A few weeks ago, I was food shopping and ran into a prickly pear. Thankfully, prior to this shopping trip, I was binge-watching Masterchef on Hulu and they had showcased nopales, and a prickly pear fruit sauce.

So, you may be thinking " What the hell is a prickly pear?" 

Lemme clue you in.

Knowing this, when I saw it, I had to get it. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but it was 3 for $1 and I get way too excited to try new things.

Upon slicing upon the dull red fruit, I realized it nothing like I expected.

The inside is a beautiful jewel red and it has a jelly consistency with a ton of seeds. I ate a spoonful and I realized that the prickly pear fruit would be best utilized for its light and sweet flavor and not its' texture.

I  blended one small prickly pear with 1/4 cup of pineapple juice, 1/4 cup of frozen mango, juice of 1/2 lime and topped with oat & honey granola alongside shaved coconut flakes.

Guys, let me tell y'all, this was f**king delicious. The smoothie had a sweet and rich flavor thanks to the addition of mango and prickly pear, and the shaved coconut and granola topping complement the flavor of the prickly pear perfectly. 

I was literally licking my bowl at the end.

Next step would be to make a prickly pear puree from the rest of the prickly pear and I plan on using that for prickly pear margaritas for my upcoming holiday fete.

Don't worry, I'll share...if you're in attendance.

If your invite got lost in the mail, grab a prickly pear from the markets while you still can!

Take it easy this holiday season, y'all.

Love,

Rachel.