Crispy Quinoa Bites

Guess what?

Cindy's having a baby!

I was so thrilled to hear that one of my closest friends was expecting that I immediately decided I was going to throw her a baby shower.  Cindy is such a dear and has done many wonderful things for me, including being a very important source of laughter and sanity throughout our friendship, especially when I was planning Dave's and my wedding.  So it was an honor to host Cindy and 30(!) of her friends and family in my home for a lovely afternoon of laughter, well wishes for a happy and beautiful baby girl, and of course, great food.  Over the next few weeks, I'll share the various recipes I used and treats I made, as well as a few party planning tips, to pull off an at-home shower, starting with this tasty appetizer.



Before this recipe, I'd never purchased or eaten quinoa, but I'd been intrigued by it.  So when I found this recipe on Pinterest, I had to give it a shot.  These Crispy Quinoa Bites come from Becky at So Very Blessed and were a big hit.  A slightly nutty flavor with the veggies and a little Parmesan cheese, they were the perfect little morsel of something just a bit different.  Dip them in ranch, sour cream or a little honey Dijon dressing for an extra pop of flavor, or they are just great on their own.  I made one and a half times the original recipe to make sure I had plenty for the shower, but I must have made them a touch smaller because I ended up with 5 dozen instead of 3 1/2, even though I used a cookie scoop to make even portions.  But if you want a more reasonable number, cut the ingredients by a third.  This recipe couldn't be easier--a little chopping and one bowl later, you've got a great new appetizer.  If you've never cooked with quinoa, these would be a great starter recipe since it's easy and showcases all the different flavors you can add to the grain.

Crispy Quinoa Bites

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
3 stalks green onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon season salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.  Make sure the eggs coat everything to help the bites stick together.

Note: Read the package instructions carefully before you cook the quinoa.  My package suggested rinsing the grains before boiling to get rid of excess residue (that apparently tastes nasty).  Allow the cooked quinoa to come to room temperature before adding to the rest of the ingredients.

Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture into greased mini-muffin tins.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until just golden and crisp.

Remove to wire rack.  Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with a honey mustard or ranch dip optional.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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