These delicious little Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites are jam-packed full of great ingredients and flavors. Perfect as a main when paired with a salad, or as a fun addition to big and little lunch boxes. Nut free so we don't have to worry about sending them to school.
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Baked Zucchini, Feta, and Quinoa Bites
It can be really daunting when you first start out on ditching processed foods and only eating whole real food. I found my biggest savior was having some simple and versatile recipes on hand so I had something to grab when the munchies kicked in.
These baked zucchini, feta and quinoa bites I am about to share fit the bill perfectly.
They are:
- loaded with veggies;
- easy to sub in ingredients - no zucchini? Try some grated carrot instead;
- freezer-friendly;
- lunch-box friendly (no nuts, so we don't have to worry about nut-free zones at school);
- easy to put together, get the kids to help!
- good for dipping;
- a great way to use up leftover quinoa.
How To Cook Quinoa And Why You Should Use It
Quinoa is, for want of a better word, a powerhouse of awesomeness. It is:
- gluten-free,
- high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants,
- one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids,
- a great source of protein,
- easy to prepare, store and cook with,
- SUPER versatile. I love to use it in casseroles, breakfasts, and bites like these.
How to cook quinoa in the pressure cooker
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water to remove its bitter flavor.
Add the quinoa and water into the inner pot. I use 1:1 ratio quinoa to water.
Add the lid and seal the vent.
Select the rice setting, once cooked do a quick pressure release.
How to cook quinoa on the stove top
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water to remove its bitter flavor.
Tip into a pan and add double the amount of salted water
Place over medium heat and bring to the boil.
Reduce to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff it up with a fork, then pimp it.
How to store cooked quinoa
Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge, or place in ziploc bags in the freezer and just defrost when you are ready to use.
Time Saving Tip: On a Sunday I tend to cook up a big batch of quinoa in the rice cooker and freeze it in 1 cup portions to use throughout the week.
How To Serve Up Baked Zucchini, Feta, and Quinoa Bites
Now, on to our little quinoa bites. These guys pack a flavor punch and are chock full of yummy veggies. My kids love them and so do we. I have served them up:
- falafel style with some hummus and yogurt,
- over a salad alongside a nice soft boiled egg,
- cold as snacks throughout the day (great for lunchboxes),
- as sandwich/wrap fillers alongside some arugula, tomatoes, and hummus.
Got Leftovers?
Got leftover quinoa? Cold, leftover quinoa is a brilliant filler in salads or veggie burgers, too.
I make a huge batch of zucchini and quinoa bites and freeze some for during the week when dinner is just too hard, or you have no leftovers for lunch the next day (my husband practically cries when there are no leftovers and he has to take a regular old sandwich for lunch).
Happy Eating.
Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa cook according to package instructions
- 2 medium zucchini
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
- ½ brown onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 spring onions white and light green parts only, finely chopped
- Zest from ½ a lemon
- ⅔ cup crumbled feta or vegan alternative
- 1 large egg or 1 chia egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Using the grating attachment on your food processor or the large holes of a box grater, grate the zucchini. Pop it into a sieve and set over a large bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes to release some of its water
- After 10 mins place the zucchini in a nut milk bag or clean dishtowel, and squeeze well to remove as much water as you can. Once you think you have squeezed it all out, squeeze some more - it needs to be really dry
- Place the dried zucchini in a mixing bowl. Add in the flour, chopped onion, garlic, spring onions, lemon zest, crumbled feta, egg, salt and pepper and mix well
- Wet your hands (to prevent sticking) and form little balls/poppers using a heaped teaspoon of mixture at a time. You should be able to get about 25
- Bake the poppers for 15 mins, flip over and bake for another 15 mins until golden and crispy
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before serving
Notes
Nutrition
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it.
I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @wholefoodbellies so I can share it <3
Try some other 'bite' recipes perfect for little lunch boxes:
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Rachel says
Love how you styled them in the endive!
Whole Food Bellies says
Ha thanks Rachel 🙂 I actually put them in there and made it into a little boat for my 2yo, to make her lunch a little bit more exciting, but it looked so cute i decided to go with it for the photo - sans the sail etc 🙂
Jessica H. says
These sound amazing! Zucchini is one of my favorite squashes so I'm definitely pinning this to try. 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I hope you do Jessica! Enjoy
Shannon Peterson says
Holy yum, this looks delicious! I love anything with quinoa 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Shannon! Quinoa is pretty great 🙂
lifestyletalks.wordpress.com says
This looks so yummy!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks 🙂
Domesticated Momster says
I am so hungry right now and OMG those look scrumptious! I will be adding these to my pinterest for sure! Thanks so much for sharing with #foodpornthursdays! Hope to see you again next week!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you enjoy 🙂 See you at #foodpornthursdays next week for sure!
annabelt - geeks diet says
See, in my head I know that quinoa is super healthy and I quite like it, but I still need to get over how much it reminds me of morning sickness 🙁 I keep trying it from time to time though!
Whole Food Bellies says
Ugh, morning sickness memories can ruin something for life! I basically haven't been able to eat any red meat since my first pregnancy - which was fine with me because I never really ate it anyway....but my husband was very disappointed because I can't really cook with it much anymore! You can pass on the quinoa poppers 🙂
Becky, Cuddle Fairy says
I am so excited with this recipe!! I never know what to do with quinoa although I love to eat it! Thanks so much for linking up with #foodpornthursdays x
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Becky, thanks for sopping by and having me over to hang out at #foodpornthursdays 🙂
Ashleigh says
This recipe looks great, thank you for sharing!! Pinned! xx
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Ashleigh 🙂
Meg @ Green With Decor says
You have such great recipes! These look delicious!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Meg!
Kat from curlsnchard.com says
I remember that I actually didn't like quinoa at first! I don't know what I did wrong when I prepared it, but I really thought it tasted horrible. By now I absolutely love it! Those zucchini and quinoa poppers look delicious 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
My first few times I hated it as well - I think I must have forgotten to rinse it or something? I don't know, but I love it now as well 🙂
Candia says
Yum yum yum! I shouldn't look at recipes on an empty stomach 😛 These look so goood! Thanks for the recipe.
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha thanks Candia 🙂
Maria Provenzano says
These are brilliant! I definitely want to make them.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks for popping in Maria
Miranda @ Miranda Writes Blog says
Wow! These sounds so simple to put together. The presentation is beautiful too. I love the way you displayed them!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh thanks Miranda, that made my day! Yeah they are really easy which is great 🙂
Gretchen says
Oh yum! I'm pregnant and these just flew to the top of my "must make" list!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I know how hard it can be to find something that still tastes yummy when you are pregnant Gretchen! Hope they work for you 🙂
Emily | Rainbow Delicious says
These look fab and so healthy! Yum!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Emily 🙂
Kayli Schattner says
These look so amazing, I wish I could make them right now!! Quinoa + Zucchini are both delish 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Kayli 🙂 Yes they come together as a great combo!
Tabitha Lee says
This is something I would absolutely love I am betting! Definitely going to try these out soon. Thanks for sharing. 😉
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you do Tabitha! Enjoy
Chastity says
Yum! These look amazing:)
Whole Food Bellies says
🙂
Katie @ AMotherThing says
Oh wow, these look so yummy! I will have to try them!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you do 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Katie
Logan Can says
This looks so delicious and healthy! It's making me ready for lunch already! haha
Whole Food Bellies says
haha thanks logan