Quinoa Bites

These crunchy quinoa and sweet potato bites are a great snack that you can serve with a variety of your favorite toppings: sauces (guacamole, salsa, etc.), soy products (tempeh, tofu), salads, vegetables, nuts, etc.
Egg-free, gluten-free!

Ingredients:

1 cup (200 g) cooked quinoa, chilled in the refrigerator
¾ cup (200 g) mashed warmed sweet potato flesh (equivalent to 1 medium sweet potato)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
⅓ cup (40 g) chickpea flour
¼ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

Seasonings:
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the paper generously with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Prick the sweet potato with a fork, place on a microwave-safe plate, and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then flip and microwave for another 3 minutes, until the potato is soft and easily pierced with a knife.
3. Let the sweet potato cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Then cut it in half, scoop out the flesh, mash it with a fork, and measure out the desired amount (you should have about ¾ cup of mashed flesh).
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. In a bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, mashed potatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, chickpea flour, and dried spices.
6. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula, pressing the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. It should be moist, sticky, but not runny. If the mixture is still too runny, add a little more chickpea flour.
7. Grease your hands generously with olive oil, take a spoonful of the dough and roll it into a cylindrical shape with your palms. The process will be “sticky” and a little messy, but this is normal. Don’t worry about the appearance of the bites at this stage. Just divide the dough into equal parts, roll them into “cylinders” and place them on a greased plate.
8. Once all the bites are formed, wash and dry your hands. Grease your palms generously with olive oil again and “roll” each bite again. This will smooth out the edges. It will also coat the bites with a thin layer of oil, which will brown in the oven.
9. Place each bite on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a half-thumb gap between them (so that the bites don’t touch each other).
10. Bake at 200°C until golden brown and crispy – about 30-40 minutes (flip halfway through). The exact time depends on the size of the bites you’ve made – bake until they reach your desired consistency.
11. Serve warm with your choice of toppings!

Yield: 2 servings
Recipe: theconsciousplantkitchen.com