Pizza Quinoa Bites

Welcome back to PorrazzaNutrition! Today, I want to share with you a recipe I just revamped from my old cooking files. I have been trying to weed through my collection of recipes to figure out the ones I actually use and those I was just hoarding :) I am challenging myself to 1 day per week where I try new recipes and incorporate the tasty ones into my weekly meals or party rotation (since I usually bring healthy dishes wherever I go). My challenge to you this month is to get in the kitchen and try a new recipe or revamp (in a healthy way) an old one from your collection!

Pizza Quinoa Bites

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup low salt tomato sauce **
1.5 cups water
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 flax eggs **
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup nutritional yeast **
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions
1. In a large pot, bring to a boil quinoa, tomato sauce, and water. Lower and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small saucepan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. In a large bowl, mix together onion/garlic, quinoa, flax eggs, basil, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
5. Form mixture into bite-sized patties and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes (or broil for 1-2 minutes for crispier patties). Serve with fresh tomato sauce.

**Recipe Notes
-No-salt-added crushed tomatoes can be used in place of tomato sauce.
-To make a single flax egg, which is a replacement for 1 whole egg, simply mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Double to make the two needed for this recipe.
-Nutritional yeast is a substitute for dairy-cheeses and can be found online or at most health-food stores.

Simple Homemade Applesauce

This past week, I shared my super simple, no-added-sugar, recipe for homemade applesauce with my cooking class. This is one of my favorite recipes to make especially when I have some older and softer apples. I love the way my house smells while this is cooking too :)

When choosing apples, look for ones with a shiny, firm, and smooth skin. Apples are a good source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune health, and a great source of fiber, which is good for digestive health and may help to lower cholesterol levels. Apples are also high in antioxidants, which may help to reduce your risk of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. It is best to leave the skin on your apples to retain all of the fiber and nutrients. With the recipe below, since you will be blending the final product, you won't even notice the skins!

Homemade Applesauce (Stove-top)*
Yield: approx. 4 cups

Ingredients
4 apples, roughly chopped, with skins
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, mix together all ingredients. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until softened.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend apples to reach desired consistency.**
3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge (I used mason jars).

Notes
*Recipe can be made in a slow-cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours (will vary based on size of slow-cooker and amount of apples).
**You can also use a fork or standing blender to mash/puree the apples to your desired consistency. 

Nutrition Per 1 Cup: 70 Calories, 150mg Potassium, 19g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 14g Sugar, 13% DV for Vitamin C