Adapted from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Savory little bites bursting with the flavors of sun dried tomato, spinach, garlic, cheese and nutty quinoa, these little balls have lots of protein and fiber along with a healthy dose of veggies. I was looking for a healthy little bite to serve to my yoga friends after class last weekend so I did a quick search on my blog for healthy appetizers and the top result was a post I did years ago (in 2013!) during the holidays: 40 Healthier Holiday Appetizers.
Several of the recipes in that post were from other food bloggers that I hadn’t actually tried. Scrolling through them, the spinach quinoa balls from Lauren Kelly Nutrition caught my eye. I had some cooked quinoa I needed to use up, spinach in the freezer … all I needed was some sun dried tomatoes!
Chopping the spinach along with the sun dried tomatoes in my Ninja chopper sure made it easy, but the color of the balls wasn’t the same vibrant green with pretty red specks as Lauren’s. I think they are still presentable … and quite delicious! I love that they are super healthy, easy to make ahead, then heat up for a quick, healthy snack anytime. The fact that they are gluten free is just a bonus in my mind. I love when I can share food with my gluten free friends.
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Sun Dried Tomato Spinach Quinoa Balls
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 8 – 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, moisture squeezed out
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup flaxmeal
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon mushroom salt (recipe here … or 1 teaspoon salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or your favorite spice blend, such as Mrs. Dash)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a mini food processor, add the onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and finely chop. Add the spinach and pulse a few more times.
- Pour into a small mixing bowl and stir in the quinoa, almond flour, flaxmeal, butter and seasonings. Stir until well mixed, then stir in the egg until it is fully incorporated into the mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and stir again.
- Form the spinach mixture into 1 inch balls, setting them on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
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