Nopales and Cotija Salad With Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette
By: The Duo Dishes
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 4:19pm

Ingredients




Salad

2 mediums nopales, thorns removed and cut into ½-inch squares
2 beets, sliced
3 orange tomatoes, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, cubed
4 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
Olive oil

Kosher salt

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
 serrano pepper, chopped*
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons agave nectar
 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt

Preparation

1 Place beets and sweet potatoes in one bowl and red onion and tomatoes in a separate bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and salt over each bowl of vegetables and toss to coat. 2 Spread the veggies in a flat layer on two separate parchment paper lined baking sheets.  Slide beets and sweet potatoes in the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Place tomatoes and red onions into the oven on a separate rack and continue roasting for another 20-25 minutes. 3 Remove veggies from oven and let sit for a few minutes to continue cooling. 4 Place nopales pieces into a sieve or colander and rinse under warm water for a couple of minutes.  (If your nopales is extra oozy, continue to run water over the pieces until most of the juice stops running).  Set aside. 5 Prepare dressing by placing cider vinegar, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and zest, agave nectar, serrano pepper and cumin in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Slowly drizzle in grapeseed oil until incorporated.  Salt to taste. 6 Finish salad by tossing warm roasted veggies with nopales.  Top with avocado and cotija cheese.  Drizzle cilantro dressing over the salad. 7 Taste a tiny piece of the serrano pepper before adding it to the dressing.  You can add more or less based on your penchant for heat.