Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

I worked in a library for a few years and food programs were always on the schedule. A co-worker did a quinoa program and made a huge pot. When we cooked for a program we had to make enough to serve about 70 people. Not many people heard of quinoa at the time and only 15 people showed up. We got to take what was left over home and mine was gone before I got there!

Quinoa is a ancient grain. It's a cousin of Amaranth. It was one of the staple foods of the Incas. Has the highest % of protein of all the grains. Has more calcium than milk and it's a great source of iron,vitamin A and E.

 You want to rinse the quinoa in a strainer to get rid of the bitter saponins,then cook 1 cup in about 2 cups water for about 15-20 mins.I like to cook mine in chicken broth.


The recipe is adapted from Jenny Sugar

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or 2 tablespoons dried
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, diced(didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon salt(didn't use)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano(subbed Italian seasoning)
Pizza sauce for dipping

1. Place the quinoa and two cups of water(I cooked mine in chicken broth) in a covered pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (one heaping tablespoon each), and press down gently to compact.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.