Vegan Stuffed Courgette Flowers
Courgette Flowers are the most delicate and beautiful edible flowers you can find at this time of the year. I love courgettes and their flowers really make me smile. You can eat them raw in a salad or with pasta, you can stuff and bake them or deep fry them. Their versatility makes any dish look beautiful and you feel like having spring on your plate. I’m trying to eat more tofu so this is my take on tofu stuffed Courgette Flowers. The Tofu stuffing is cheesy, savoury, warm and a bit zingy from the lemon zest and juice. It goes so well with the mild sweet taste of the flowers. You can have them as a snack, starter or main. They are so pretty and will bring joy to any table.
- Prep 15 mins
- Cook 20 mins
- Total 35 mins
- Makes for 2-4 people
Ingredients
6-8 Courgette Flowers
1 block of Tofu 380gr pressed
2 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast
½ tsp of Garlic Power
½ tsp of Onion Power
½ tsp of Chilly flakes (optional)
½ tsp of freshly cracked black Pepper
1 Tbsp of Miso Paste
1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 Lemon Zest
½ Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp of Extra virgin Olive Oil
Garnish
Roasted Almonds
Sprinkle of Hemp seeds
Chopped Dill
Instructions
Step 1 – Drain the Tofu block and wrap in a kitchen towel. Weigh down with a heavy cookbook or skillet, press for 15 min. Meanwhile wash carefully the Courgette flowers.
Step 2 – Very carefully open the flowers, break and remove the centre. It is called an anther if it’s a male flower or stigma if it’s a female flower. You can eat it but it has a bitter taste and I normally take it out.
Step 3 – Break the Tofu block into a food processor, add the Nutritional Yeast, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, black Pepper, Miso Paste, Mustard, Chilly flakes if using, Lemon zest and juice, and ½ Tbsp of Olive Oil and blend for a few seconds until smooth.
Step 4 – Fill a pastry bag with the smooth Tofu mixture. Cut the end of the triangular bag and carefully pipe it inside the flowers, leaving some space in the top to close the flower and cover the mixture.
Step 5 – Preheat the oven at 180ºC. Line an oven tray with parchment paper and spread the stuffed flowers out in a single layer leaving some space between them. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ Tbsp of Olive Oil, black Pepper and Salt to taste. Bake for 15-20 mins.
Step 6 – They are lovely on their own, as a starter or as a main. I’m serving mine on a bed of a Pea purée, topped with roasted almonds and a sprinkle of hemp seeds for extra protein. You can add Dill or any fresh herbs you have around.
Almonds and Hemp seeds: Almonds are not only high in antioxidants, vitamin E, protein, and fibre but toasted also add an extra flavour dimension and texture to our dish. Hemp seeds are technically a nut and very nutritious. They have a mild, nutty flavour and are often referred to as hemp hearts. Hemp seeds contain over 30% fat. They are exceptionally rich in two essential fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-3. They also contain gamma linolenic acid, which has been linked to several health benefits. Hemp seeds are a great protein source, as more than 25% of their total calories are from high-quality protein.
Tofu: Extra firm or firm tofu works well here, if you are using silky tofu you will have a more runny mixture, or will need to use less lemon. I was never a big fan of Tofu, for me it was tasteless. A few years ago I had low calcium results in some blood tests and since then I started to eat more Tofu and soya products, and it worked. My calcium levels are normal again. You can see more data and details in Nutrition Facts. Tofu contains all the essential amino acids your body needs and is rich in minerals and vitamins, including calcium, manganese, iron and vitamin A. Tofu is great to carry flavours so I start to jazz it up in different ways. Try my Scramble Tofu and these lovely Courgette flowers.
White Miso Paste: Miso is yeasty and salty, with smooth, sweet and a somewhat meaty flavour. Miso is a great substitute of salt. I’m trying to use less salt in my cooking and Miso really adds depth, umami flavours and saltiness to any dish.
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast, also called “nooch,” is a popular food product often used in vegan cooking. This powdered or flaked yeast gets its name from the nutrients it contains, including protein and a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Studies show that nutritional yeast offers several potential health benefits, ranging from lower cholesterol to protection from cellular damage that leads to disease. It has an umami, cheesy flavour, perfect in this Tofu, it will add depth and a complex texture.
About the Ingredients
Courgette Flowers: Courgette flowers are so pretty I could eat them every day. Courgettes are actually a fruit and not a vegetable. They can be found or harvested in the spring and summer but the plant will produce more flowers at the beginning of the season. If you are growing courgettes, pick the male flowers first, they aren’t attached to the squash. They carry a lot of the same health benefits as the squash itself! It’s a perfect food for those looking to increase their immune system’s functionality, due to the plant’s naturally high vitamin A. It also helps with healthy skin and eyesight for the same reason! It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C, which is important for the health of your teeth, gums, and body tissues. The potassium content for Courgette flowers is also beneficial for promoting muscle growth and good digestive health.
Extra virgin Olive Oil: I avoid Oils in general but I use a bit of Olive Oil in some recipes. Fat helps to carry the flavours so I’m using just ½ a Tbsp to bring all the ingredients together. You can substitute for Tahini or cashew butter.
Mustard: I’m using Dijon Mustard. You can find so many types of mustard that is hard to describe or adjust the quantities. Before adding your Mustard always try it and add a small amount, keep trying your food. Mustard is made by grinding mustard seeds until the seed coatings are broken, and a paste-like substance remains, much like making peanut butter from peanuts or garlic powder from garlic cloves. The ground mixture of mustard seeds can then be mixed with water to produce an acidic liquid similar in consistency to buttermilk. From this liquid, the ground seeds can be separated and combined with various ingredients to create different types of mustard.
Lemon Zest and Juice: There are five flavours that serve as the foundation in every recipe: sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami. Lemon acidity cuts greasiness and heaviness and gives food a fresh, clean taste. Lemon juice can also change a food’s texture to fit a variety of needs, it contains citric acid, the zest contains lemon oil, which is where you’ll find the most flavour. Lemons are high in vitamin C, fibre, and various beneficial plant compounds.
Vegan Stuffed Courgette Flowers
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 6-8 Courgette Flowers
- 1 380gr block of Tofu pressed
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Power
- 1/2 tsp Onion Power
- 1/2 tsp Chilly flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Miso Paste
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 1/2 Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive Oil
Garnish
- 1 Tbsp Roasted Almonds crash
- 1 tsp Hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Dill
Instructions
- Drain the Tofu block and wrap in a kitchen towel. Weigh down with a heavy cookbook or skillet, press for 15 min. Meanwhile wash carefully the Courgette flowers.
- Very carefully open the flowers, break and remove the centre. It is called an anther if it’s a male flower or stigma if it’s a female flower. You can eat it but it has a bitter taste and I normally take it out.
- Break the Tofu block into a food processor, add the Nutritional Yeast, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, black Pepper, Miso Paste, Mustard, Chilly flakes if using, Lemon zest and juice, and ½ Tbsp of Olive Oil and blend for a few seconds until smooth.
- Fill a pastry bag with the smooth Tofu mixture. Cut the end of the triangular bag and carefully pipe it inside the flowers, leaving some space in the top to close the flower and cover the mixture.
- Preheat the oven at 180ºC. Line an oven tray with parchment paper and spread the stuffed flowers out in a single layer leaving some space between them. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ Tbsp of Olive Oil, black Pepper and Salt to taste. Bake for 15-20 mins.
- They are lovely on their own, as a starter or as a main. I’m serving mine on a bed of a Pea purée, topped with roasted almonds and a sprinkle of hemp seeds for extra protein. You can add Dill or any fresh herbs you have around.
Notes
- protein pack |
- healthy |
- gluten free |
- vegan |
- courgette
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