Quinoa Cheese Bites (gluten free)

Quinoa Cheese Bites

The boys could not agree how to eat these cheesy little dumplings: G-man smothered his in tomato sauce and the Cadet carefully dipped each bite. Does it really matter? They were eating quinoa. Voluntarily, cheerfully even.

Quinoa Cheese Bites started with Elle's recipe for Vegetarian Meatballs, and quinoa stands in place of crackers. A few more tweaks, and voila! Gluten free and oven baked, you can serve them as an entree or as a perfect take-along snack for a party.

1 cup quinoa, cooked*
1 large (or 2 small) eggs
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (I have not tried it, but I bet non-dairy cheese would work well.)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp basil

Cook the quinoa. (I added two cups of boiling water to the quinoa, stirred it until it came back to a boil, put the lid on the pot and left it for half an hour.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a large baking dish (or two, 12" square dishes) with coconut oil or olive oil.

Mix everything together. Form one-inch balls, gently press them together and place them onto the baking dish. If you dip your hands in water first, and again every so-often, it will be easier to form the balls. Bake, uncovered, for about forty minutes, until the tops are golden.

Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, or blend the following together:

16 oz unsalted tomato sauce
small onion
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic



[For anyone who is paying attention: yes, this is a repost from 2012. :) ]

Like recipes? Check out these recipe carnivals. Bloggers from all over the 'net share recipes at Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thriving on Thursdays, the Friday Vegetarian Potluck, Foodie Friends Friday,  Fat Tuesday, the Hearth and Soul Hop, Make Your Own Monday,  Martha Mondays,  Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Foodie Friday, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

www.stealthymom.com

Beef 'n' Tater Bites (gluten free)

Beef 'n' Tater Bites

I really did not know what to call these. "Tater Tot Bites?" They contain none of the usual suspects of tater tot casserole: frozen potatoes or canned soups.  "Burgers and Fries Balls?" That would work if they had breadcrumbs. Any bright ideas?

These are meatballs with shredded potatoes, mushrooms, and celery baked right in. Brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, you could serve them as a party food or for a living room picnic.

Grilled Falafel (vegan, gluten free)

Grilled Falafel  in a Grilled Pita with Easy Coleslaw

Falafel could be the original "veggie burgers." A tradition from Middle Eastern cuisine, falafel are generally deep fried to give them a crispness outside while staying tender inside. You can achieve that on the grill, too, making this a fun burger for cook-outs. I adapted this falafel recipe to make it gluten and egg-free.

Our boys really enjoyed these. The Cadet helped mix the seasonings and blended chickpeas together. G-man, who often claims to dislike chickpeas, dug into the final product with enthusiasm. When the older brother exclaimed that he liked these "burgers," the little brother declared that he liked them too. Thumbs up!

Grilled Mini Peppers (gluten free)

Grilled Mini Peppers

Have you ever seen mini bell peppers? They about the size of jalapenos, but are sweet and mild. As soon as I saw them, I thought, "stuff them with cream cheese and throw them on the barbecue!" A recipe on the side of the bag suggested doing just that, but to bake them instead. Baking would be okay, but the smokey sweetness of a grilled pepper is a rare treat. Even G-man, who currently says he does not like peppers, snuck a few bites.

1 lb  bag mini bell peppers
8 oz cream cheese

Wash dry, and count the peppers. Cut a sit in each pepper lengthwise. Cut the cream cheese in as many cubes as there are peppers. (That is the fun part. I accidentally had a few cubes left over and had to eat them. Ooops.)

Place the peppers onto a hot grill and close the lid. In about ten minutes, they will be soft will grill-marks on one side. Done!

Variation: We bought a jar of hot pepper jelly from a roadside seller. I have no idea what is in it but adding a half a spoonful to the cooked peppers gave some heat to the grown-up's plates.



www.stealthymom.com

Homemade Chicken Nuggets (GF, low sodium)

Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Rutabaga Fries and Fool Ranch Dressing

Anyone with kids out there who like chicken nuggets? Recipe after recipe, I have tried to make nuggets that "pass." It really is funny, considering that G-man and the Cadet refuse to eat pizza at a restaurant because is doesn't taste like what we make at home.  They pace around for homemade cookies, and cheerfully call a frozen banana smoothie a "milkshake." So what's up with nuggets? C'mon, G-man... that place with the big letter M on a stick is really not that good... This is the first time that kid ate chicken nuggets at home without coaxing. We have a winner!*

Raspberry Chicken (gluten free, low sodium)

Raspberry Chicken

Tender, baked chicken with a sweet and sour sauce. There are no artificial colours or flavours, just the hint of tangy raspberry with every bite. A bit of melted mozzarella enhances the dish, but is totally optional.

Cheese Dip Mini Pizzas

Cheese Dip Mini Pizzas 

You made a fantastic No-Tell cheese dip. Your friend brought over a Queso dip. Both were great but the crowd did not finish them.  Mini-pizzas are a fun way to use your leftover cheese dip. You could even whip them up, mid-party, instead of buying frozen minis.

BBQ Meatballs (low sodium, gluten free)

BBQ Meatballs

This recipe is easy, so easy that you might never buy frozen meatballs or bottled sauce again. Ten minutes of prep, and an hour in the oven, and you will have sweet and saucy little bites to serve at a Game Day party or for a cozy family dinner.

Per three dozen small meatballs:

1 lb ground grassfed ground beef.
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder

8oz unsalted tomato sauce, canned or home made
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried onion

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the ground beef, oregano, and teaspoon of garlic powder together. Form small balls, about an inch in diameter, and arrange them in a casserole dish.

Stir together the tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, garlic powder and dried onion. Pour it over top of the meatballs. Bake for an hour.

www.stealthymom.com

I shared this recipe with Full Plate Thursday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday and Taste This! Thursday Party  the Ultimate Recipe Swap- Party Foods Edition, and Gluten Free Wednesdays.

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls (low sodium, gluten free)

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls (low sodium)

"Meat balls.... I wanna make MEAT BALLS. Meat balls in sauce like at the Chinese food store!" G-man is a big fan of the mom and pop asian eatery down the street. We all are, but we visit less often since sodium has become an issue. The Cadet, a baby carnivore who must have been a T-rex in a former life, overheard G-man's begging and joined in.

For four to six servings: