In going gluten free 4 years ago, the one thing I was worried about missing out on was pizza. That thin, crispy crust. The melty cheese. Pesto. Tomato sauce. Meat. Veggies. Spices. Ah, I die.
Divine.
Back then, it was so hard to find a crust recipe to make at home, which I used to tell myself was a good thing. Otherwise I’d want to eat it everyday. Or even a few times a week. And lord knows I would have felt horrible from it too.
So, I just let it be. Focusing on my awesome salads at pizza places and savoring the wine instead.
Until now. I finally figured out a way to get all the great taste of pizza, without a single ounce of guilt (or bloating or fatigue). Introducing your new favorite snack, appetizer or weeknight side: the quinoa pizza bite.
It’s even kid approved, and couldn’t be easier to make. Or customize, for that matter.
One of the 150 amazing, healthy and easy recipes from the Simply Real Health Cookbook, on sale now!
Pizza Quinoa Bites
Makes approximately 12 muffins or 24 mini-muffins
Notes: This is a great basic recipe to add whatever other pizza “toppings” that you’d like: olives, peppers, cooked mushrooms, sausage, pineapple, pesto, etc. If you are dairy free, add 1 teaspoon chia seeds to 6 teaspoons water in a small bowl and let soak for 3-4 minutes before adding to the mix instead of cheese. Then add 3 teaspoons nutritional yeast as well for extra flavor! Serve with extra tomato or pesto sauce for dipping.
1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup cheese, grated + more to sprinkle on the top
3 ounces tomato sauce
1 egg
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, oregano or parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)
sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook quinoa by adding it to a pot with 2 cups of water. Sprinkle with sea salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Spray or line a mini or regular muffin tin.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adding warm cooked quinoa last. Stir well, and add the batter into the muffin tins. Sprinkle each muffin with a bit of cheese. Bake for 25 minutes for regular muffins or 15 minutes for mini muffins, or until cheese is melted.
Photos by Jasmine Pulley for the Simply Real Health Cookbook, on sale now!