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When zucchini flowers are in season, you need to stuff them! This is the perfect low-carb dish for summer.
These Italian-style zucchini flowers (aka courgette flowers) are deliciously crisp on the outside with a soft cheese filling. They are stuffed with creamy ricotta and goat's cheese flavored with fresh lemon zest and a generous handful of fresh mint.
Traditional fried zucchini flowers are either coated in flour or in a tempura-style batter and then they are deep-fried. To make my keto-approved batter I used whey protein powder combined with egg whites, water, salt and pepper, similar to this Low-Carb Fish and Chips recipe and then deep-fried them in avocado oil.
Recipe Tips
A little warning before you proceed. These can get a bit fiddly and it's easy to accidentally tear the flowers when you're stuffing them but they are totally worth the effort!
I used zucchini flowers as well as baby zucchini with flowers attached to them. Depending on the size of the flowers you will need to stuff them with different amounts of cheese filling. If you happen to have any leftover filling, you can use it as stuffing in halved and hollowed out zucchini and bake them in the oven.
I kept this keto recipe vegetarian by using cheese, herbs and eggs but you can use other fillings such as gluten-free sausage meat or Mexican chorizo.
The egg yolks will make the cheese filling a bit runny so it's good to refrigerate the stuffed zucchini flowers before frying. You could add some grated parmesan cheese or any hard cheese as that will thicken the filling and add amazing flavor.
Depending on the consistency of the batter, you'll get different thickness of the coating. If you prefer thinner coating, use a little more water to thin it down. I started with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water and the batter was a bit too thick so I ended up using about 1/2 cup (120 ml) water which resulted in thinner, crispier coating.
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Hands-on Overall
Serving size 4 stuffed zucchini flowers
Nutritional values (per serving, 4 stuffed zucchini flowers)
Net carbs5.1 grams
Protein35.3 grams
Fat35.8 grams
Calories483 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 29%, fat 67%
Total carbs6.6 gramsFiber1.5 gramsSugars0.4 gramsSaturated fat11.1 gramsSodium884 mg(38% RDA)Magnesium47 mg(12% RDA)Potassium862 mg(43% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 20 flowers)
- 1 pack ricotta cheese (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
- 150 g soft goat's cheese (5.3 oz)
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped mint or basil
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 20 baby zucchini with zucchini flowers (500 g/ 1.1 lb)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups whey protein powder (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup cold water (80 ml) or up to 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
- enough frying oil to deep-fry (avocado oil, ghee, goose fat or duck fat work best)
Instructions
- Place the ricotta, goat's cheese, lemon zest, chopped mint (or basil), egg yolks, salt and pepper into a bowl.
- Mix to combine.
- Gently open up each flower and remove the stamen. Stuff with the cheese mixture, 1 to 2 heaped teaspoons per each flower. Close the flower, twisting the ends of the petals to seal. Place in a tray and refrigerate while you prepare the batter.
Note: Weight represents baby zucchini with flowers attached to them. If you only use flowers, they will weigh less.
- To prepare the batter, whisk the egg, whey protein powder and baking powder together in a wide bowl.
- Gradually pour in the cold water, whisking continuously, until you have a smooth batter. Start with 1/3 cup cold water (80 ml) and if too thick, add 1 to 3 more tablespoons. Set aside.
- Heat a deep-fryer to 180 °C/ 360 °F filled with 3 cups of oil. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, use a small deep saucepan and use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. (Note: I only included a small part of the oil in the nutrition facts as most will be discarded. Avocado oil, ghee, goose fat or duck fat work best.)
- Working in batches, dip the flowers in the prepared batter and fry for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to carefully flip them and fry for another 2 minutes until crisp and lightly golden.
- Drain on a piece of paper towel and leave in a warm place while you fry the rest. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. (You can use the oven preheated to 50 °C/ 120 °F).
- Optionally, serve with any salads and lemon wedges. It's best served warm but can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving. Serve 1 to 2 flowers as an appetizer or 4 flowers as a main dish.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 4 stuffed zucchini flowers)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Ricotta cheese, full-fat |
| 1.5 g | 5.7 g | 6.5 g | 87 kcal |
| Goat cheese, fresh (soft) |
| 0 g | 4.6 g | 5.3 g | 66 kcal |
| Lemon zest (peel), fresh |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Mint, fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Egg, yolk, raw, fresh |
| 0.2 g | 1.1 g | 1.8 g | 22 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Zucchini flowers, fresh |
| 2 g | 2.7 g | 0.4 g | 21 kcal |
| Egg white, fresh |
| 0.1 g | 1.4 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb) |
| 0.8 g | 19.7 g | 0 g | 83 kcal |
| Baking powder, gluten-free |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Water, still |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Avocado oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 21.8 g | 193 kcal |
| Total per serving, 4 stuffed zucchini flowers |
| 5.1 g | 35.3 g | 35.8 g | 483 kcal |
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