California Cactus Salad

Total Time: 23 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 medium cactus pieces, pads (nopales)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle powder (i mince about 1 tbls. chipotle pepper in adobe)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 6 cups leaves lettuce, shredded
• 6 tablespoons queso fresco, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons sour cream

Recipe

• 1 peel thorns from cactus pads with a vegetable peeler, leaving the green skin; cut cactus pads into thin strips.
• 2 heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. add the cactus and garlic, saute 7-8 minutes or until cactus is tender. combine the cactus mixture, beans and the next 7 ingredients(beans through tomatoes).
• 3 arrange 1 1/2 cups lettuce on each of 4 plates, top each with 1/2 cup cactus mixture, 1 1/2 tbls. cheese, and about 2 teaspoons sour cream. enjoy!
• 4 yield: 4 servings.