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. 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.
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
Courgette Flowers are hard to find in most supermarkets, I'm lucky enough to have a farmers market close to me that has a stall with organic locally grow produce. I suggest you to look for a local farmers market or a local grower.