INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (see cooking tip)
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese packed and shredded
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
METHOD
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, broccoli and both cheeses. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Pour egg mixture over quinoa mixture and stir until very well blended.
- Lightly oil one 24-cup mini muffin tin or two 12-cup mini muffin tins (or spray with cooking spray). Spoon broccoli-quinoa mixture evenly into cups. Using the back of a small spoon, press down mixture so it’s packed into cups.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bites have firmed up and are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.
Makes 24 bites
Per bite: 41 calories, 1.7 g total fat (0.8 g saturated fat), 2.5 g protein, 3.8 g carbohydrate (0.5 g fibre, 0.2 g sugars), 19 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium
Cooking Tip: When cooking quinoa, it’s really important to give it time to “rest” before fluffing and serving (or using in recipes, like this one). All that simmering is like an intense cardio workout for the quinoa and it desperately needs some recovering time! So, at the ending of cooking, remove the pot from the heat, leave the lid on and let the quinoa rest for a good 10 minutes. This resting time allows it to develop the perfect texture and prevents the dreaded soggy quinoa scenario. For faster cooling, spread the quinoa on a baking sheet instead of leaving it in the pot.