You don't need to be a food photographer or recipe creator like myself to make your food presentation have that wow-factor or be Instagram worthy. Today, I am sharing with you how you can easily add that wow-factor to wholefood recipes (that you'll find here) with the nutritious healing power of edible flowers.
The following recipe suggestions using culinary flowers will give you a heap of drool-worthy inspiration to give edible flowers as go this coming week. I promise there are a heap of nutritional benefits aside from just looking pretty, edible flowers are usually super easy to grow in the garden or even a patio pot. All you need is a patch of dirt and sunlight. Ready? Let's get flower picking...
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1. Edible Flower in Wholefood Salads
This stunning salad inspo by Vegaful gives you an idea how you can create a vibrant and showy bowl simply by adding in a variety of colourful blossoms. Some of my favourites in salads like this are the orange-reds of nasturtiums which taste slightly peppery, the paste; blue of borage which are super refreshing with hints of cucumber, pinky-red rose petals, or the showy coral-pink of hibiscus blossoms.
Summer Blossom Salad Recipe
1 cup butter lettuce, red leaf
1 cup spinach, rinse well, organic is best
1/4 cup beetroot, finely shredded
1/4 cup carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 English cucumber, chopped finely
1/2 cup sunflower seed sprouts
2 tbsp calendula petals
4-5 pink pansy heads
2 tbsp borage blossoms
Tropical Summer Dressing
1/4 cup strawberries, chopped finely
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 a ripe mango, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
2 tbsp flax or olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
In a large bowl combine the above ingredients except the flower blossoms. Toss and drizzle with dressing. Before serving add the edible flower blossoms. Optional: sprinkle with sesame or chia seeds.
2. Edible Flower in Fresh Spring Rolls
Vietnamese spring rolls, or summer rice rolls as many call them, are delicious, low carb meal made by finely chopping veggies, herbs, and seasoned meats and wrapping them in glass-like rice paper rolls. These are a popular find at food courts these days and usually come with a variety of dipping sauces like peanut satay, hoisin, or sweet chili.
Making these at home means you can customise your stuffing ingredients and of course, add some fabulously showy edible flowers to create a visually mouth-watering main meal or light lunch.
Flowers and blossoms I love for this include the following:
showy pansies because they are so sturdy and big; easy to work with
calendula petals which are vibrant bolts of yellow and orange
blue cornflowers for a near tasteless accent of electric blue
yellow, red, orange and crimson daylilies for a hint of honey
pinks for their obvious pretty pinky-red hued petals often edged in white
Using flowers in your summer rolls is such a cool and trendy way to pimp put your plate with extra colour and nutrients. Don't be shy when it comes to experimenting. Many edible flowers have very little taste and lend themselves perfectly for adding a little pizzazz to your rolls.
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3. Edible Flowers in Smoothie Bowls
You know I am a huge advocate for getting enough greens in your diet every day, but now I am hoping I inspire you to add a few flowers to your bowl. Remember, they provide nutrients such as antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. Blend yourself this greens bowl, a combination of mango and banana providing a creamy, sweet base, and top it with some showy pansies.
My Basic Smoothie Recipe
250ml milk (I use oat or almond, unsweetened)
1/2 banana (frozen is best and creates a creamy texture)
1/2 cup of your fruit of choice, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup of greens of your choice, organic
1-2 scoop of protein powder (I use @AussieBodies 'Nourish' which is dairy-free)
1-2 tsp chai seeds (these provide trace minerals and heaps of fibre)
You can add just about anything to this base including a mix of fresh or frozen fruit, greens, veggies --yes I said veggies! I use regularly raw cauliflower, cooked sweet potato and raw broccoli to name a few. Blitz on high in a Nutri-Bullet for 30 seconds and enjoy over ice or as a smoothie bowl.
Nothing really beats a smoothie for a super fast and easy nourishing meal. They are made in a matter of seconds, and with all the nutrients you need to kick off your morning, they provide the perfect breakfast made with wholefood nutrition.
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4. Floral Infused Water
Hydration is a core foundation is one's wellness. Without water we would not last more than 10 days, so it is vital to hydrate every day. One way is to create infused water, and of course, adding healing flowers to your water bottle has added benefits. Browse my Pinterest board and Infused water recipes.
My Lavender Rose Infused Water Recipe
1000ml filtered water, room temp
2 whole lemons, organic
2 -3 drops stevia, liquid form
1 tbsp dried lavender buds, organic
1 tsp dried rose petals or rose tea
1/2 cup crushed ice
In a kettle, boil 1000ml of water and set aside. In a tea pot, add the two lemons, thinly sliced to 500ml of the boiled water. Add the stevia, and dried lavender buds; stir well. Keep the remaining boiled water aside to cool in a large pitcher; add the ice to help it cool. After 5-10 minutes, pour the steeped lemons and lavender mix over the water in the pitcher. Stir well and add the rose petals. Serve chilled with a few lemon wedges.
5. Edible Flowers For High Tea
Historically, "high tea" is an afternoon tea served between 3pm - 5pm usually offered with black tea and an array of crust-less sandwiches, scones, and delicate desserts. While white bread and sweet cakes is the norm, you can make your own high tea with wholefood offerings by using the showy garnish of edible flowers. Here's some beautiful and tasty ways to use edible flowers for your next girl friend catch up or high tea:
Adding flowers to your tea goodies is such a simple way to serve a pretty and memorable afternoon tea or party. Many of these recipe ideas would be perefect for a girlfriend's baby shower, engagement or bridal party, and of course, pampering Mum on Mother's Day.
6. Edible Flower Ice Cubes
If you are not a fan of eating flowers, you may find freezing them ice more preferable. Floral ice cubes are a beautiful way to dress up a simple glass of water or make a sensational looking drink for celebrations. Personally, I am quite happy to dazzle up my glass on any occasion if it as pretty as these ideas.
Floral Ice Recipe
boiled water, cooled to luke warm
a selection of edible blossoms, organic
Choose a large, deep ice cube tray for this. I found these at Kmart and they work perfectly. Made of flexible silicone, they take a little getting used to getting into the freezer, but they make the BEST cube ice cubes I've ever seen. I always start with warm water (not hot or cold) as this freezes faster and much clearer than hot or cold. Fill the individual cubes half way with water, then place your blossoms in each and gently top with the remaining water.
If you are trying make a mini arrangement using a few blossoms per cube, fill the cubes only halfway; freeze the water in the tray until partially frozen. Add the flowers as they will now sit and stay put on the slushy ice allowing you to arrange a few per cube.
HOT TIP: If you place the ice tray in a small cooler that fits your freezer, the water will freeze at the same rate and more evenly giving you that crystal clear, glass-like ice cube.
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7. Edible Flower Infused Teas & Tisanes
Fresh or freeze dried, flowers like herbs can make some beautiful tea and tisanes. Dating back to Egyptian times, tisane is a caffeine-free beverage made with an infusion of fragrant herbs, fruit, peel, bark, flowers, or spices that is steeped or simmered in hot water. Essentially, an herbal infusion, or tisane is any plant-derived drink other than true tea (which is made from the leaves of the Camelia sinensis plant).
You can easily make your own teas and tisane at home if you are willing to learn a little about herbology and Ayurveda. There are literally hundreds of thousands of healing combinations that not only taste wonderful but also have many health benefits.
To make a homemade tisane you will need empty teabags, reusable silk sachets, or even a French press like this one. Another option is this hot or cold brew tea infusion to steep tisanes or make infused water. Add your fresh herbs and flowers to the French press or a teapot (or even a small saucepan), and pour boiling water over them. Let the tisane steep for several minutes before you serve. Use the fresh-picked blossoms to extract the highest concentrations of essential oils and healing properties within the edible flowers.
8. Edible Flower Moon Milk
Moon Milk is a warm beverage traditionally used in Ayurveda practices where cow's milk was simmered with a blend of honey, ashwagandha, nutmeg, and other Indian spices. It was used as a common remedy for insomnia, restlessness or as part of one's every day bedtime routine. The anti-inflammatory properties of the drink were thought to help to build the body’s defences against stress, burnout and exhaustion.
Today, there are many adaptations on the traditional recipe that use alternatives such as goat's milk, almond, coconut, cashew and oat milk instead of cow to make the warm, healing beverage. The addition of dried and fresh edible flowers is one of the healing benefits I simply love. I wrote all about moon milk here and the use of edible flowers.
8. Edible Flower Lollies
As a Practitioner, I am usually encouraging clients to reduce sugar from their diet. However, the occasional treat is perfectly fine; moderation over restriction, right. So I have included a few stunning ways you can create lollies from edible flowers. Yep, that's right, let's take a look:
Using flowers you can make so many showy desserts and lollies for special occasions or entertaining. These would be a beautiful treat for weddings, picnics or engagement parties.
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9. Flower Infused Syrup & Sauces
Edible flowers are a lovely way to flavour and pimp out your favourite syrups, honey, vinegar and sauces. In many cases it is just a matter of adding fresh, organic blossoms to the liquid or sauce. So simple and such a sweet touch. Here's some of my favourite ways to do this:
Fermenting flowers in honey or syrups is so easy and fun to do, and provides a heap of healing and medicinal benefits. If you use blossoms such as elderberry for example, the plant provides a strong immune boosting effect and is often used in natural cold and flu remedies. Imagine spreading a drizzle of honey over your toast that can boost your immunity at the same time. That's the power of wholefoods and edible flowers!
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10. Flower Blossom Cocktails & Mocktails
Flowers add that perfect finishing touch to cocktails and make for some memorable entertaining. You can add edible blossoms as a stunning garnish of actually use them IN the drinks either in the glass for show or by making an infusion such as flower syrups or cordials. Here's a few deliciously pretty examples:
Sometimes simplicity is best. I love topping my drinks (usually non-alcoholic) with a few fresh blossoms from the garden. It just provides that added pizzazz and are so pretty to look at, and course, snap for my Instagram!
Eat A Floral Rainbow Every Day
This takes on a whole new meaning when you add edible flowers to the mix! Now you can see just how adding a few edible blossoms to your meals, bursting with colour and nutrients, can provide a lovely finishing, and healing touch. What edible flower recipe will you try this week, share in the comments.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
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