Nopales Wraps
Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Quick and Easy, Vegetables, Vegetarian
It’s nopales time again! Who knew that cactus leaves could be so fun to eat?! Last week I made them into a relish. I also used them in Borscht. Today, I’ve sautéed them with onions, added scrambled eggs, and wrapped it all in a lettuce leaf.
Nopales have an interesting taste. Kinda like if a green bell pepper was crossed with a green bean, okra, and a lemon. They’re bright, citrusy, and oh so slimy. You can boil them to take away the slime. Or, if you don’t care too much, just pop ’em in the pan. Totally up to you. I wanted to keep this one super quick and easy, so I didn’t bother with boiling.
I really wanted eggs with this dish. But, you could totally make this a vegan dish by crumbling some tofu into the veggies.
All there is to it is to crack the eggs, whisk them to combine, and add to the cooked veggies in the skillet.
We’re on our way to a super simple meal!
I used lettuce for wrapping this time. But, of course tortillas would be a great option too, depending on what you’re craving. If you don’t have lettuce or tortillas, another large, sturdy green leaf will do (like chard or kale). Whether or not you will need a fork and knife will depend on the sturdiness of the wrapping device. With this lettuce picking it up wasn’t an option. The messiness factor was heightened by topping the wrap with Nopales and Tomato Relish, fresh tomatoes, and parsley, rather than adding them to the filling.
A squeeze of lemon is one of my favorite ways to finish off a dish. And this one’s no different. Bright and citrusy, it’s a great way to complete an interesting and fun take on nopales.
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 C nopales (or bell pepper), chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- pinch cayenne
- 2 eggs/person (or 7 oz. firm tofu, drained and crumbled)
- pinch salt
- 2-4 lettuce leaves, washed and dried (tortillas, chard, or kale could also be used)
- 1 tomato, chopped, for topping
- fresh parsley, chopped, for topping
- Nopales Relish, for topping
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-low. Add oil. Once oil is hot, add nopales through cayenne. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Turn heat to low. Whisk together eggs. Pour into skillet. Sprinkle with salt and stir gently until eggs are cooked and set (about 3-5 minutes).
- Divide filling between lettuce leaves. Secure with a toothpick. Top with relish, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
