Best Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms Recipes

FRIED CHEESE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water and salt until smooth. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, basil, and green onion. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling into each blossom. Close the blossoms and gently twist the petals to seal.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 minute.) Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels.
• Season with salt and serve with your favorite marinara sauce or vinaigrette.

CRISP ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 tablespoon of the sumac with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Add both types of cheese, oregano, walnuts, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
• Fill the flowers by carefully opening them and either spooning or piping about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each, gently pushing the filling all the way to the bottom of each blossom but being careful not to fill them too much; if you can get someone to hold the flower open for you, it would make it much easier. Gently twist the tips of the petals to secure the filling inside and set aside until you're ready to fry.
• Pour enough oil into a medium (about 8-inch/20-centimeter) nonstick frying pan so that the oil rises about 1 inch/2 centimeters up the sides of the pan. Place on a high heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down a fraction.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in the sparkling water, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter.
• When bubbles start to surface in the oil, test it by dropping some batter into the oil: if it sizzles, you are ready. (The oil should hover between 320 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 and 180 degrees Celsius.)
• Lower a zucchini blossom into the batter, turning to coat completely, before carefully placing in the hot oil. Repeat, cooking a few blossoms at a time, adjusting the temperature between batches so they take about 30 seconds on each side to turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon sumac. Serve at once with the lemon wedges alongside.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Prepare the zucchini blossoms for stuffing by gently opening the leaves and pinching out the stamen inside each flower. Set the blossoms aside.
• For the filling, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a sandwich-size resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner from one point at the bottom.
• Open the leaves of a blossom and pipe in about 1 tablespoon of filling (don't overfill). Gently twist the top of the blossom to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining zucchini blossoms and filling.
• Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat to 360 degrees F. (If you don't have an oil thermometer, you'll know the oil is ready if you drop in a scrap of bread and it sizzles on contact and begins to brown after a few seconds.) Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• For the batter, whisk the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the seltzer to make a smooth batter.
• When the oil is ready, dip the zucchini flowers in the batter one at a time, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl. Add as many as will fit in the skillet without crowding. Fry, turning once, until the batter is light, crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to the lined baking sheet to drain and repeat with the remaining blossoms.
• Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 15x10x2-inch oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. Heat 5 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and thyme and stir until breadcrumbs are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in tomatoes, cheese, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Fill zucchini blossoms with breadcrumb mixture, using about 2 teaspoons for small blossoms and 1 tablespoon for large blossoms (be careful not to tear blossoms). Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over baking dish. Place zucchini atop breadcrumbs in dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Bake until zucchini are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

GOAT CHEESE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Steps:

• For the blossoms: Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
• Combine the goat cheese, Parmesan, parsley and chives in a medium bowl. Season with salt. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag; cut a hole in the bag. Gently pipe the mixture into the zucchini blossoms and pinch the ends together a bit.
• Whisk together the flour and white wine in a medium bowl. Working in batches so you don¿t crowd the pot, dip each blossom into the batter and then carefully place in the hot oil. Cook until lightly puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the blossoms from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt immediately.
• For the noodles: Coat a large skillet with some olive oil, add the anchovy, garlic, oregano and some red pepper flakes, and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic gets brown and aromatic, remove it from the skillet and discard. Add the tomatoes, some salt, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the water is reduced by about half.
• Remove the skillet from the heat, add the zucchini noodles and toss until just wilted. Taste and season.
• Toss the arugula with some olive oil and salt and divide it among 4 dinner plates. Top the arugula with some zucchini pasta and 2 zucchini blossoms, shave some Parmesan over the tops, and serve.

FRIED BABY ZUCCHINI WITH CHEESE-STUFFED BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Keeping blossoms attached to zucchini, carefully open blossoms and remove pistil from each. Trim stem ends of zucchini, then, beginning 1/4 inch from blossom end, cut a 2-inch slit lengthwise through center of each zucchini, ending 1/4 inch from stem end (slits will help zucchini cook evenly).
• Stir together cheeses, yolk, and oregano in a small bowl until combined well, then season with pepper. Gently open each blossom and fill with 1 to 2 rounded teaspoons of cheese mixture (depending on size of blossoms), then gently twist end of blossom to enclose filling. (You may have leftover filling, depending on size of blossoms.)
• Heat 1/3 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet until it registers 360°F on thermometer (see cooks' note, below), then fry zucchini (with blossoms attached) in 2 batches, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 360°F between batches.) Serve zucchini warm or at room temperature.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together the mozzarella, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the basil chiffonade. Gently stick your finger inside the flower all the way to the base where the flower meets the stem and carefully break off the stamen. When doing this be careful not to rip through the flower. Squeeze 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella mixture into an oblong shape and gently stuff it into each flower. Squeeze the flower around the cheese to close. Reserve.
• Toss the tomatoes together with the scallions and remaining basil in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and add a drizzle of red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Taste to make sure it is delicious and adjust seasoning, if needed.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour and 1/2 cup of white wine. Mix until it becomes a loose batter adding more white wine, if necessary.
• Add peanut oil to a saucepan until it reaches a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Test the oil by dropping a couple of beads of the batter into it. When they float instantly the oil is ready. If the oil begins to smoke, it is too hot. Set up a paper towel drying situation before frying the flowers.
• Dip the flowers, 1 at time, into the batter and carefully drop them into the oil. Fry on both sides until they are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the flowers from the oil, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Continue with the remaining flowers.
• Arrange the tomato salad on 4 salad plates and top each plate with 2 flowers.
• What a delicious flower!

GLUTEN-FREE STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS (FIOR DI ZUCCA RIPIENI)

Steps:

• Mix mozzarella cheese and Parmesan-Reggiano cheese together in a bowl until smooth. Stuff 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each zucchini blossom and pinch the ends closed.
• Mix rice flour, eggs, milk, sparkling water, sweet rice flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Place stuffed blossoms in flour mixture; toss gently until covered.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry blossoms in oil until crisp and pale golden brown, about 2 minutes. Rest blossoms on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

RICOTTA-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the panzanella: Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the salt, sugar and garlic in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake to combine. Add the onions and cucumbers, shake again, and let sit for at least 1 hour. (You're making pickles here, and this step can totally be done ahead of time-like yesterday!)
• Put the bread in a large bowl with 1/2 to 1 cup water to soften. Squeeze and knead the bread with your hands, and then let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Squeeze out any excess water from the bread again, put the bread back in the bowl, and crumble it through your fingers. Toss in the tomatoes, add the pickled onions and cucumbers (strain these out and reserve the liquid), and stir to combine. Add the basil and some finishing oil; taste it to make sure it's delicious. Sprinkle in a few drops of the pickling liquid or a bit more oil if needed. Reserve.
• For the blossoms: Wiggle your finger into the blossom down to the base, where the flower meets the stem, and carefully break off and remove the stamen (be gentle, you don't want to rip through the blossom while doing this). Repeat with all the blossoms.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano and parsley and season with salt. Taste and re-season if needed. Put the ricotta mix into a pastry bag, carefully insert the tip of the bag into the flower and fill. Then gently close your hand around the flower to secure it. Place the stuffed blossom on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining flowers.
• Pour peanut oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat; the oil should come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan. While the oil heats, set up your drying situation next to the stove by putting a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet. To see if the oil is hot enough, drop a bit of flour into it. If it sizzles, you're good to go. If the oil begins to smoke, it's too hot, so reduce the heat.
• Combine the flour and wine in a large bowl to make a very loose batter. Start with 3/4 cup of the wine and add more if needed.
• Working in batches, dip each blossom in the batter to coat it, and then gently put each blossom in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let the blossoms cook until they turn color but stay nice and crispy on the outside, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the blossoms from the oil with a slotted spoon or fish spatula, put them on the paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt.
• Divide the reserved panzanella among serving plates and top each with 2 crispy blossoms.

FRIED CHEESE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water and salt until smooth. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, ricotta, heavy cream, basil and green onion. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon 11/2 to 2 teaspoons filling into each blossom. Close gently and twist the petals to seal. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 minute.) Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve with your favorite marinara sauce or vinaigrette.

CRISP ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 tablespoon of the sumac with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Add both types of cheese, oregano, walnuts, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
• Fill the flowers by carefully opening them and either spooning or piping about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each, gently pushing the filling all the way to the bottom of each blossom but being careful not to fill them too much; if you can get someone to hold the flower open for you, it would make it much easier. Gently twist the tips of the petals to secure the filling inside and set aside until you're ready to fry.
• Pour enough oil into a medium (about 8-inch/20-centimeter) nonstick frying pan so that the oil rises about 1 inch/2 centimeters up the sides of the pan. Place on a high heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down a fraction.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in the sparkling water, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter.
• When bubbles start to surface in the oil, test it by dropping some batter into the oil: if it sizzles, you are ready. (The oil should hover between 320 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 and 180 degrees Celsius.)
• Lower a zucchini blossom into the batter, turning to coat completely, before carefully placing in the hot oil. Repeat, cooking a few blossoms at a time, adjusting the temperature between batches so they take about 30 seconds on each side to turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon sumac. Serve at once with the lemon wedges alongside.

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH TUNA

Steps:

• Drain tuna and put into container of food processor or electric blender. Add yogurt, horseradish and mayonnaise and blend to fine paste.
• Open zucchini blossoms (make sure yours have not been sprayed with insecticide) and fill with paste. Tie ends of petals at top as if tying a bandana.
• Beat egg yolk until light and golden.
• Beat whites until moderately stiff. Fold into yolk along with beer.
• Dredge stuffed blossoms in flour, then dip to coat well with batter.
• Heat oil to depth of 1/2 inch in heavy skillet. Add batter-coated blossoms a few at a time. When batter has set on bottom carefully turn blossoms and cook until nicely brown all over.

FRIED STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Directions * To prepare the flowers, clean out dirt or insects from the inside of flowers and remove the stamen. Gently rinse them one-at-a-time and pat dry on towels, being careful not to damage the delicate petals. Cut any long stems to 1 inch. * Put vegetable oil in a heavy bottom cast iron frying pan- about 1 inch deep. Heat oil to 360-365 degrees on a candy thermometer. * In a bowl, combine a good amount of ricotta and the remainder of filling ingredients to taste. Mix well. * Fill a pastry bag (a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped-off would be fine as well) with the cheese mixture. * Slowly and gently, squeeze a small amount of the filling into each flower (don't overfill) and twist the ends of flower closed. Place one-by-one on a plate. * In a large bowl, whisk flour, club soda and salt until combined. Add more club soda to thin if needed and form a thin crepe-like batter. * As soon as the oil is at the desired temperature, gently dip each blossom into the batter. Coat completely. Let the excess batter drain off and place into the hot oil (please be careful not to burn yourself as the hot oil could splatter). * Repeat with each blossom. Work in small batches of 3-4 blossoms at a time. No more than that in the pan, or the oil temp will drop too much and your blossoms will be soggy, not crisp. * Let each blossom fry for 30- 60 seconds and then turn with a small wire strainer. Fry on the other side until golden in color. Remove with the wire strainer, let drain and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. * Season each while still hot with additional salt. * Continue until all blossoms have been fried. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!

RICOTTA-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, Tabasco, and garlic in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake to combine. Add the onion and cucumber, shake again, and let sit for at least 1 hour. (You're making pickles here, and this step can totally be done ahead of time-like yesterday!)
• Put the bread in a large bowl with 1/2 to 1 cup of water to soften. Squeeze and knead the bread with your hands, then let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Squeeze out any excess water from the bread, put the bread back in the bowl, and crumble it through your fingers. Toss in the tomatoes, add the pickled onion and cucumber (strain these out and reserve the liquid), and stir to combine. Add the basil and some finishing oil; taste it to make sure it's delicious. Sprinkle in a few drops of the pickling liquid or a bit more oil if needed; reserve.
• Wiggle your finger into the blossom down to the base, where the flower meets the stem, and carefully break off and remove the stamen (be gentle-you don't want to rip through the blossom while doing this). Repeat with all the blossoms.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, and parsley and season with salt-taste and reseason if needed. Put the ricotta mix into a pastry bag, carefully insert the tip of the bag into the flower, and fill; then gently close your hand around the flower to secure it. Place the stuffed blossom on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining flowers.
• Pour peanut oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat; the oil should come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan. While the oil heats, set up your drying situation next to the stove by putting a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet. To see if the oil is hot enough, drop a bit of flour into it. If it sizzles, you're good to go. If the oil begins to smoke, it's too hot, so reduce the heat.
• Combine the flour and wine in a large bowl to make a very loose batter. Start with 3/4 cup of wine and add more if needed.
• Working in batches, dip each blossom in the batter to coat it and then gently put each blossom in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let the blossoms cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn them over; the blossoms are done when they're still light in color but nice and crispy on the outside. Remove the flowers from the oil with a slotted spoon or fish spatula, put them on the paper towels, and immediately sprinkle with salt.
• Divide the reserved panzanella between serving plates and top each with two crispy blossoms.

LIGHTER STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Chop 2 zucchini blossoms finely. Transfer to a bowl.
• Stir tofu, feta cheese, olives, garlic, thyme, oregano, and seasoned salt into the bowl. Pour filling into a food processor; pulse until very crumbly. Increase speed blend until smooth and golden, about 3 minutes.
• Pipe filling into remaining 6 blossoms using a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Twist blossom ends carefully to seal in filling. Arrange on a plate; transfer to the freezer.
• Mix whole wheat flour and egg substitute together in a bowl until batter is the consistency of pudding.
• Spread bread crumbs in a shallow dish.
• Dip a stuffed blossom in batter and roll in bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining blossoms.
• Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook blossoms until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.

CRISPY ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND CHIVES

Steps:

• Start by mixing the goat cheese, chopped chives, ½ of the minced chili pepper, lemon zest, and salt and pepper together. Taste for seasonings.
• Put this mixture into a piping bag or make a homemade one by scooping it into a small plastic bag and snip the corner off to make a hole. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour and wine/sparkling water together with a whisk. Add a pinch of salt to the mixture. It should be a creamy consistency - sort of like heavy cream. If it's too thick, add more liquid. If it's too runny, add more flour.
• Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• Start filling the zucchini blossoms with a scant teaspoon or so of the goat cheese mixture. Be gentle about it so they don't tear unnecessarily. Press the petals tightly against the goat cheese so they are closed into bundles. Repeat with the rest.
• Fill a large saucepot with about 4-5 inches of peanut oil over medium-high heat. Once it hits around 350 degrees, it's ready. Or, what I usually do is check to see if tiny bubbles are starting to come up to the surface.
• Set aside a dish lined with paper towels for the fried zucchini blossoms to drain.
• Working in batches of 3-4 zucchini blossoms at a time, dunk them in the batter until fully coated, drip off the excess and lay them gently, away from you, into the hot oil. Let them get crispy and lightly golden brown, turning them around every now and again with a slotted spoon to fry them evenly; about 3-4 minutes.
• Let them drain on the paper towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini blossoms.
• Lastly, as a garnish add the chive blossoms to the oil and let fry for a few seconds. Take them out and scatter over zucchini blossoms. Sprinkle salt and the rest of the minced chili peppers over the hot zucchini blossoms. Serve with lemon wedges.