Squash blossoms AKA zucchini flowers. Have you ever had them before? This is not something you are likely to find at any grocery store – these are fresh from the farmer’s market only type of things! Although they can be a little intimidating at first(how the heck do you cook these and do they even taste good? Also, are we sure these are edible?) once you cook them once you will want them all year round! This recipe is pretty simple and SO tasty!
Creamy cashews, basil, and lemon are stuffed inside the flowers and then they are drizzled with a tangy roasted cherry tomato sauce. Not to mention this recipe is vegan AND paleo!
Are you ready to try it?
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When you get your zucchini flowers from the market be prepared to use them that day, or at the very latest, the next day. You want these flowers as fresh as can be! The trickiest part of this recipe is removing the stamen which are on the inside of the flower. Since the flowers are so delicate, you have to be very gentle when doing this. You can either unravel the flower and reach in to pinch it off or you can make a small slip in the side and cut it out with a pair of kitchen scissors.
With these cashew stuffed zucchini flowers I decided that a roasted cherry tomato sauce for dipping or drizzling would be perfect as it adds a bit of acidity to the richer cashew filling. The cherry tomatoes get thrown in with the zucchini flowers and grated garlic and then pulsed with salt and pepper and strained. Simple and yet oh so delicious.
I really do love edible flower. I mean, come on. When you combine a love of flowers (what girls doesn’t love flowers) and eating (again, who doesn’t love eating!?) it turns into a win-win situation. One thing I must note is that you always need to know what you are consuming. Don’t go eating random flowers from your neighbours yard. Just don’t.
Looking for more edible flower recipes? Try these:
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Cashew Stuffed Roasted Zucchini Flowers
Cashew and basil stuffed zucchini flowers that are baked in the oven and drizzled with a simple roasted cherry tomato sauce. Vegan and paleo!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: vegan, dairy free, paleo
Ingredients
10–12 squash blossoms
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Instructions
preheat the oven to 350 F
In a food processor pulse the cahews until crumbly and fine. Add the basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, one clove of garlic and salt and pepper. Process, scraping down the sides as needed, until a sticky dough is formed. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
Gently remove the stamens or pistils in the zucchini flowers (sometimes they will be removed for you!). You can either carefully untwist the flower and reach in and pinch it out or make a small slit in the side and cut it out with scissors. Stuff each flower with the cashew/basil mixture and twist the flowers back up to close them.
Place the flowers on a parchment lined baking sheet along with the cherry tomatoes. Grate the other garlic clove over the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over the flowers and tomatoes. Bake for 15 minutes. Gently flip the flowers and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Quickly blend the tomatoes and garlic with salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste. Push through a fine mesh sieve. To serve use the tomato sauce as a dipping sauce or drizzle on top of the flowers. Enjoy!
Keywords: paleo, vegan, zucchini flowers, edible flowers
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