Pure Hunger

I get these ideas in my head and until I follow through they circle around and around like a hamster in a ball. When I make quinoa there is always at least 2 cups left over that I try to throw into soup or salad to add extra protein to my diet. My son, however, is really interested in feeding himself and doesn’t take lightly to this mama trying to feed him a spoonful of quinoa. He wants to do it himself, which usually means it all ends up on the floor and maybe a single grain in his mouth. I wanted to up my chances of getting more goodness in his belly without taking away his independence. The trouble, however, was I couldn’t find a single recipe that made quinoa a finger food.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water
2 cup potatoes (cooked and mashed)
2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup greens, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp gram masala (optional)

I found a few inspirations and made my own. I must say they turned out wonderfully. I would even serve them at a party as an appetizer as long as I added at least a teaspoon or more of additional spice.

The flax and potato act as the binders so they can be substituted for sweet potato, squash or yams. The flax and water can be substituted with 2 eggs or 4 egg yolks.

Each ball is a complete meal with vegetables, omega 3 and 6 in the flax seed and protein and grain in the quinoa. They freeze really well and reheat in a few seconds. I often use them as a to-go snack.

The only downfall is they can still crumble and get a bit messy when being consumed by a little person. I think next time I will add more water and flax so it doesn’t dry out when reheated.

Mix together flax seed and water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until blended well. Roll out in small balls with your hands. This will be a sticky process.

Bake in a 375F oven for 20 minutes, turning the balls over at 10 minutes. Should be a golden color and slightly crisp on the outside. Should make about 50-60 balls.