These cheddar quinoa bites are served with a spicy yogurt dipping sauce. They pack a healthy, protein punch and are a great side dish.
Things learned this weekend…
Top 40 music becomes much more fun after 3 vodka cranberries and 2 beers.
Coworkers become much more fun after 3 vodka cranberries and 2 beers. (I kid, I kid, they’re always great)
I’ve reached some emotional peak in my life where I now cry at father/daughter dances.
Duck fat fries at a wedding? Best idea ever.
Especially after 3 vodka cranberries and 2 beers.
Navigating a directionally challenged husband home at midnight after 3 vodka cranberries and 2 beers is amusing.
Cheesy quinoa bites make excellent hangover food the next day.
Besides the fact that I pronounced it as “kin-o-wah” for the first year of our relationship, I’m pretty much in love with quinoa. It masks itself like a carby grain but you can eat it and not have to worry about what your added protein is going to be because it is one! I’m positive if I was a vegetarian I’d live off the stuff.
Add cheddar, Mexican spices, corn kernels that pop in your mouth from freshness and a spicy yogurt dipping sauce and our relationship goes from love to something slightly inappropriate.
Kind of like me on the dance floor Saturday night.
Cheddar Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
Quinoa bites
- 1/2 cup uncooked red quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup cheddar, grated
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/3 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed from frozen
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper
Dipping sauce
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
Quinoa Bites
- Rinse quinoa then combine with water in a small sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes).
- While quinoa cooks, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
- Add quinoa to the bowl when finished cooking and combine all ingredients with clean hands.
- Form mixture into golf ball sized balls (this will be messy but they should come together enough to form balls. If not, add a bit more breadcrumbs) and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- If any of the balls have cracked while cooking, reshape them while still hot then let cool to harden.
Dipping sauce
- Combine yogurt and sriracha in small bowl and stir together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adapted from Tablespoon via Bev Cooks
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
These are so creative! They end up crunchy?
Kind of on the outside and still soft/cheesy on the inside. I’ve been heating the leftovers in the toaster oven and they get crunchier that way :)
I have to try these.
OH, this whole post made me laugh, I want to hang out with you :) And eat your food also :)
haha, anytime :)
Very creative and healthy dish here. I like the switch to quinoa as well as to make into little balls.. This looks tasty! Looking forward to seeing more on the series, it is off to a great start. Enjoy the day! :-)
Oooh, I really want to try these. Pinned!
I’ll take some of these. And won’t even need the 3 vodka cranberries and 2 beers. Not that I wouldn’t mind some of that too, though. :)
Of course you would make this into balls. Of course. :)
I was just about to rummage through your site to look for a quinoa recipe b/c I’ve got a box in the pantry and the kids are gone this week so I figure its a good time to use it up and have it actually get eaten as opposed to started at and asked “umm what’s that?” :)
In my defense, the balls were Bev’s idea not mine! Although, I see no reason to defend ball making decisions ;)
absolutely not. ball making decisions should never have to be defended. They should conversely, always be celebrated. Pretty excited for that ball that I saw on instagram earlier today…that definitely looks like it needs a celebration!
Mmm, love these! Little balls of feel-goodness :)
That’s a mighty tasty way to use quinoa.
Wow such a great idea to make quinoa into little balls. Awesome!