Cactus and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

• 2  nopales cactus paddles 
• 2  tomatoes green cored cut in half
• 0.5 large onion white peeled cut into 4 chunks
• 1 teaspoon olive oil plus more to grease baking sheet
• 1 cup regular corn frozen
• 1 cup cilantro leaves 
• 1  garlic clove peeled
• 2  chili peppers hot to taste
• 1  juice of lime 
• 2 Tablespoons tequila 
• 1 teaspoon mexican oregano dried
• 3 servings salt to taste
• 3 servings tortilla chips 
• 2  more green red to taste
• 2  more green red to taste

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• stove
• spatula

Directions

1. Prep cactus paddles:
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Working with a large sharp knife with a fairly straight edge, scrape off any remaining prickles or nubs on the cactus paddles.
3. Cut the paddles crosswise into 1-inch thick strips. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
4. Roast cactus paddles with onion and jalapeños in oven:
5. Place cactus, green tomatoes, white onion and jalapeños on the baking sheet in preheated oven for 12 minutes. The cactus should still be slightly crisp when pierced with a fork.
6. Roast corn kernels:
7. Heat a cast iron or stick-free skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat on the stove top. When the pan is heated, add frozen corn and spread out in an even layer. Do not stir the corn. Allow it to roast in the hot pan for about 2 to 3 minutes.
8. The corn should become browned and roasted. You can check by gently flipping a few pieces with the corner of a spatula.
9. When corn is browned, stir and roast for another 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Place corn in a small bowl and set aside.
12. Pulse in food processor:
13. Place the oven roasted vegetables in a food processor with the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, tequila, oregano and salt. Purée until nearly smooth, about 30 seconds.
14. (Be careful when you remove the lid on the food processor—the heat released from the peppers will zoom up your nose and down your throat, so don’t stand directly over the open food processor.)
15. Stir in roasted corn:
16. Pour the salsa into a serving dish. Stir the roasted corn into the finished salsa. Allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
17. Serve with tortilla chips.