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Thai Quinoa Balls (or Bites) with Optional Peanut-Free Dipping Sauce

by Ricki Heller 8 Comments

[These quick and easy Thai Quinoa Balls or Bites make a perfect snack or appetizer! They’re vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, yeast-free, and low glycemic. Suitable for all stages on an anti-candida diet.]

sugar-free Thai Bites with Peanut Free Sauce recipe
Do you feel as if you’re always pressed for time? Perpetually in a rush? Regularly feel as if the closest you get to a real meal is when you grab the first thing you see (hopefully edible) on your way out the door, which you then scarf down in the car as you drive to work, or yoga, or on your way to the vet. . .?
Well, I’ve been there, too. And sadly, far too often, that “first thing” we grab is something we wouldn’t choose to eat if we had all the time in the world.
In “the old days” (ie, my pre-candida life, over 15 years ago), my grab-and-go of choice was often a pre-packaged bran muffin or donut for breakfast, a bag of chips that happened to be loitering on the counter (yes, I’ve eaten an entire family-sized bag of chips for lunch), or a handful of cookies that had been baked the week before (homemade, yes, but still. . . cookies for lunch!).
As my diet evolved and the option to eat processed or packaged foods was eventually eliminated, I began to experiment with my own “fast food” creations I could prep in advance, pack up, and snag on my way out the door if I needed something nourishing to sustain me.


These days, I never leave the house without at least a small ziploc of nuts and seeds (in case I get stuck in traffic and find myself ravenous, for instance).  But it took a bit of time and experimentation to discover the best options for prepared foods that were also portable.

I recently taught a section of the Food Freedom program  in which I talked about ways to save time and money in the kitchen when you eat a whole-foods diet. One of the methods I recommend is to cook more than you need and freeze leftovers for later. Freezing works particularly well when you can also eat the foods at room temperature–just grab on your way out the door to work, for instance, and allow the dishes to defrost naturally by lunchtime, then enjoy.
These Thai Bites or Balls fit the bill perfectly. Not only can you can bake up a huge batch in advance, freeze for later, then pluck them right from the freezer, but they’re actually best enjoyed at room temperature. If you opt for the dipping sauce on the side, simply store some in small jars or containers so you can bring it with you as well (but rest assured, these are plenty flavorful all on their own).
I find the patties work better for dipping, while the mixture rolled into balls are great for a take-along snack or light lunch on the go. But either way, they’ll become a new favorite in no time.
Sugar-free, gluten-free Thai Bites with Peanut-Free Sauce

Thai Quinoa Balls or Bites with Optional Peanut-Free Dipping Sauce

These tasty patties or balls are a perfect take-along snack on their own. For added zest or to serve as an appetizer, pair them with the peanut-free dipping sauce.

For the Bites:
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) cooked quinoa (white or red work best)
1 cup (240 ml) cooked navy, white or kidney beans
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
3 Tbsp (45 ml) natural smooth almond butter (can sub with peanut butter if allowed)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) gluten free soy sauce or tamari
3 Tbsp (45 ml) ground flax seeds (from about 1-1/2 Tbsp/22.5 ml whole seeds)
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) chili flakes

For the Dipping Sauce:

3/4 cup 180 ml) natural smooth almond butter (can sub with peanut butter if allowed)
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5) fresh lime juice (about one small lime)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) gluten free soy sauce or tamari
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
5 drops plain pure stevia liquid
2-4 Tbsp (30-60 ml) water, as needed

Make the bites: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the quinoa and beans to break up the beans (the mixture should still be chunky). Add remaining ingredients and process for a few seconds just to incorporate everything smoothly.

Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, measure out the dough and roll into balls about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and place on the cookie sheet. For bites, flatten each ball to about 1/2 inch (13 mm) thickness. For balls, leave as they are.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until the bites are dry outside and beginning to brown. Cool. Best served at room temperature, but can be reheated as well. (Note that the bites will seem fragile when just taken out of the oven; they will firm up when cool). Makes 18-20 bites or balls. May be frozen.

If desired, while the bites bake, make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (a hand blender works well, too). Use as a dipping sauce or drizzle over the bites. Makes about 1-1/2 cups (360 ml). Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Suitable for: ACD all stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.

This recipe was originally created for the (free!) Snackable ebook by Alisa Fleming of Go Dairy Free. Learn more here, or get the book on amazon. 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.

Subscribe for recipes and more about sugar-free living! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll receive emails with recipes and videos as soon as they’re posted, plus weekly updates and news about upcoming events. A healthy lifestyle CAN be sweet!

 

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Filed Under: ACD Maintenance, ACD Stage Three, ACD Stage Two, anti candida diet, appetizers, beans and legumes, dairyfree, gluten free, Living Candida-Free, nuts, party food, recipes, side dishes, snacks, sugar-free, Uncategorized, vegan Tagged: anti candida diet, anti-candida, appetizer, dairy free, easy, egg free, food allergies, food sensitivities, gluten free, healthy, nuts, pareve, parve, quick, recipe, recipes, savory, side dish, sugar free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raymonde says

    February 21, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Hi Ricki
    I really enjoy a lots of your recipe I been vegetarian almost 30 years one’s every 3-4 month
    I mite have wild fish.
    this morning I did the apple fritter ring I use only one tablespoon of sugar
    and my spread was homemade coconut yogurt kefir yum yum I also want to mention
    I came across about flax seed is high estrogen so I use chia instead .
    Today I want to try those quinoa ball.
    enjoy your day.

    Reply
    • Ricki Heller says

      February 21, 2016 at 4:52 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the apple fritters, Raymonde! I think they’d be great wtih coconut yogurt kefir, too. Do let me know what you think of these if you give them a try!

      Reply
  2. Lauren says

    February 22, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    These look yummy : ) Can I ask what makes these not acceptable for phase 1 of anti-candida? Maybe I have forgotten all the limitations.

    Reply
    • Ricki Heller says

      February 22, 2016 at 11:54 pm

      Yikes, Lauren–my error!! I thought they had flour in them, but nope. 🙂 So yes, they are just fine for Stage One!! (Yippee).

      Reply
  3. Floortje Louise says

    November 30, 2016 at 8:57 am

    Oh my! Ricki! Is it really true that quinoa is suitable for stage 1? I thought it wasn’t, but this really made my day! Yay!

    Reply
    • Ricki Heller says

      December 2, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      Floortje, it depends whose diet you follow. Some allow it; others don’t. There are many anti-candida diets out there and they all work for at least some of the people. . . which is why I like to see people working with a practitioner who can help you find the diet that will work for you. I was allowed quinoa in stage one, and I had no problem with it. 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. vegan news says:
    February 21, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    […] Thai Quinoa Balls (or Bites) with Optional Peanut-Free Dipping Sauce […]

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  2. Vegetarian, Gluten-Free Roundup: Quinoa says:
    February 26, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    […] Ricki Heller shared Thai Quinoa Balls with Peanut-Free Dipping Sauce […]

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Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great!

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