Ahhh; quinoa. How I love thee.
I love your soft, fluffy texture.
I love cooking up a batch on Sunday night and picking on your leftovers with my little fingers before tossing it into salads, soups and desserts for the week ahead.
(p.s. I’ve got a TON of amazing Quinoa recipes in my NEW Cookbook Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body).
I love how every time I cook you up, you remind me of a cozy family dinner when I was a kid. After being on lockdown at the dinner table with Brussels sprouts and a crock pot meal – quinoa never looked so good or tasted so good, for that matter.
Sigh. I love you quinoa. And so do my clients- they can’t get enough lately.
Actually they’ve been eating so much of it that they asked me for some other ways to prepare it.
Well, have no fear Amie is here.
And wait until you see how cute these little bites are that I’ve created.
If you, too love this darling qunioa seed then I know you’ll love this recipe with tiny flecks of basil, onion and chives. It’s the perfect touch that makes this recipe the best I’ve had in a long, long time.
There’s just something special about it that I can’t put my finger on….
Maybe because it’s a fun lil’ finger food that you’ll love to dip right into a fresh tomato sauce.
Or maybe it’s just because I love quinoa.
One bite of these and you’ll be batting your eyelashes while smiling ear to ear. And you’ll probably wanna make ’em again next week…because they’re a bit too good to be true.
I added dairy-free cheese to this recipe but you can use regular cheese if you prefer. The amount of cherry tomatoes depends on their ripeness. Right now, if your tomatoes are as ruby red n’ juicy and sweet as mine- you probably only need about 7-8 of those little guys. But you’ll have to be the judge!
I used regular muffin tins to make this recipe an entree but you are welcome to use mini muffin tins if you’d like to create bite sized appetizers as they’d be awfully cute for a summer BBQ, wouldn’t they?
There’s nothing better, folks, than the smell of savory quinoa bites baking in the oven. Well, I take that back. The only better thing is actually eating these bites.
Obviously.
Perfect for Memorial Day Cookouts.
Just don’t forget your sunglasses and sunscreen.
Ingredients
Quinoa Bites
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup uncooked black rice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Vidalia onions finely chopped
- 1 cup dairy-free vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 1/3 cup grape tomatoes diced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 2 chives finely chopped, for garnish
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce for serving
Sun Dried-Tomato Sauce
- 2 yellow bell peppers diced and seeded
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth plus more if needed for a thinner sauce
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 large heirloom tomato diced
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Medjool date pitted and finely diced
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Large pinch chili powder
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch ground paprika
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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For the Quinoa Bites:
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Cook quinoa and rice according to package directions. Prepare muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa and rice with remaining ingredients, except chives and pasta sauce; mix well to combine.
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Transfer quinoa and rice mixture to prepared muffin pan. Using a tablespoon, fill each muffin cup to the top, then using a spatula, press down on the mixture to create a flat surface.
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Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce (below). Remove from oven; set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Using a teaspoon, gently remove rice and quinoa snacks from the muffin cups.
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Transfer to a serving platter; serve with a sprinkle of fresh chives and a side of tomato sauce for dipping.
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For the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:
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In a large pot over medium heat, combine all sauce ingredients and cook until all veggies are very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the pot, heat until warm throughout and serve with the warm quinoa bites.
I served these to my guests last weekend and they all loved it. Great recipe. I might try it with quinoa only next time. Thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear Gabi; thank you! Have an enjoyable Saturday night and thank you again for your comment!!
I made this for a family get together this weekend. Substituted four ounces of pear sauce for the two eggs as the vegan substitute. Instead of the tomatoes, put in fresh chopped blackberries. In addition to the quinoa and black rice, added in wheat berries. Finally, baked the dish in a low ceramic flan / quiche type dish. Turned out wonderful. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
That sounds amazing; SO happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend!
CA, Did you go ahead and use the vegan cheese? Just curious. You seem to have made several substitutions and wondered if you used the cheese that the recipe called for.
Thanks.
ka
Hi Kim,
Yes I used vegan shredded cheese here. oxxx
These look great & I’m planning to make them this weekend. When I make quinoa, I usually make several cups at once, and use the leftovers for different things. Does 1/2 cup uncooked = 1 cup cooked?
Thanks Helene; 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa should make about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
These look friggin’ delicious! Can’t wait to make. Thank you!
Thanks Hanna; hope you enjoy them. Have a fabulous weekend darling! Excited to see you next week. xoxo
What a great idea. Love Quinoa. Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks so much Kristen; great to hear from you! Hope you enjoy them. Have a lovely afternoon!
AMIE,
WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I MADE THE QUINOA BITES, THEY ARE THE BEST I ALSO MADE A TOMATO SAUCE WITH FRESH TOMATOS AND BASIL FOR THE DIPPING I PLAN ON MAKING THESE OVER THE MEMORIAL WEEKEND AND BRING THEM TO OUR SWIM CLUB FOR OUR PARTY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHARING ALL YOUR IDEAS WITH US I ENJOY ALL THE BLOGS.
Thanks so much Beverly; hope everyone enjoys them. Enjoy your holiday weekend darling!!
AMIE
I AM READY TO MAKE THESE NOW I AM USING MULTI COLOR QUINOA AND WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY TURN OUT. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN
Thanks Beverly; enjoy!
These are adorable — and also a great way to use leftover quinoa. Was the black rice for visual purposes or could you use brown rice too?
Thanks Val; hope you enjoy them. I used black rice because it’s what I had on hand but brown rice would be great, as well! Enjoy darling.
These look great! Like little muffins 🙂
I recently found Coconut milk yogurt here (after reading so much about non-dairy types) – but I was surprised at all the ingredients listed on it 🙁 I’ll stick to the plain stuff with 2 ingredients!
Thanks Jen; I agree as I like regular Greek yogurt!
Is it really necessary to really obsess over ingredients though? I use cow’s yogurt, but I don’t really analyze ingredients to an extreme degree.
Thanks Lori; if it makes you feel good and doesn’t bother your stomach then go for it! I too like Greek plain yogurt from cow’s milk as that is the only dairy I can digest. My clients enjoy the dairy-free cheeses and yogurts but I don’t obsess over them if they don’t bother you. Enjoy!
I don’t either – Jill. You should really not read into things people say so much…
Jill? Is my screen reading things wrong.
I’m reading “Anie” and “Lori”. Weird.
Thanks Amie.
Anytime Lori; have a fabulous holiday weekend!!
AMIE,
SINCE YOU POSTED THIS RECEIPE I HAVE MADE THE BITES 4 TIMES AND EACH TIME EVERYONE LOVES THEM AND ASKS FOR MORE. THEY ARE SO GOOD EVEN THE NEXT DAY THEY ARE BETTER I TOOK THEM TO A POOL PARTY AND THEY WERE A GREAT HIT. NOW I HAVE SOMETHING EASY TO MAKE AND TAKE TO SOMEONE’S HOME AND I KNOW I CAN EAT GLUTEN FREE AND BE SAFE. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN.
Awe; you are so thoughtful! Thank you Beverly; hope you are having a great weekend, darling! Enjoy and once again fabulous to hear from you! xoxo
I *must* be doing quinoa wrong because I haven’t fallen in love with it yet. I’ll have to give this a try!
You’ve gotta try it Devon; give it a shot and let me know your thoughts.
Enjoy!!
I love finding new ways to use ingredients. This is brilliant!
Thank you Lauren; enjoy and let me know what you think!!
Amie~ These look AMAZING! So creative and the photos are fantastic. I will definitely be trying these soon…definitely need to find some cute little muffin pans. It is wonderful finding new ways to prepare quinoa. Thanks!
Thanks Mikell! Hope you enjoy them. Have a great day!
these look delicious and they’re such a cute little shape 🙂
Thanks Averie; enjoy darling! Xox
AMIIE,
THIS SOUNDS DELICIOUS I MAKE QUINOA ON A REGULAR BASIS BUT SOMETIMES RUN OUT OF IDEAS. CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THESE, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN
Thanks Beverly; they are amazing. Hope you enjoy every bite!
Amie – this look and sound utterly delightful! As you can imagine, anything with quinoa brings a smile to my face and I can’t wait to make them. I’m happy to hear your clients are loving quinoa as well. It’s my favorite food on the planet!
Keep ’em coming! I can’t get enough 🙂
xo Alyssa
Thank you Alyssa; So great to hear from you darling!!! I’m a huge fan of your Quinoa Queen deliciousness so I hope you enjoy this lil’ quinoa recipe too! Have a great day. ooxox Enjoy…
Love this idea, and I think my kids would love it too! I have become a big fan of black rice. Mmm…DEfinitely can’t wait to try this!
Thank you so much; they’re so fun to eat and I hope the kids love ’em!
Hi – this isn’t vegan, it has eggs in it. What do you use for the vegan sub?
Thanks Elizabeth; you are correct as this recipe is vegetarian and not vegan due to the use of eggs but I have received many requests to make it vegan for my clients who are either allergic to eggs or are vegan. I would develop the recipe using 1/4 cup soy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water instead of the egg. Have a great day and thank you again for your comment!
Amie!! I’ve been looking for alternatives to pb & j for my veggie daughter’s lunch. These are PERFECT….and not just for her lunch either. I cannot wait to make these. Thanks for another great recipe! <3
SO great to hear Alison; thank you and I hope you enjoy them. They are so cute and bite sized; such a perfect snack or meal option with veggies! Thanks again and enjoy your afternoon.
These do look YUMMY … however, with the eggs, they are not vegan as you have the recipe labeled.
Thanks Rose! I would use 1/4 cup soy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water. Hope this helps; let me know how they turn out when you bake them in their vegan version and have a fabulous day!
These sound fabulous but they are NOT vegan. Eggs are listed as the third ingredient. Any idea for a vegan adjustment to this recipe?
Thanks Lisa; great to hear from you. This recipe is vegetarian not vegan due to the use of eggs but I have received many requests to make it vegan for clients and readers. I would use 1/4 cup soy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water. Hope this helps; let me know how they turn out and thank you again for your comment!
Hi Lisa, I cook for a vegan “in my House” all the time…I use “ENER G’s” Egg Replacer (it’s a potato startch) in all recipes calling for eggs. It’s become a staple in my house… ENJOY..