These quinoa bites are awesome - they are delicious, little bite-sized nutrition powerhouses, packing loads of protein, iron, fibre, and much more. They make a great easy alternative to falafels and can be snacked on straight outta the fridge with some sriracha or sweet chilli sauce, chucked into toasted pitta bread with hummus and salad, or used to top any pasta dish.

Vegan Smokey Baked Quinoa Bites

Ingredients (makes 20 bites):

1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups vegan stock
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp chilli flakes

Method:

Cook your quinoa as per packet instructions (usually rinsing then boiling in double the volume of stock for 15 mins). Once cooked, leave to stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 190C. Add all the other ingredients to a large mixing bowl, then when the quinoa is cooked and cool enough to handle, add to the bowl and mix everything thoroughly. Now roll up into 20 bite-size balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pop in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are crispy on the outside and just starting to brown - easy!

Nutrition (per 3 balls):

Protein: 5.4g (Women: 11.0% / Men:9.8%)
Iron: 1.8mg (Women: 12.2% / Men: 20.7%)
Calories: 141 (Women: 7.1% / Men: 5.6%)
Sugar: 1.8g (Women: 2.0% / Men: 1.5%)
Total Fats: 5.4g (Women: 7.7% / Men: 5.7%)
Saturated Fat: 0.6g (Women: 3.0% / Men: 2.0%)
Salt: 0.3g (Women: 5.0% / Men: 5.0%)
Fibre: 3.0g (Women: 10.0% / Men: 10.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.