Prickly-Pear Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

4 Prickly-Pear Cactus Fruit

2 Kiwi

1 Mango

1 Orange

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1-2 tsp Granulated Sugar

Dash of Cinnamon

1 tsp Orange Zest

Fresh Mint for Garnish

Directions:

Prepare the Fruit.

Prickly-Pear Cactus Fruit: Cut off the top and bottom, and cut a line across the flesh lengthwise, about 1 cm deep (at most). Carefully pull the Skin from the magenta flesh. Be careful, as there may still be spines on the skin. Slice in disks or dice into bite-size pieces. Be careful not to make them too small.
Kiwi: Peel the skin and then slice into disks. Discard the ends.
Mango: Peel the skin, and slice the flesh off the core. Dice the flesh into bite size pieces.
Orange: Using a knife, cut away the skin, exposing the orange slices. Use a sharp knife and cut out the segments.


In a Bowl, whip the Cream, Sugar, and Cinnamon until peaks form.
Plate the Fruit in small bowls, and add a dollop of the Whipped Cream.
Add Orange Zest and Mint as a Garnish.

Makes 3 servings.

NOTES: Prickly-Pear Cactus Fruit are also known as “Indian Figs” or tuna in Spanish, and are the fruit of the Opuntia genus of cacti also known as Nopales. They come in a variety of colors, but I like the magenta ones.  The consistency is somewhat like watermelon, and the seeds are edible.  This fruit salad is great especially when chilled in the freezer for 20 minutes before serving (Obviously, you’d not put the Whipped Cream on till after you take it out and plate it).