Vegan 'Ricotta' & Herb Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Our take on a much loved Italian dish is a perfect appetiser to impress any guest.

We grew up on these beautiful zucchini flowers, grown in our Nonna's garden. They are an extremely underrated ingredient that is often discarded and overlooked! They can carry a range of stuffings whilst adding a beautiful, floral taste without distracting from the delish centre.

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Makes: 18 Time: Roughly 1 hour

Ingredients

• 18 Zucchini Flowers

• Rice-Bran or Sunflower Oil (for frying)

Stuffing:

• 150g Tofu

• 1 Medium-Sized Zucchini

• 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

• Juice of 1 Small Lemon

• Zest of 1/2 a Small Lemon

• Handful of Chopped Parsley

• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Thyme

• 2 Cloves Garlic

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 tsp Salt

• Pepper

Coating:

• 1/3 cup Chickpea Flour

• 1/2 cup Almond Milk

• Salt

• Paprika

• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

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Method

• Wash and clean zucchini flowers (make sure to remove pollen inside). You must be very careful when doing so to ensure the flower does not tear.

• Crumble tofu with fingers, finely grate the garlic cloves, and juice and zest the lemon. Add these to a mixing bowl.

• Add the thyme, parsley, oil, salt and pepper. Massage mix the hands to ensure tofu soaks up the flavours.

• Grate the zucchini into a strainer, and squeeze out as much of the juices as possible. The wetter the zucchini, the soggier it will be.

• Add the grated zucchini and the panko breadcrumbs to the rest of the mix, and incorporate.

• In a seperate bowl, make the batter. Add the chickpea flour, almond milk, salt and paprika to the bowl, and beat well with a fork until you get a pancake batter consistency.

• Prepare another bowl with the panko breadcrumbs for the coating.

• Carefully take a zucchini flower and fill with the mixture using your hands. Press the mixture down and stop once you reach the beginning of the petals.

• Pinch the petals, twist, and fold them down to the sides, holding it firmly with your finger.

• Dip the stuffed flower into the batter, drain the excess, and then roll on the crumb.

• Place the stuffed flower on a tray. Repeat until all 18 flowers are stuffed and coated.

• Heat a deep pan with oil. Make sure it is at least 3 cm deep.

• Once the oil is hot enough (the flowers should sizzle straight away once placed in), place 5 at a time. Turn flowers to create an even, golden crust.

• Place the golden flowers on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

• Serve with your sauce of choice and enjoy!

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