Quinoa Pizza Snack Balls
I must start giving credit where credit is due…this wonderful recipe comes from “The Complete Book of Gluten-Free Cooking” by Jennifer Cinquepalmi. These pizza snack balls are healthy and tasty. Plus, the simplicity of being able to freeze them then reheat for an any-time snack or appetizer is great. They are full of quinoa which is one of the best grains around. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.
In the cookbook, Jennifer calls them “Pizza Balls”. I love making them if I overcooked on quantity of quinoa for dinner.
2 cups cooked quinoa (you can also use millet which I haven’t tried yet)
1 – 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz of spaghetti or tomato sauce (I like to serve extra marinara sauce on the side as a dipping sauce)
2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
Variation: add cooked sausage (breakfast, vegetarian, Italian…your choice; I have put in a vegetarian Chorizo that adds an extra zing.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine all ingredients thoroughly together.
Make into bite-size balls (I like using a melon baller or one of those mini-ice cream scoops you can use for dropping cookies) and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet.
Bake 20-25 minutes (they don’t brown much).
Serve immediately (optional to add marinara sauce on the side for dipping) or allow to cool and store in freezer until ready to use.
To re-heat use 425 degree oven until heated through (I usually do it directly from frozen, in the cookbook she recommends doing it from thawed).
As a variation I once served the quinoa pizza snack balls with gluten-free pasta as my “vegetarian meatballs”. They did tend to fall apart but were a tasty addition. Enjoy this wonderfully healthy and tasty treat you can feel good about.
November 13 2009 09:16 am | Snacks and gluten substitutes