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    Home » All Recipes

    Author: Donna | Published: Feb 16, 2019 |

    Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites

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    Baked zucchini feta and quinoa bites

    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.

    Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust and use myself.

    Ingredients for Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites in a bowl with a red spatula mixing it all together

    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.
    Uncooked Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites on a baking tray

    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 of quinoa to water.

    Add the lid and seal the vent.

    Select the rice setting, and 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 a 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.

    Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites pied onto a chopping board with a side of aioli

    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.
    Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites being dipped into aioli

    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.

    Recipe

    Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites

    Baked Zucchini, Feta and Quinoa Bites

    Whole Food Bellies
    Delicious zucchini and quinoa poppers are just full of all good things. Perfect as a main when paired with a salad, or as a fun and easy snack.
    4.07 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipes!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine Anytime
    Servings 25 bites
    Calories 27 kcal

    Clicking any equipment link above will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup cooked quinoa cook according to package instructions
    • 2 medium zucchini
    • 3 tablespoon 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
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    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
      2 medium zucchini
    • 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 cooked quinoa, flour, chopped onion, garlic, spring onions, lemon zest, crumbled feta, egg, salt and pepper and mix well
      1 cup cooked quinoa, 3 tablespoon whole wheat flour, ½ brown onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 spring onions, Zest from ½ a lemon, ⅔ cup crumbled feta, 1 large egg, Salt and pepper to taste
    • 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

    Serve as a falafel with hummus and yoghurt, in a salad with a nice soft boiled egg, cold as snacks throughout the day or in a wrap with salad essentials. Freeze well - just pop into the freezer in a single layer, once frozen transfer to storage dish of choice and pop back in the freezer

    Nutrition

    Calories: 27kcalCarbohydrates: 2.7gProtein: 1.4gFat: 1.2gSaturated Fat: 0.7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 50mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 0.5g
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

    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:

    • Colcannon Tater Tots
    • Spiced Cauliflower Parmesan Fritters
    • Game Day Beet Balls

    You can find a full index of my recipes here.

    Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!

    Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel says

      June 03, 2015 at 4:28 am

      Love how you styled them in the endive!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        June 03, 2015 at 4:44 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jessica H. says

      May 19, 2015 at 6:33 pm

      These sound amazing! Zucchini is one of my favorite squashes so I'm definitely pinning this to try. 🙂

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:10 pm

        Oh I hope you do Jessica! Enjoy

        Reply
    3. Shannon Peterson says

      May 19, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Holy yum, this looks delicious! I love anything with quinoa 🙂

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:12 pm

        Thanks Shannon! Quinoa is pretty great 🙂

        Reply
    4. lifestyletalks.wordpress.com says

      May 18, 2015 at 6:13 pm

      This looks so yummy!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:05 pm

        Thanks 🙂

        Reply
    5. Domesticated Momster says

      May 16, 2015 at 6:26 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 17, 2015 at 6:56 pm

        I hope you enjoy 🙂 See you at #foodpornthursdays next week for sure!

        Reply
    6. annabelt - geeks diet says

      May 15, 2015 at 6:41 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 15, 2015 at 10:18 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    7. Becky, Cuddle Fairy says

      May 15, 2015 at 12:18 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 17, 2015 at 6:54 pm

        You are very welcome Becky, thanks for sopping by and having me over to hang out at #foodpornthursdays 🙂

        Reply
    8. Ashleigh says

      May 13, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      This recipe looks great, thank you for sharing!! Pinned! xx

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:06 pm

        You are very welcome Ashleigh 🙂

        Reply
    9. Meg @ Green With Decor says

      May 13, 2015 at 9:02 pm

      You have such great recipes! These look delicious!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:06 pm

        Thanks Meg!

        Reply
    10. Kat from curlsnchard.com says

      May 13, 2015 at 8:35 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:06 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    11. Candia says

      May 13, 2015 at 8:24 pm

      Yum yum yum! I shouldn't look at recipes on an empty stomach 😛 These look so goood! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm

        Haha thanks Candia 🙂

        Reply
    12. Maria Provenzano says

      May 13, 2015 at 7:51 pm

      These are brilliant! I definitely want to make them.

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:04 pm

        Thanks for popping in Maria

        Reply
    13. Miranda @ Miranda Writes Blog says

      May 13, 2015 at 7:19 pm

      Wow! These sounds so simple to put together. The presentation is beautiful too. I love the way you displayed them!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:04 pm

        Oh thanks Miranda, that made my day! Yeah they are really easy which is great 🙂

        Reply
    14. Gretchen says

      May 13, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      Oh yum! I'm pregnant and these just flew to the top of my "must make" list!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:03 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    15. Emily | Rainbow Delicious says

      May 13, 2015 at 6:04 pm

      These look fab and so healthy! Yum!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks Emily 🙂

        Reply
    16. Kayli Schattner says

      May 13, 2015 at 5:41 pm

      These look so amazing, I wish I could make them right now!! Quinoa + Zucchini are both delish 🙂

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks Kayli 🙂 Yes they come together as a great combo!

        Reply
    17. Tabitha Lee says

      May 13, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      This is something I would absolutely love I am betting! Definitely going to try these out soon. Thanks for sharing. 😉

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:01 pm

        I hope you do Tabitha! Enjoy

        Reply
    18. Chastity says

      May 13, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      Yum! These look amazing:)

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:01 pm

        🙂

        Reply
    19. Katie @ AMotherThing says

      May 13, 2015 at 3:11 pm

      Oh wow, these look so yummy! I will have to try them!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:01 pm

        I hope you do 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Katie

        Reply
    20. Logan Can says

      May 13, 2015 at 3:05 pm

      This looks so delicious and healthy! It's making me ready for lunch already! haha

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        May 14, 2015 at 2:00 pm

        haha thanks logan

        Reply
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    Hello and welcome, I'm Donna!

    I am so glad you are here!

    Since I have a part-time job, 3 little kids, and a love of good food (as do you I assume), I have learned how to get the most out of the kitchen in the smallest amount of time.

    Forget about hunting down weird ingredients and making trips to specialty shops.

    We are going to make the most of what is available at the store and farmer's markets all whilst enjoying some delicious meals the whole family (hopefully...if you have fussy eaters I guarantee nothing) will enjoy.

    Pop on that apron and let's get creative in the kitchen!

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