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Photo: Nate Lemuel
Active Time:25 minsTotal Time:25 minsServings:4Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:25 minsTotal Time:25 minsServings:4
Active Time:25 mins
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:25 mins
Total Time:
Servings:4
Servings:
4
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
This Grilled Cactus Salad Represents the Foods My People Survived On
Nate Lemuel
During the Long Walk, there was little food. At least 200 Navajos perished on the journey.
According to my dad, they survived on wild foods they found while walking, including piñon (pine) nuts, small wild game and edible wild plants. One of those plants was the leaf of the nopal (prickly pear) cactus. The Navajos grilled the leaves over the charcoal embers of the fires they lit at night for warmth.
While the Navajo were forcibly confined at Bosque Redondo (Hwéeldi), they were denied the opportunity to practice their ceremonies, sing songs or pray in their own language. Food rationing was implemented and there was never enough to eat. Completely foreign foods, such as coffee beans and white flour, along with rancid meat, were distributed. A lack of wood for cooking and heating, along with the lack of healthy foods, led to illness during the bitterly cold winters. Approximately 1,500 more lives were lost due to starvation, sickness and exposure.
Those that were part of the Long Walk didn’t know how beneficial those cactus leaves were. Today, cactus is used as more than just food. Some medical professionals recommend that patients who are managing type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol eat cactus because of its high fiber content. (Fiber helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and reduce how much cholesterol is absorbed into our bloodstream.) I wanted to create a dish to honor those who made that Long Walk, using a mix of traditional foods that the Navajos relied on for nutrition then and new foods, like oranges, which are commonly distributed as part of the FDPIR program, as both the old and new foods are an important part of my people’s history.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients2cactus pads, washed1largered bell pepper2largenavel oranges3tablespoonslow-sugar raspberry jam2 ½tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar1tablespoonwater1teaspoonDijon mustard⅛teaspoonkosher salt¼cuptoasted piñon (pine) nuts
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
2cactus pads, washed
1largered bell pepper
2largenavel oranges
3tablespoonslow-sugar raspberry jam
2 ½tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
1tablespoonwater
1teaspoonDijon mustard
⅛teaspoonkosher salt
¼cuptoasted piñon (pine) nuts
DirectionsPreheat grill on High or use a grill pan.Holding the bottom of a cactus pad, gently scrape off thorns with a sharp knife. Place on a cutting board and trim the edge around the entire perimeter of each cactus pad and discard. Scrape off the remaining prickly bumps using a knife or spoon.Grill bell pepper, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 5 minutes. Grill the cactus, flipping halfway, until nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes.Thinly slice the cactus. (You may notice that the leaves release a slippery liquid, which is normal.) Remove and discard the skin and seeds from the bell pepper; thinly slice the pepper.Trim ends off oranges so they sit flat on the cutting board. Cut away the skin, rotating the orange until all the skin and pith is removed. Cut in between each segment, letting them drop into a small bowl. (Squeeze out any remaining juice from the leftover pith and reserve for another use, if you’d like.)Whisk jam, vinegar, water, mustard and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons to a small bowl. Add the cactus, bell pepper and orange segments to the medium bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons vinaigrette and sprinkle with piñon nuts. Serve immediately.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, November 2022
Directions
Preheat grill on High or use a grill pan.Holding the bottom of a cactus pad, gently scrape off thorns with a sharp knife. Place on a cutting board and trim the edge around the entire perimeter of each cactus pad and discard. Scrape off the remaining prickly bumps using a knife or spoon.Grill bell pepper, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 5 minutes. Grill the cactus, flipping halfway, until nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes.Thinly slice the cactus. (You may notice that the leaves release a slippery liquid, which is normal.) Remove and discard the skin and seeds from the bell pepper; thinly slice the pepper.Trim ends off oranges so they sit flat on the cutting board. Cut away the skin, rotating the orange until all the skin and pith is removed. Cut in between each segment, letting them drop into a small bowl. (Squeeze out any remaining juice from the leftover pith and reserve for another use, if you’d like.)Whisk jam, vinegar, water, mustard and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons to a small bowl. Add the cactus, bell pepper and orange segments to the medium bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons vinaigrette and sprinkle with piñon nuts. Serve immediately.
Preheat grill on High or use a grill pan.
Holding the bottom of a cactus pad, gently scrape off thorns with a sharp knife. Place on a cutting board and trim the edge around the entire perimeter of each cactus pad and discard. Scrape off the remaining prickly bumps using a knife or spoon.
Grill bell pepper, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 5 minutes. Grill the cactus, flipping halfway, until nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes.
Thinly slice the cactus. (You may notice that the leaves release a slippery liquid, which is normal.) Remove and discard the skin and seeds from the bell pepper; thinly slice the pepper.
Trim ends off oranges so they sit flat on the cutting board. Cut away the skin, rotating the orange until all the skin and pith is removed. Cut in between each segment, letting them drop into a small bowl. (Squeeze out any remaining juice from the leftover pith and reserve for another use, if you’d like.)
Whisk jam, vinegar, water, mustard and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons to a small bowl. Add the cactus, bell pepper and orange segments to the medium bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons vinaigrette and sprinkle with piñon nuts. Serve immediately.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, November 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)113Calories6gFat15gCarbs2gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
