Cheesy Quinoa Bites

I've had some quinoa in my pantry that I've been meaning to put to good use, so when Tessa found this recipe on Pinterest, I went to work. I actually made them the first time as a side dish for some Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos. We ate them all week as snacks, and the next time, I just made them for lunch.

They're packed with nutrients from the veggies and the quinoa, and filled my salty snack craving perfectly. I've made them both with green onions and leeks, and both are delicious. As far as numbers go, the original recipe, made in mini-muffin tins, reportedly made about 28 bites. I don't have a mini-muffin tin, so I just scooped mine. I apparently make big scoops (2-3 tablespoons), so I ended up with 15 big bites (shown above). Original recipe here.

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion or one small leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or about 1 tbsp dried)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all the ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini-muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping tablespoon each) or place heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serves two to four.

That's not what I meant...

Chicken in White Wine Reduction

An excellent main course to go alongside that roasted summer squash is this simple, delicious chicken recipe. I usually serve the chicken over a mixture of brown rice and quinoa. Tessa and I have taken to calling this "wine chicken," and it makes the whole house quite fragrant. Although the sauce takes a while to reduce, you don't have to baby it, so put up your feet and have a glass while it does all the work!

2 small chicken breasts
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (I use chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 tbs garlic or one clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked brown rice, AND
1 cup cooked quinoa, mixed together (alternately, two cups of either grain)

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sautee the chicken until browned, then set it aside to rest.
2. Deglaze the skillet by adding the wine, then the chicken stock. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper, and allow to reduce over medium-high heat.
3. (optional) In the meantime, shred the chicken using two forks. This will allow the chicken to absorb more of the flavor of the sauce.
4. Once you can slide a spatula across the bottom of the pan and it leaves a "clean" trail behind it, add the butter and return the chicken to the pan for 2-3 minutes. Sauce will still appear thin. (10/23/11 note: My mom told me that when she made this dish, she allowed the sauce to reduce too much, and there wasn't enough to properly sauce the chicken and rice. If this happens, don't worry. Just add a little broth, water, or wine, until there is enough sauce.)
5. Ladle chicken and sauce over mixed rice and quinoa, and serve hot with roasted summer squash or steamed vegetables.

Serves two.

I didn't know wine could be for eating!