Guisado De Nopales

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.

Trim, clean and wash the cactus. Cut each paddle into 1/2-inch squares. Drop the cactus pieces into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain.

Trim stem ends of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Place them in a blender container with the onion and 1/4 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 for 10 minutes.

Add the cactus squares and the remaining 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently uncovered for 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin with a little water.