Mexican Night!

WEDNESDAY
Bean Burritos with Nopal Salad

The bean burritos, once again is all our recipe.  I take pinto beans and sometimes some black beans, throw them in the crockpot the day before and let cook until they're relatively done.  On Wednesday night I'll be taking the already cooked beans and then refrying them with 2 slices of bacon, a bit of salt and pepper.  This way our refried beans don't have quite as much of the junk that canned refried beans do.


Nopal Salad: Ensalada de Nopalitos by Karen Hursh Graber © 2006

The market ladies in Puebla sell this salad ready-made, ladling it into plastic bags to "take-out." The basic recipe consists of nopales, green onions and cilantro; other ingredients, such as tomatoes, can be added to taste. I like to dress the salad lightly with a little bit of olive oil and lime juice, although many people do not. It can be used in tacos or as a garnish on tostadas, and is a good accompaniment to grilled meat, chicken or fish.

Ingredients:

3 cups diced nopales, cooked until tender and rinsed under cold water
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 cup diced radishes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 fresh lime
1/4 teaspoon crumbled, dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (optional)
Preparation:

Place the nopales in a salad bowl with the other vegetables and the cilantro. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper, and pour over all. Toss to blend well.

Serves 4-6.