Southwestern Quinoa Bites

My husband is such a foodie! Every now and then he will send me recipes that interest him. This is one of them. I must say that we all loved the bites a lot.
My husband and I enjoy Quinoa but the kids don't fancy it much, so I find different ways to make it interesting for them. This recipe got them excited mainly because of the presentation, and paired with avocado dipping sauce or guacamole (which the kids love) makes it an easy sell to them. 


This Recipe will make 14 bites

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno (or according to taste), seeded and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (cook in vegetable broth)
• 1/2 cup zucchini - leftover pulp from juicing (if you do not have a juicer at home, simply use grated zucchini)
• 1/4 cup organic corn kernels
• 1/4 cup black beans
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water – allow 5 minutes to thicken
• 2 tsp milk
• Salt black pepper and red chilli flakes to taste ( I used Peri Peri salt) 
• Handful of finely chopped cilantro

 For the breading:

• 1 cup crushed gluten-free cereal or breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash of cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté the shallot, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno until translucent. Remove from heat.
2. Combine all of the ingredients together for the quinoa bites in a medium bowl. 
3. In a shallow bowl, whisk the breading ingredients until combined.
4. Form into balls with hands and then roll in the breadcrumb mix that should be put in a shallow bowl.
5. Place into skillet and cook on all sides until golden brown.
6. Allow oil to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle salt to season immediately.
7. Serve with avocado dipping sauce or guacamole.