Football season is here and these vegan buffalo quinoa bites are the perfect appetizer to get your non-meat eating friends to join the party. This bite sized snack packs a punch, both in nutrition and flavor. For non-vegans, blue cheese dressing is the preferred dipping sauce and for fellow vegans, I would suggest a vegan ranch dip using vegan mayonnaise as the base.
Vegan Buffalo Quinoa Bites
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup minced cauliflower*
1/2 cup cannellini beans (or navy beans)
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 tbsp flour
buffalo sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with a non-stick mat.
Step 2: Put the cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and cover with a moist paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes or until cauliflower is softened.
Step 3: In a bowl, mash the beans with a fork until they become a thick paste, add the quinoa, garlic and cauliflower and mix until well combined. Add the flour, saltine crackers and buffalo sauce. Start with 2 tablespoons and increase until desired heat level. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Form into 1 inch balls and line onto the baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until outside is crisp. Serve with more buffalo sauce.
*Note: You can now find "riced" cauliflower in both the fresh and frozen section of the grocery store. If not, you can chop up the cauliflower into tiny pieces using a food processor.
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