Ever tasted a prickly pear? Me neither. Not until recently. Even during my three trips to Mexico, where prickly pears (called nopales in Spanish) are all over the place, it never occurred to me to try one.

Prickly pears really are part of a cactus plant. They come in a rainbow of colors from orange, yellow and green to fuchsia and even red. The exterior is a bit unappealing, as one might expect from a cactus fruit, and the skin is inedible. The seeds within the fruit will break a tooth, and are best extracted. 

From a nutritional standpoint, prickly pears are loaded with Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, B-vitamins, calcium, copper and antioxidant compounds.

When I finally got around to eating a prickly pear for the first time, I was filled with uncertainty over how I could make it work in a recipe. The color was fantastic, just look at that deep pink hue in the photos. But it was like eating a sweet beet. And I like beets! But this was...earthy. Not the flavor I normally look for in a dessert, or a fruit for that matter! Hoping to balance that earthiness, I tried heightening the sweetness factor. I achieved the best results when using orange and lime juices combined with raspberries. Simple syrup in place of the orange juice and other berry varieties also work well.

Even with these added ingredients, the unique prickly pear flavor is distinct, particularly on the first bite. But in a "hmm, this is interesting" kind of way. After the second and third bites, the flavors blend a bit more and you wind up thinking "wow, this is really good!"

If you have yet to try a prickly pear yourself, I encourage you to pick a few up. They are available in both North and Latin America. Summer (now!) is your best bet for locating them in the States. 
​
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Ingredients:

Popsicles:
3 medium size prickly pears
3/4 cup fresh berries of choice
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup orange juice or 1/2 cup simple syrup**

**Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
Add the water and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool. 

Slice off both ends of the pears, then cut each pear in half. Peel the skin off of each halve and place the pulp in a blender. Add the berries. Puree until smooth, then pour into a mesh sieve lined bowl. Use the back of a spoon to stir and press the pulp through the sieve. Stir in the lime and orange juices, or simple syrup if using. Pour into the popsicle molds, freezing for at least 2 hours.

Yield: 4-6 popsicles

Twice in the past week, I bought an ingredient thinking it was one thing and found out after I got it home that it wasn't at all what I thought I was buying.

Is this what happens at 40 - your brain starts the slow fry into old age and you catch yourself doing things you never used to do?

Take the noodles in this recipe. I thought they were soba, made of gluten free buckwheat flour and visibly darker than regular noodles. What I actually bought were lo mein noodles blended from egg whites, wheat and soy flours.

Fortunately noodles are like the color black, they go with anything. Good news, because I threw in something a little unusual for an asian noodle dish - beets. See the gold nuggets in the above photo? Those are golden beets. Unlike their red counterparts, these guys do not bleed color all over the place which makes them great for adding to whatever dish you like. They are also easy to cook - just peel, wrap in foil and roast at 350ºF for an hour.

In fact, the beets are the only thing about this recipe that take any time at all and can be prepared ahead of time. The noodles cook in 4 minutes, the vegetables just slightly longer and the sauce is equally quick and easy. In other words, this is the perfect asian summer noodle dish when the stove is the last place you want to be.

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Ingredients:
4 ounces soba or lo mein noodles
olive oil
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 medium baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 scallion, chopped, green ends reserved
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon tahini
3 tablespoons water
2 cooked golden beets, diced

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for 4 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes on both sides. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and cook the mushrooms until golden brown, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the white portion of the scallion, ginger, garlic, tamari (or soy) sauce and tahini. Add the water to thin out the sauce. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with the cooked noodles. Add the beets and the reserved scallion greens. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

Since nabbing a jar of Everything Bagel Seasoning at Trader Joe's, I've been having a blast sprinkling it all over the place:

• everything seasoned egg salad, (undecided)
• everything seasoned rice (weird but not half bad),
• everything seasoned avocado toast (who hasn't done this)
• everything seasoned ham and grits (YUM)

My conclusion is that if it isn't sweet and it tastes good with butter, then it probably pairs well with everything bagel seasoning. 

Which brings me to this recipe for Everything Waffle Hash Browns. Nothing against bagels, but I always try to start my day with more nutritive value. Potatoes, despite having a bad reputation for being an evil "white carb," are very health friendly. Kind of like coffee, potatoes are only as bad as what you add to them. More than that, the skins are rich in nutrients such as:

• potassium, which normalizes blood pressure, the heartbeat, and muscle contractions
• Vitamin C, boosting the immune system and warding off summer colds
• Vitamin B6, an essential vitamin in the metabolism of protein

Making waffle hash browns is pretty easy if a few simple rules are followed. First, an even coating of oil is essential to preventing a mess stuck to your waffle iron. Not spritzed, not saturated, just a medium-thin layer of oil. Second, let the potatoes cook for the full 12-15 minutes if you want just that, cooked hash browns. Third, be gentle and patient while trying to dislodge it from the iron. No matter how much oil you use, invariably some of the potatoes will stick, requiring gentle prodding to loosen and remove the hash brown without it crumbling into a disaster. Tongs seem to work best in this instance. Fourth, don't worry about perfection. As you can see in the photos, my hash browns are imperfectly round but still presentable.

As for toppings, you could literally use any ingredient normally added to a bagel. Or go the poached egg route with a splash of hot sauce - that one gets my vote!

​Happy weekend to you all!

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Ingredients:
cooking spray
4 medium russet potatoes
4 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning

Directions:
Generously spray both sides of a waffle iron with the oil. Turn the iron to medium high, close the lid and allow it to come to temperature.

Grate the potatoes using a cheese grater or a food processor, leaving the skins on. Place the grated potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for several minutes. Drain the potatoes by pouring into a mesh metal strainer. Set the strainer over the bowl, and squeeze out any excess water. Empty the water, then return the potatoes to the bowl. Toss with the seasoning. 

Spoon a quarter of the potato mixture onto the waffle iron, and spread into an even layer. Close the waffle iron and allow to cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and crispy. Turn off the waffle iron. Use a pair of tongs to gently lift and loosen the edges of the hash brown, before sliding onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture.

Top with a poached egg or condiment of choice.

Yield: 4 servings