I was very recently introduced to cooking with hibiscus flowers, and as always my inclination is to figure out how to make a pesto out of any new yummy ingredient I cam across.
My first experiment is to make a basil pesto with it (cilantro to follow). Here's what I've got so far:
Ingredients
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
4 cups of water
1/4 cup Gourmet Gardens basil paste
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup EVO
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Boil the hibiscus flowers in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Drain the flowers and rinse them in cool water. Add them to a bullet or vitamix along with the other ingredients. Blend until you reach your desired consistency. You can add a splash of water if you'd like.
Today, I put the pesto on some cauliflower gnocchi. Tomorrow, I might smear it on some toast.