Stewed Cactus Paddles - {Guisado De Nopales}

Recipe Instructions Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Trim, clean and wash the cactus. Cut each paddle into half-inch squares. Drop the cactus pieces into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain. Trim the stem ends of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Place them in a blender container with the onion and one-fourth cup water. Blend thoroughly. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the tomato mixture, epazote, chicken base and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add the cactus squares and the remaining one-fourth cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently, uncovered, 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin with a little water. This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings. Each serving: 52 calories; 2 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 3 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 464 mg. sodium.