own. Delicious as a main dish with rice, or as a side. You could add tofu or garbanzos for a vegetarian meal.
margojean

Jetski

Mar 22, 2009, 10:14 PM

Post #2 of 7 (4859 views)

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Re: [margojean] nopales

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Some time ago we started using nopales in our blended breakfast drink of the day;

1 medium sized raw nopal pad, blended with fresh squeezed juice, usually orange juice plus a handful of fresh fruit in season, mango, strawberries, pineapple slices, etc and a bit of water or coconut water to make the smoothie liquid enough to drink. Occasionally we add flax seed or oatmeal as well.

Upsides are that the drink is quite filling so taken for breakfast and supper with a normal lunch in the middle it is easy to lose various excess pounds.

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(This post was edited by Jetski on Mar 23, 2009, 8:19 AM)

Rolly

Mar 23, 2009, 8:04 AM

Post #3 of 7 (4846 views)

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Re: [Jetski] nopales

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¿Do you use the nopal raw or cooked?

Rolly Pirate

Jetski

Mar 23, 2009, 8:16 AM

Post #4 of 7 (4843 views)

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Re: [Rolly] nopales

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Thanks Rolly, I've edited the above; we use raw nopales for the breakfast drink. My Mazatleco father in law used to make himself an interesting raw botana de nopales sort of salad as well, which was fairly small young growth paddles cleaned, cut into 1/2 inch strips and marinated in lime juice.

(This post was edited by Jetski on Mar 23, 2009, 8:23 AM)

Rolly

Mar 23, 2009, 8:30 AM

Post #5 of 7 (4839 views)

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Re: [Jetski] nopales

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I'm gonna try that. I make a morning drink that's a little strange, so a nopal added might be just fine. Here's what I make:

a chunk of fresh pineapple
a banana
6 or 8 strawberries
2 heaping t of Metamucil (old age, you know)
3 heaping t of coffee
a large glob of peanut butter
a glass of diet Coke
a glass of ice water

blend until smooth

Sometimes I add green seedless grapes or a peach.

Rolly Pirate

Jetski

Mar 23, 2009, 8:41 AM

Post #6 of 7 (4834 views)

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Re: [Rolly] nopales

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This site has some good info about benefits and uses of nopales;

http://www.desertbloom.net/pubinfo/Health.aspx

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nancyinpdx

Mar 24, 2009, 1:11 AM

Post #7 of 7 (4814 views)

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Re: [Jetski] nopales

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Sounds like a good healthy way to lose summa my blubber! Yikes, I've gained 40 pounds and I'm only 4' 11.5 so thats like 80-100 pounds on a normal height person!!! Although peanut butter is good for you and very filling for several hours, I'll skip the peanut butter since I'm allergic to it. The raw oatmeal is a good idea- like maybe how much so it won't get a disgusting consistency? This is also a way for me to get more fruits (I eat very little fruit here in freezing Portland) in my diet and a way to hide a veggie in a fruity drink.

Thanks, Rolly and Jetski!