Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Fact: Snack time is the best time of the day.  If you disagree, you’re probably eating the wrong snacks.

But fear not, my friends, because I’m about to introduce you to one of the best snacks ever.  And it comes in the form of a foolproof recipe with melty cheese.  You hungry yet?

I made these last Saturday.  Then I made them again Sunday.  And upon noticing the empty plate on Monday morning, I contemplated making them again (unfortunately, I had to attend this really annoying this called School on Monday, so I couldn’t make a third batch)

The point is, however, that these little quinoa bites are straight up addicting.  They are highly snack-able, pop-able and nibble-able.  When they’re freshly baked, they taste good.  When they’re room temperature, they taste good.  When they’re cold, they taste good.

Bottom Line:  These Cheesy Quinoa Bites taste really good.

 Remember how I sad this is a foolproof recipe?  What I meant is, everything about it is easy.  It’s easy to remember, easy to make, and easy to eat.  A triple threat, perhaps?

Well, one thing’s for certain; Snack time just got waaaay better.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

·      2 cups cooked quinoa

·      2 stalks celery, chopped

·      ½ red bell pepper, chopped

·      2 cloves garlic, minced

·      2 mozzarella cheese sticks, sliced into small pieces

·      2 eggs

·      2 tbsp flour

·      ½ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease two mini muffin tins with cookie spray.
2. Measure quinoa into a large bowl. 
3. Add celery, pepper, garlic, and chopped cheese sticks.  Mix to combine.
4. Add eggs to bowl and mix until completely incorporated.  Mixture will be wet and may not hold together very well.  That’s okay.
5. Add flour, salt, and chili pepper and mix together again.  This should help to make the mixture slightly less sticky.
6. Scoop into prepared pans, filling each muffin hole to the top.  Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until quinoa bites are firm and cheese has melted. 
7. Let cool before removing from pan.  To serve, you can heat up Quinoa Bites or leave them at room temperature.  Recipe makes 2 dozen small bites.

   

On another note, has anyone been watching the olympics? Go team USA!  (Or whatever other country you're rooting for)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I'm gonna let you in on a not-so-secret: I've been super busy lately.

It's not really a secret because if you so much as look around this blog you can probably tell.  How many posts have there been in October so far?  Not nearly enough.  How many recipes are missing from the recipes page? Like 4 months worth.  I'm falling behind on here, and I want to say one thing all you readers:

I'm so sorry!

I really wish I could do everything, but sometimes I'm forced to put one thing before the other.  I'm sad to say that this blog doesn't always take priority.

However, I'm pretty sure things will be slowing down within the next month, so fingers crossed everything goes back to normal around here!

How does this translate into today's recipe?

Well, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars were a super helpful during days when I was rushing all over the place and didn't have time to grab a proper snack.  Instead of a grumbling belly, I got to snack on a delicious homemade granola bar!  Big, big help, I tell you.  Plus, they're no bake, so they even with the busiest schedule, you can fit in time to make them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 + 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• chocolate, melted (I didn't measure it, just know you'll need enough to dip all the bars in)

Mix together oats, quinoa, chia seeds, and flour in a large bowl.  Place peanut butter and honey in another bowl.  Microwave in 15 second intervals until drippy.  Mix together.  Add peanut butter honey mixture to dry ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.  Form into bars (I made small squares) and place in fridge to firm (about an hour).  Once firm, remove from fridge and prepare melted chocolate.  Line a plate/pan with parchment paper.  Dip one side of bar in chocolate and place chocolate side up on parchment paper.  Repeat with all bars.  Return to fridge to let chocolate form.  Store in fridge.  Makes about 15 bars, but it changes based on size.

Quinoa Avocado Sushi

{I received free samples of California Avocado mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am
entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Avocado and am eligible to win prizes associated
with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.}

I used to dislike avocados.  They were too mushy, and too boring, and I just didn't find them appealing at all.  It's fair to say that times have definitely changed.

As it turns out, the reason I never likes avocado was because I'd never had a really good one.  I was used to store bought guacamole, and the browned chunks in a salad, not fresh, green, avocado with a creamy texture and delicious taste.

I tried my first real avocado when our family was on vacation in California.  I remember going on hikes through groves of avocado trees, and then driving to a nearby farm to table restaurant and savoring the avocado dishes that were made with the freshest avocados you could ever eat.  And then we would stop at a farm stand on the side of the road and buy even more avocados, paying by placing wadded up money in a rusted metal box.

That was the trip I learned how amazing California avocados can be.

Obviously, when I heard about the recipe contest centered around California avocados that the Recipe ReDux was sponsoring, I knew I had to be a part.

I thought long and hard about what I was going to make.  I wanted something simple, but also complex enough to call a recipe, and I wanted it to show off the avocado in the best way.  I finally decided on making avocado sushi.

I'd been wanting to make some sushi for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity.  Who doesn't love some great avocado sushi?  To add an extra special twist, I added cucumber and spinach, and used quinoa instead of rice.  I couldn't have been happier with the result.  This is one delicious and nutritious avocado dish.

Quinoa Avocado, Cucumer, and Spinach Sushi

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp brown rice vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• pinch salt
• 1 small cucumber
• handful of spinach
• 1 california avocado
• 4 sheets nori sushi wrap

Place quinoa and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until all water has been absorved and quinoa is fluffy.  While quinoa cooks, cut avocado and cucumber into thin strips.  Once quinoa has finished cooking, place it on a large plate.  Mix together vinegar, maple syrup, and salt in a small bowl.  Pour a bit of vinegar mixture on quinoa at a time, mixing around quinoa as you go.  Lay out one nori wrap on a sushi mat.  Spread quinoa on all but the last two inches on wrap.  Place spinach on quinoa and top with cucumber and avocado slices.  Roll up tightly, wetting the end of the nori wrap to make it stick.  Repeat to make a total of 4 rolls.  Use a sharp knife to cut into rolls.  Store rolls in fridge.  Recipe makes 4 servings of 1 roll each.

Quinoa Granola Bars

Is it really already July 21st?  We're one month into summer folks!  How does it feel?

Personally, it's going a bit fast for my liking, but at least it feels like the summer.  I don't know about where you live, but the temperature has be absolutely soaring here. Thank god for cool drinks (link that), pools, and air conditioning.

The 21st of the month means one thing around here: the Recipe ReDux.  This months theme?  Travel snacks.  Foods that you're sure to have on hand whenever you go away.  Ideally, they travel well, can pass through airport security, and won't go bad after hours in a car.  All that is easier said than done, but I came up with a winner recipe this month, I can promise you that.

Whenever I go away the one thing I'm sure to bring is a protein bar.  I wish I could say I'm cool enough to make my own, but that really isn't the case.  I just pick up some packaged bars from the store and throw them in my bag.  I like that they're easy to pack, have enough substance to satisfy me, and also taste pretty yummy.  Basically, I wanted to incorporate all that into a homemade travel snack.

With the result being these Quinoa Granola Bars, my mission was accomplished.

Lets go over my three goals.

1.  A snack that's easy to pack.

I knew instantly that I wanted to make a bar.  You can throw them into a plastic bag, wrap them up in aluminum foil, or do whatever else to package them before simply throwing them wherever.  Bars typically don't need a specific temperature and they done require a ton if space either.  As far as these homemade granola bars go, they're a bit fragile, but you can treat them however you would treat another granola bar in terms of packing for a trip.

2.  A snack that keeps you satisfied

More protein bars use protein powder to pack in some punch.  I don't have protein powder, and have no desire to buy s big jar just to make some granola bars.  I thought hard for a replacement and finally came up with using quinoa.  It adds a bit of protein and also some fiber to keep you full.  I ended up using cooked quinoa in the final granol pa bar recipe.  It sounds a bit strange, but it works like a charm.

3. A snack that tastes awesome

Of course these bars taste great.  They're flavored simply with cinnamon and a nut butter of you choice. I used peanut butter and it worked great.  The simplicity of the bar leaves plenty of room for you to customize it for your liking.  Add chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit.  It will all be awesome, I promise.

Quinoa Granola Bars

• 1 cup quick oats (make your own quick oats by quickly blending rolled oats until they break down a bit)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (see package for cooking instructions)
• 1/4 cup oat flour (grind oats in a coffee grinder until they reach a flour-like consistency)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (I used peanut butter)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• optional: add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, mix together oats, quinoa, oat flour, and cinnamon.  Add honey, applesauce, nut butter, and vanilla.  Mix until a sticky mixture forms.  If you want to use any add-ins, throw in a handful now, and mix them in.  Press mixture into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once cooled, cut into 8 bars.  Store in an airtight container.  For traveling, put bars in a blastic bag or wrap in aluminum foil.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Quinoa Fudge Bars

Chocolate Quinoa Fudge Bars

On Monday, I did quinoa savory.  Now it's time for sweet.

Introducing the Chocolate Quinoa Fudge Bar...

These bars are like nothing you've ever tasted.  With an intense chocolate flavor and a texture somewhere between a brownie and a protein bar, they're great to snack on, have pre-workout, or enjoy for dessert.

Originally, this recipe was intended to be more like a cake, but as you can see, that didn't quite work out.  But you know what?  I think the recipe turned out even better this way.

Really, guys.  They are just so fudgy.  My mom was hesitant to try at first, but I coaxed one bite into her and after that she was hooked.  Like I said, they're like nothing you've ever tasted.

Fudgy, fudgy, fudgy.

Chocolate Quinoa Fudge Bars

• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 tbsp special dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 6 tbsp water + 1/4 cup, separated (1/4 cup water can be replaced with milk)
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower, thawed
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (or white sugar)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, combine flax and 6 tbsp water.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Place cauliflower ad 1/4 cup water (or milk) in a blender and blend until mostly smooth, with no cauliflower chunks.  Place cauliflower mixture in a medium size bowl, and add the flax and water, applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup, and sugar.  Mix together.  Add quinoa and mix again.  Add wet ingredients to flour mixture in large bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Pour batter into a parchment paper lined 8x8 square pan.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until mixture has firmed and no longer looks under baked.  Store in fridge.  Makes 16.

Quinoa (and cauliflower!) in a dessert may scare you.  Don't let it.

Like, if I made these, blindfolded you, and then shoved a bite into your mouth I swear you would love them.  But I can't do that, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  K?

Alrighty then, that's all.  Go cook some quinoa and then make tater tots and chocolate bars.

(I never imagined I would use those two foods in the same sentence...)

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Mixed Grains with Kale and Apple

Tater-less Tots

I'm gonna tell you something now and you have to promise not to laugh.  Ok?  You promise?  Alrighty then.

Here it is:

Before making this recipe, I didn't realize that the "tater" in "tater tots" had to do with potatoes.  I know, I'm an idiot.

But it just never occured to me.  I thought tater was just a funny word that sounded good with tot, which was just another funny word that let you know that whatever dish you were about to eat is small.

The whole tater = potato thing sort of flew right past me.  Whoops.

I didn't realize the connection until after I had made these tater tots (which actually taste like the real thing, believe it or not, even though they're made with a single 'tater).  I was trying to decide on some clever name for the recipe, with no luck might I add, when everything became clear.

I felt so stupid!  After a big long "ohhhh" I decided to call this recipe Tater-less Tots, and then I ran into my kitchen to eat more of them in hopes of halting the embarassment.  It didn't work... but at least the tots were delicious!

Tater-less Tots

• 1 1/2 cups (1 can) chickpeas, rinsed and drains
• 120 g cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/3 cup dry)
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup finely minced shallot
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mash chickpeas until mostly broken up.  Add in remainging ingreidents and mix until combined.  Mixture probably won't hold together too well.  Do your best to form into tater tot shapes.  Warm a frying pan over medium heat and pour a bit of olive oil in.  Place tater tots in batches on pan and cook for a couple minutes on each side until browned and crispy.  Store in fridge.   Recipe makes 3-5 servings.

Right now you're probably looking at the ingredient list above and thinking that I'm even crazier than the story I already told you implied.  Just trust me.  It sounds nuts, but those ingredients really do come together to create something that tastes like a potato.

Which by the way, is what "tater" means in the phrase "tater tot".  You know, 'cause I know that now.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

I wanted to try quinoa tonight.  But, i had a little problem.

I was feeling like a meat eater. And most quinoa recipes are salads.  Now that just wouldn't do.

So . . . i had to look extra hard for something that involved some sort of meat to fit my craving.  And finally, VICTORY!

Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf
(makes 5 servings)

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, diced
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey (there's that meat i wanted)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon water

Here are the steps:

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and all the water has been absorbed.  This should take 15-20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 F.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until the onion becomes clear and translucent.  Remove from heat to let cool.
4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. 
5. Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, around 50 minutes. Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

The original recipe comes from http://allrecipes.com.  You can find it right here if you like.  it's basically the same thing with just a few small differences from the recipe above.

 It tasted realllllllly good.