Description
This gluten- and dairy-free spinach ball recipe is a healthy remix of a classic holiday appetizer with just as much flavor as the original. Bring a plate to your next gathering and everyone will want the recipe. They freeze well, make a batch to reheat for a quick side dish or snack at home.
Ingredients
1 16-ounce package frozen, organic, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups cooked quinoa (do not pack)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
2–3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and finely chopped
2 heaping tablespoons cassava flour (or other gluten-free baking flour)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 eggs, beaten
1/8 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil (such as Wild Mushroom & Sage Infused olive oil)
Instructions
Day Before Cooking – Prepare the Quinoa:
Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clean. Quinoa can be quite sandy so do not skip this step! Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions substituting chicken stock for water. 1 cup of dry quinoa will yield a little more than the 2 cups cooked.
Day of Cooking:
- Heat the oven to 400º and line two rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
- Place the thawed spinach into a fine mesh strainer and press it with your hands to drain the excess water. If the mixture is too wet, the spinach balls won’t hold together well, so really press as much water out as you can. Add the drained spinach and cooked quinoa to a large glass or stainless-steel mixing bowl, along with the onion and fresh garlic.
- Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, remove the stems and finely chop the caps. Add the mushrooms, flour and herbs to the spinach mixture and stir to evenly distribute.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs and oil together, then pour over the spinach mixture and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Using a tablespoon and your palm, form the mixture into 1” – 1 1/2” balls and place them in rows on the parchment lined sheet pans.
Conventional Oven: Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes, then swap and rotate the sheets and cook for an additional 10-15 more minutes or until they are firm, the quinoa is golden brown and the internal temperature is at least 165º.
Convection Oven: Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
Allow the spinach balls to cool slightly on a wire cooling rack before serving. Drizzle them with additional Wild Mushroom and Sage Infused extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a crunchy finishing salt such as Fleur de Sel.
Equipment
Notes
For best results, thaw the spinach and cook the quinoa the day before.
If your mixture is too wet and the spinach balls are falling apart, first strain off any excess liquid. Lastly, add more cassava flour, one tablespoon at a time to absorb the excess moisture.
To freeze, store them in an airtight silicone pouch once they have fully cooled. Reheat them in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 400º.
