I thought I would write about preventing some health problems by sharing some recipes utilizing one of our basic ancestral foods: nopales. A previous column was all about nopal. If you will recall, nopales are a rich source of soluble fiber, complex carbohydrates, and various minerals. Their primary health benefit is in helping to reduce cholesterol, control diabetes, and as a means to lose weight. Those of you who have been over to our place on Garfield Street probably already know that I am partial to nopales and chiles. My wife Reneé, an Atlanta, Georgia native, had never even thought of consuming cactus when we first met in 1974 in Tucson, Arizona. Now, after a few years, I can honestly say that she probably enjoys nopalitos prepared in as many different ways as I do, along with chiles a mordida, como todos los tejanos.
I have been out in the monte a few times over the last couple of weeks and see that our native nopales are putting out their nopalitos. When I was a kid I would go out into the brush and pick lots of tender pads for my mother or grandmother to prepare into delectable dishes. Nopalitos from the brush are very tasty, except that they have plenty of espinas that inevitably find your unprotected fingers during the harvest and cleaning ritual. The spineless varieties of nopal are more consumer friendly. Since nopalitos are still in season right now, and for that matter, readily available in some local supermarkets or in Nuevo Laredo all year long, here are a few recipes that you might want to try:

Nopales al Cilantro
o 6 to 8 tender nopalitos or about 1 pound, cut in strips
o 4 fresh chiles serranos, or to taste
o 1 medium white onion, diced
o a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped up
o 1/4 cup olive oil
o fresh Mexican limones or lemons
o salt to taste
Saute onion and chiles in oil until tender and transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the nopales and cilantro, stirring often so as not to let them stick to the pan or burn, cooking about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve with meat, poultry, or fish, or as tacos with fresh tortillas de maíz. Squeeze fresh lime on individual servings. Serves six.

Botana de Nopal
o 6 whole, tender pencas de nopal, cleaned of spines
o 3/4 lb. queso panela, cut into small pieces
o 2 tablespoons olive oil
o 1 teaspoon dry crumbled oregano
o 1 tablespoon chile molido, or favorite type of chili powder
o salt to taste
Cut nopales in half, width-wise, and place on a hot comal or sartén de acero to roast(asar). Turn only once and cook about 5 minutes on each side. Top each piece of nopal with some cheese, allow it to melt, then remove from the comal. Drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of oregano, chile molido to taste, and a dash of salt. Serve hot.

Ensalada de Nopal
o 10 tender, whole, cleaned nopalitos
o 2 firm medium to large ripe tomatoes, sliced
o 2 medium white onions, sliced
o 4 dry ground chile morita or 2 tablespoons red chili powder
o 1 ripe aguacate, sliced in rajas
o 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
o 3 tablespoons olive oil
o a small chunk of queso añejo
o oregano, cilantro, and salt al gusto
In a pot, cook the tender nopalitos whole in boiling water. As soon as they are tender, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and remove from heat. Drain, rinse with cold water, and cover with a damp cloth. Once cooled, dice into small cubes. Place diced nopalitos in large, wide dish, and add olive oil, vinegar, finely chopped cilantro, crumbled oregano, ground chile morita or chili powder, and salt to taste. Toss well. Place slices of tomato, onion, and aguacate around nopalitos. Grate queso over the nopales. Can be served with tostadas as a botana or as a side dish. Good for about 10 to 12 people.

Nopales con Chorizo
If you still have some chorizo de venado in your freezer, here is another way to enjoy it:
o 1/4 pound chorizo
o 1 cup of cooked and drained, diced nopalitos
o 2 or 3 eggs (optional)
o 1 tablespoon olive oil
o 1 finely chopped fresh chile serrano (optional)
o salt to taste
Cook chorizo and then add diced nopalitos, chile, and olive oil. Add eggs if desired, stir and cook well. Salt to taste. Serve with hot tortillas. Serves 2 to 4.

Nopales con Frijoles
This is one of my favorite ways to eat nopalitos.
o 1 cup of either cooked frijoles pintos or frijoles negros
o 1 cup of cooked, diced, and drained nopalitos
o 1 tablespoon flour
o 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
o 2 tablespoons olive oil
o 2 or 3 eggs (optional)
o 1 finely chopped fresh chile serrano (optional)
o salt to taste

In a frying pan, brown the flour in the olive oil, adding the garlic towards the end. Add the frijoles and refry in the browned flour and oil to desired doneness. Add the chopped chile and cook for about another minute. Now add the cooked nopalitos and mix well till fully heated. If desired, add the eggs now and cook till done. Serve with hot tortillas. Salt to taste. Serves 2 to 4 people.
I realize that some of you who read this column do not live in the area or may not be able to get fresh nopalitos very easily. Just improvise with canned or jarred nopalitos, if that is what you have available to you. You will still end up with a tasty dish regardless. Over the years I have collected or developed about 150 nopalito recipes so if I get any positive feedback on these, I'll eventually throw out a few more for y'all to try. If anyone has a particularly unique or exciting recipe, send it to me and I'll credit you if I include it in a future article.