A refreshing salad with nopal cactus pads is just what you need on a hot day. Combine diced cactus pads with tomatoes, ...

This week we cook up four nopal (cactus) recipes that go beyond the traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes we love in South Texas. Paul Stephen is a food writer for the Express-News. He can be reached ...

Cactuses aren’t just part of the scenery in South Texas. For centuries, the fruit and paddles from the prickly pear cactus have fueled the people who live here, and they’re still easy to find on the ...

Have you ever noticed a stack of fresh cactus paddles at your local market, but were unsure how to use them — or at least how to keep from getting stuck? The paddles of the prickly pear cactus are ...

1. To prepare the nopales: If necessary, use a small sharp knife to remove any residual thorns or nodules from the cactus leaves. Bring 8 cups salted water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat ...

If you like onion rings, you’ll probably enjoy crunching into a bite of battered and fried cactus as well. 2 cactus paddles, needles removed, cut into french fry-size strips Instructions: Place the ...

About this recipe This soup is perfect for the days when you don’t feel like cooking and the fridge is looking empty. I like to keep a couple of cans of beans and a jar of nopales in the pantry for ...

My fondness for nopales - the paddlelike leaves of the prickly pear cactus - began early on. I spent a lot of time at my family's historic home at Rancho Los Tularcitos in Milpitas, where a cactus ...

When most people see this prickly desert plant, the last thing they think of is putting it in their mouth. But cactus, or nopales as they call it in the Southwest, makes a surprisingly delicious and ...

When stir-fried at a high temperature, cactus retains quite a bit of crunchy texture. Its mild flavor blends into this Thai-inspired curry perfectly. Instructions: Heat the oil in a wok or large ...

Cactus might look intimidating, but once you learn how to clean and cook it to make nopales, you’ll be looking for ways to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into more dishes Walk around almost ...

Prickly desert cactus sounds like the last thing you’d want to eat. But -- surprise! -- once the spines are off, cactus is juicy and tender, great in anything from salads and soups to main courses and ...