Kale & Red Pepper Bites
A nutrient-packed culinary adventure featuring a blend of medium-grain brown rice, millet, split red lentils, and quinoa. Infused with the vibrant essence of frozen kale, finely diced red capsicum, and onion, these bites come alive with the savoury touch of Italian dried herb mix, garlic granules, and onion powder. Elevating the flavours, nutritional yeast and low-sodium tamari or soy sauce intertwine to create a harmonious taste. For those seeking an extra dimension, adding optional tahini and ground almonds amplifies the texture and taste. Finished with a zesty touch from the juice of half a lemon and the zest of a whole lemon, these bites offer a delectable, healthful experience that tantalizes the taste buds.
Ingredients
- ½ cup medium grain brown rice
- ¼ cup millet
- ¼ cup split red lentils
- ¼ cup quinoa
- 1 box frozen kale
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) finely diced
- 1 lrg brown onion finely diced
- 1 tsp italian dried herb mix
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp low sodium tamari / soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tahini optional
- ¼ cup ground almond optional
- juice of half a lemon
- zest of a whole lemon
Instructions
- Rinse the grains and lentils in a fine sieve under running water for a few minutes.
- Place them in a rice cooker (or saucepan, but you may need to add an extra half a cup of water before the grains are fully cooked, depending on how tight fitting the lid is) with 3 cups of water, and put it on to cook.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (375℉)
- Meanwhile, put the kale into a sieve (in which the sieve will be enclosed) and cover in boiling water.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat, and "fry" the capsicum and onion, adding a splash of water or stock to stop sticking. Do not allow it to get too moist. Once softened after a few minutes, add the herbs and garlic. Cook until the moisture evaporates out and the vegetables are fairly dry but not sticking to the pan.
- Drain the kale, and squeeze all the water out of it with your hands - I find it easiest to do this in 3 or 4 small handfuls and set aside.
- Once the grains are cooked (they should be fairly dry also), tip them into a large bowl, and tip in the contents of the frying pan. Sprinkle in the kale, breaking up any lumps, then add the nutritional yeast, tamari, tahini, lemon, zest & almonds and thoroughly mix.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds if using, into the bottom of each muffin hole, then pack the mixture firmly on top, pushing down to ensure no air pockets which will stop them coming out cleanly. Sprinkle some more sesame seeds on top.
- Pop into the top of the oven for 20 minutes. Take out, allow to sit for 5 minutes, then invert the tray onto a cooling rack, making sure they all come out (you might need to loosen stubborn ones around the side with a plastic knife), and place that on top of a baking tray and then pop back in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up the bottoms.
- My mixture made 34, so you can use the tray again to use up the mixture for another 6-10 bites.
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