Tag: prickly pear cactus

Caramelized Baby Carrots, Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup

Caramelized Baby Carrots, Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup

Caramelized Baby French Carrots
Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup
Scallions, Mint, Dill, Pine Nuts, Edible Flower Petals

There aren’t many Easter posts on Taste With The Eyes, because, you know, we celebrate Passover here… I’ve already shared my new matzoh ball recipe, and have a fabulous cold poached salmon with 3 horseradish sauces in the wings.

But today, Easter Sunday, I had some beautiful Baby French Carrots on hand, so they were roasted with Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup (we live in the desert after all) and they turned out surprisingly delicious. Sweet, savory, nutty, herby. I dressed them up for Spring with some flower petals, and I think they would make a fabulous Easter side dish.

Extending my best wishes to you, my friends, for a glorious Easter.

Caramelized Baby Carrot Recipe

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Vegas-Style Cactus Ginger Margarita

Cactus Ginger Margarita

Vegas-Style Cactus Ginger Margarita

Kick back and relax poolside under the bright Vegas skies while sipping on a Fabulous Vegas-Style Margarita. Groove to the smooth sounds of crooners Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Enjoy dinner crafted by one of the dozens of celebrity chefs, take in a show. Later in the evening, cruise the casinos and let Luck Be A Lady Tonight!

Cactus Ginger Margarita

My original Poolside Signature Cocktail is the marriage of a Ginger Margarita and a Prickly Pear Margarita.

Cactus Ginger Margarita

Tequila, orange liqueur, lime, and salt are all it takes to make the perfect classic margarita… but substitute Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur for the usual Triple Sec or Cointreau and add an ounce of the fabulous desert-born, magenta-hued prickly pear cactus syrup…and Viva Las Vegas My Friends!

Cactus Ginger Margarita Recipe

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Grilled Baja Fish Torta

baja fish torta, swordfish sandwich
Grilled Baja Fish Torta

Grilled Fresh Swordfish with Grilled Nopalitos, Pineapple, and Avocado
Caper Cumin Aioli, Pickled Jalapeño, Cilantro
On a Bolillo (Crusty Mexican Oval-Shaped Roll)

Baja California Dreaming…years ago we would take road trips down to Mexico. Fishing was a must. So, naturally, were fish tacos. But our fish didn’t always end up in a tortilla with cabbage, salsa, crema, and a squeeze of lime – sometimes we enjoyed it on a special oval-shaped roll that was crusty outside with a dense yet soft interior. Serving grilled nopalitos recently made me nostalgic for Baja, the fresh-caught fish, and the endless cacti along Highway 1. Baja is home to more varieties of cactus, perhaps than anywhere else in the world, with many exclusive to the peninsula.

A torta can be filled with many things from meat, to eggs, to beans and vegetables, but the true signature of a torta is that it is FILLED! My grilled nopalitos with caper cumin aioli were a big hit, so here I incorporate those ingredients into a sandwich adding various flavors from my memories of Baja.

Fresh local fish of course, plus avocado, pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, lime – and nopalitos on a bolillo, do indeed satisfy my nostalgia for Baja California…And since we were camping back then, the ingredients for this torta were grilled over an open fire.

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