Cheesy Quinoa Bites with Avocado Cream Dip

 

 Tyler is not an easy sell when it comes to quinoa.  But I have a bag of it in the pantry that I need to use up!  And it's super healthy so when I saw this easy recipe I knew I needed to try it.  And it has "cheesy" in the title.  Isn't anything "cheesy" an automatic winner?  I think so.  Even though the name says cheesy, there are still only 50 calories in each one.  (According to Calriecount.com)


 Oh and did I also mention they are super easy?  Yeah , they are.  And Tyler really liked them, and (are you sensing the "and" theme?) so did I.  We served it with an avocado cream dip (recipe below) and tomatoes.  Becky (the girl who came up with the recipe) served it with Kraft Light Honey Dijon salad dressing.  You could also serve with just ranch or sour cream too.  We had them for dinner but they could also be great as lunch or even as an appetizer or snack.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Adapted from:  So Very Blessed

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa  (don't forget to rinse well before cooking!!)

1 Egg

1 egg white

1 cup shredded carrot

2 stalks green onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 T whole wheat bread crumbs (or flour or gluten free bread crumbs or flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients and spoon into greased mini-muffin pan.  About 1 T per cup or evenly distributed between 24 cups.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Makes 24 bites.

Avocado Cream Dip 

Source:  Amanda original

1 avocado, pitted and peeled

4 oz light cream cheese

1 tsp minced garlic

juice of half a lime (or more to taste)

1/4 cup water

2 T chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

It was also pretty good, salad style.

And I love the kind of meal that gets put in the oven for a bit and I have some time to do dishes or clean up my mess.  I always seem to make a mess.

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oh and in case you were wondering, here are the facts for 1 bite.  I just round down to 50.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 22 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 54 Calories from Fat 13

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.4g 2%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 11mg 4%

Sodium 94mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 7.4g 2%

Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4%

Protein 2.8g

Vitamin A 16% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 3% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade A-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in sugar
• High in manganese
• High in phosphorus
• Very high in vitamin A