Taco Tuesday: Cactus Tacos

Top 3 reasons I decided to make cactus tacos:

Reason #1: Homesick Texan posted a recipe over a month ago for a cactus casserole, I've been curious about cactus ever since.

Reason #2: I eyeballed a cactus plant down the street from the house, my husband refused to help me cut off some paddles. He said he considered it stealing.

Reason #3: My sister is in town so I finally found someone to drag down the street with me to forage cactus paddles. We did not get caught

 

And guess what, cactus is really good. In my opinion, cactus has the sticky texture of okra without the seeds and it tastes like bell pepper with a hint of lemon.

Ingredients
3 cactus paddles
1/3 cup onion chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
6 tortillas
1/2 cup of queso fresco
2 cups of chopped lettuce
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1 lime
2 tbs oil

To prepare the cactus carefully cut off the pits where the needles come out. Slice into skinny 1 inch strips

 

Pour the oil onto the skillet and put it on medium heat. Once the oil swirls around the skillet easily, throw in 2/3rds of the chopped onions and saute until the onions are transparent.

Next add the oregano, chili powder and cumin. Once the spices are evenly distributed add the cactus.

Cook the cactus for about 15-20 minutes until the pieces are limp but still have a slightly vibrant green color.

 

Combine the chopped tomatoes, remaining onions and lime juice into the bowl.  To put together your taco, add the lettuce, cactus, tomato mixture and top it off with crumbled queso fresco.

The overall census was great. My sister and her boyfriend enjoyed the tacos, my husband ate the remaining cactus all by itself and I'm still going to make the cactus casserole recipe I found over a month ago!