BBQ Quinoa Balls

These BBQ quinoa & chickpea balls are the perfect finger food appetizer for any gathering. Dipped in a fresh peanut butter barbeque sauce that is irresistible! They are vegan, gluten-free and deliciously nutritious. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For quinoa balls

• 5 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
• 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 flax egg (1 TB flax meal & 3 TB water - let sit 10 min before using)
• ½ cup gluten free bread crumbs (can use regular if not gluten free)
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• pinch of salt

For BBQ sauce

• 1 cup peanut butter made with the NutraMilk
• 1 cup ketchup
• 4 tbsp. soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. maple syrup
• 4 tbsp. yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

For peanut butter

• 2 cups (275g) peanuts (untoasted, unsalted)
• pinch salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Making the peanut butter
  • Place peanuts in the NutraMilk container.
  • Press Butter cycle, set for 2-3 minutes.
  • Press Start.
  • Open the container lid.
  • If necessary, set for an additional 1-2 minutes for a creamier butter.

For BBQ sauce:

• Stir together peanut butter and ketchup until completely smooth and well combined, then add in other ingredients. Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes you use depending on how spicy you want your sauce to be.
• Pour the mixture into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thick.
• Let cool to room temperature.

For quinoa balls

• Add garbanzo beans to the NutraMilk and mix until smooth.
• In a large bowl, combine the bean mixture and flax egg . Then add cooled quinoa, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.

• Take quinoa mixture and form into about 1" balls (sometimes mine get a little larger).
• Put balls in freezer for 10 min. (optional but makes them stay together better).

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat 2-3 tbsp. of oil (depending on how large you pan is) and fry quinoa balls for about 5 minutes flipping so that all sides get cooked. I usually do this in 2-3 batches.
• Place balls on cookie pan and bake for 15 min. (You can opt to skip frying and directly put them in the oven for longer.)

• When balls are done baking, you can serve them directly off the oven with the dipping sauce on the side or you can coat them in the barbecue sauce and serve ready to eat.

Prepared and photographed by NutraMilk nutritionist, Florencia Tagliavini.

Recipe inspired by Vnutrition.