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 there, and they’re still easy to find on the ...

Nopales, the paddles of cactus plants, get tender, smoky, and soft on a comal or griddle, picking up a strong char from the hot cast iron. High-heat cooking also tempers their natural sourness and ...

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 ...

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 ...

SANTA CRUZ >> Sunday, thousands will flock to downtown Santa Cruz for the sixth annual Festival del Nopal, a celebration of Mexican and Latin American food and heritage. The cactus, particularly the ...

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 ...

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 ...

Nopales, also known as prickly pear cactus pads, are vastly versatile, antioxidant-packed succulent plants. While these spiny cactus paddles are staples in Mexican cooking, their uses are endless and ...

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 ...

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 ...