Asiago Quinoa Veggie Bites

So I did shopping on Saturday… like supply shopping which meant that I bought in bulk.  And A LOT Of bulk!  However I forgot one thing while I was out doing this big shopping.  One very, VERY important detail…

I had NO ROOM AT ALL in my fridge to put this new stuff. No really, when I say I have no room, I literally could not fit 1 egg in my fridge let alone 10 pounds of various cheeses, 5 lbs of Italian plums (have to make the man Italian Plum Dumplings), 5 pounds of spinach (I love this stuff!), 6 more pounds of butter, 2 gallons of OJ and a whole bunch of other stuff!

Thankfully Mr. Fantabulous was at Home Depot while I home trying to shove all this stuff into an already stuffed fridge.

First order of business was see what I could put in a pot luck lunch for him then see what other stuff I could possibly free or pitch.

Well somehow by the Grace of God (and duct tape.. LOL kidding… no really, I’m kidding) I managed to shove it all in there..thankfully just in time as Mr. Fantabulous walked inside the house.

I ended up making him some of that Vegetable Caprese French Bread I made last night so that killed one item that was in the fridge.  All that was left was some cooked quinoa, carrots, 1/2 of a zucchini, 1/2 of a red pepper and a chunk of Asiago.  Now I could have gone with some type of gratin with this or even a lasagna but I just made that and I wanted something different. That’s when it hit me.. make little appetizer cups, tarts perhaps, out of these ingredients.

So I got grating, chopping, mincing, mixing and… 30 minutes THESE gorgeous little bites came out of my oven.  Crispy and cheesy on the outside but soft and sinful on the inside!

Now I’m gonna fess up here… in the first 6 minutes of these things being taken out of the oven, I ate 4 of them!  They are THAT good!

And…*hangs her head in shame* as I was putting them away a part of one accidentally-on-purpose broke off and fell into my mouth.  So room temperature, slightly cool, they are still fantastic!

I made them 2 ways… one with just veggies and one batch with shredded chicken.  Honestly, I’m not sure which one I like better!

Hmmm… maybe I should go taste test again *wink*

Asiago Quinoa Veggie Bites

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbl butter
• 3 eggs (you can omit the yolks and use just the whites if you want a healthier version)
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup red pepper, diced small
• 1 rounded tsp garlic, minced
• 1 Tbl fresh thyme
• 1 Tbl chives, minced
• 1 1/2 cups grated Asiago Cheese
• 2–3 Tbl flour (optional)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Put the quinoa and butter in a pan and saute over medium for about 5-7 minutes or until the quinoa smells nutty. They will also get slightly browned (don’t burn them!). Also, stir gently while they are cooking.
2. Pour the chicken stock and bring just to a boil.
3. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is all dissolved.
4. Move to a bowl to cool.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. In a bowl, add in your cooled quinoa, eggs, carrots, zucchini, red pepper, garlic, thyme. Chives, salt, pepper and 1 cup of Asiago.
7. Mix well to incorporate.
8. Add in 2 Tbl of flour and mix. You want it to be wet but not soupy. If it’s too wet, add the remaining flour.
9. Liberally spray regular sized muffin tins entirely with cooking spray. You don’t want them to stick!
10. Fill each muffin tin 3/4 full.
11. Using the back of a spoon, press down firmly so you get it as even as possible.
12. Add the remaining ½ cup of Asiago on top of the mixture.
13. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know when they are done as the edges will start to pull away from the sides and they will be a little darker than golden brown. You want them to form a crust. You don’t want to overcook them as they will dry out.
14. Allow to cool for 1 minute in the pan and then using a knife, gently remove them from the tins to a plate or rack.
15. These can be served room temperature or cold.

Notes

Suggested Add-ins:
– Diced broccoli, shredded chicken, red pepper and cheddar
– Cooked Shrimp with some creole seasoning
– Spice up the quinoa with some chili spice, add in some taco seasoned ground beef or turkey
– Diced ham, diced broccoli and sharp cheddar
– Roasted tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella

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