Cooking with Quinoa: Quinoa-Stuffed Yucca Blossoms

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SERVES 4
Caution: Only the Yucca petals should be eaten and should not be consumed by asthmatics or people with food allergies. 

• 1 sweet red bell pepper
• 4 just-opened yucca blossoms
• 2 to 21/2 cups cooked quinoa, black or white
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired

1. Roast the whole red pepper under the broiler or on a hot grill, turning until well charred on all sides. Place it in a brown paper bag while preparing the rest of the recipe. 2. Remove the pistils and stamens from the yucca blossoms and rinse them well. 3. Blanch them in boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Remove them and quickly place in a bowl of cold water, then drain well. 4. Sauté the pre-cooked quinoa in olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 5. Remove from heat and stir in the chives. 6. Break open the red pepper, draining any juices into the quinoa. Remove the stem, skin, seeds, and membrane, then slice it into slivers. 7. Stir the quinoa and add salt and pepper to taste. 8. Stuff the blossoms with some of the quinoa and garnish with the slivers of roasted pepper. Spread the remaining quinoa on a serving plate; place the stuffed blossoms on the bed of quinoa.

Note: If you’re wildcrafting yucca blossoms, do so in an area that has not been sprayed with chemicals and is far from major roads.

Read the main article, Cooking with Quinoa: 5 Easy Recipes to learn about quinoa and find more recipes. 

Debbie Whittaker, also known as the Herb Gourmet, is a culinary herbalist in Denver, Colorado.