CACTUS TACOS
In my hometown, Austin, we eat tacos for breakfast. Commonplace all over Mexico and the American Southwest (though they vary in style and ingredients), in Te xa s, breakfast tacos are a serious business! I usually rustle up a batch of my taco filling on a Saturday morning so we can reheat to enjoy over the weekend. Quick and easy, this plant-based ‘all-day taco’ is my adaptation of a taste of home.
Serves 4
100g nopal cactus pads or strips (fresh or jarred, and it works without the cactus, if you’re struggling to source it)
1 tsp paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
½ tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil 2 x 300g tins of peeled potatoes (roughly 360g once drained) 170g corn kernels
1 x 400g tin of black beans (roughly 250g once drained) ½ vegetable stock pot
1½ tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder (optional) 1 tsp liquid smoke (alternatively, use soy or tamari)
1 tsp your favourite hot sauce (or more to taste for extra kick)
Tortillas of your choice
Salt and ground black pepper
1 If preparing fresh nopal, see the instructions left and then follow from step 2. If using jarred nopal in brine, rinse the pads and then lay them in between paper towels to dry. Once dry, lay them in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, season lightly with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of paprika. Heat on each side for about 3 mins until slightly brown or charred. Take the nopal off the heat and set aside.
2 Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and when hot add the potatoes, corn kernels, black beans, vegetable stock, cumin, paprika, garlic powder (if using) and liquid smoke. Cook for about 8–10 mins, stirring occasionally to combine the seasoning and ingredients.
3 Cut the nopal into 2cm pieces and stir into the taco mix. Season with salt or hot sauce to taste.
4 Serve the taco mix on warm tortillas with (vegan) sour cream, salsa or some chopped avocado. You can mix in scrambled tofu or scrambled egg before you serve, if you like. Now y’all enjoy your plant-based Tex-Mex tacos and consume within five days.