ZUCCHINI-CORN TACOS, NOPALITOS-STYLE CHAYOTE SALAD AND ARROZ VERDE

Today I Made:

ZUCCHINI-CORN TACOS, NOPALITOS-STLE CHAYOTE SALAD AND ARROZ VERDE for SALAD.

All recipes from VEGETARIAN TIMES May/June 2009.

The zucchini-corn filling turned out to be THE best taco filling we've ever had (not counting the Soy-Chorizo tacos from Hugo's Tacos).

Sauteed zucchini, thinly sliced garlic cloves, corn, pinto beans, and cilantro.

Served with warm tortillas and drizzled with homemade red salsa.

The salad originally called for NOPALITOS, but was substituted with Chayote squash (pear-shaped Mexican squash).

Along with the chayote, the salad included radishes, green onions, spinach, and dressed with a lime-chile dressing.

I loved it, but my husband thought the dressing was way too sour.

Arroz Verde literally means "Green Rice."

I used brown rice instead of long-grain white rice as was called for in the original recipe.

A blend of arugula, poblano chiles, parsley, cilantro onion, garlic mixed with water turns and flavors the rice green.

The rice turned out a little more like risotto, maybe too much liquid?

But the overall flavor was out of this world.

I will be keeping this recipe in my list of favorites.

CACTUS GUMBO

Today I Made:

CACTUS GUMBO for DINNER.

Recipe from THE ARTFUL VEGAN by Eric Tucker and Bruce Enloe.

Roasted cactus, carrots, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and fresh corn in a mildly spicy broth and topped with thin crispy tortilla strips, avocado and cilantro.

This gumbo tastes more like a tortilla soup.

I LOVE IT!!!

The main ingredient in this gumbo is CACTUS, which is not found in many recipes, but works really well in this one.

When you cut into the cactus, a slimy discharge is released, which in turn helps to thicken the gumbo.

So in this recipe, the cactus replaces okra, the traditional thickening ingredient in gumbo.