The first of six recipes that create one epic seventh recipe, from Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over the Top Plant-based Recipes.

vegan | gluten-free | nut-free | quick | easy | 15 minutes or less | year-round

This is the first of a seven-part post series for Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes. I’m so excited for him - after all his epic experiences as The Vegan Roadie on YouTube and his first great cookbook, The Simply Vegan Cookbook: Easy, Healthy, Fun, and Filling Plant-Based Recipes Anyone Can Cook (you can check out a recipe from that book here), Dustin is now focusing on going big in the kitchen by compiling several delicious recipes into one. Some examples: Almost Famous Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, Crab Rangoon Pizza, Caramel Cookie Brownie Milkshake - you get the idea. And yes, it’s all vegan! He finds a fabulous way in each recipe.

Dustin asked me to showcase an Epic Vegan Recipe, so I chose (drum roll, please): the Bacon Macaroni and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger. !!! I thought you might like it, am I right? So in this series, we are going to be building our way to the Epic Vegan Recipe. This particular epic burger recipe involves six recipes! Because I tend to focus on quick and easy recipes with my blog, and because each recipe stands on its own so well, I’m breaking the Epic Vegan Recipe up into smaller “bites,” so to speak. I want you to be able to enjoy each of these, see that they actually each stand on their own and are easy to make and nice to have on-hand in the fridge individually, and then see how well they work together.

So the first recipe required to make the epic burger seems unassuming: Hemp Parmesan. Don’t let it fool you. Though it is quick and easy to put together (about 5 minutes), it is rich in flavor and is a refreshing option to what is often a nut-based recipe in the world of vegan cheeses. This is something I like to have in the fridge all the time to toss on a salad, beans and rice, pasta, you name it. So good. It just adds that extra yum factor to a dish, achieved even with just a little bit of this kitchen gold.

This hemp parmesan is really wonderful on top of mac and cheese, especially the Easy Creamy Shells and Cheese from the Epic Vegan cookbook, which we is the next recipe in the epic burger series.

The Epic Vegan Recipe: Bacon macaroni and cheese bbq blue burger

Below is a glimpse of the Bacon Macaroni and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger that we’re making at the end of this Epic Vegan Recipe series. It’s not easy to see the hemp parm, but it’s there on top of the sweet, acidic BBQ sauce, bringing a nice salty balance.

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Hemp Parmesan

recipe
from Epic Vegan by Dustin Harder

vegan | gluten-free | nut-free | quick | easy | 15 minutes or less | year-round

PREP TIME: 5 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes

YIELDS ½ cup (80 g)

 

Author’s notes: In my first book, The Simply Vegan Cookbook, I made a walnut parmesan. In this book, I wanted to create a nut-free version that also packs a nutrient punch, so I turned to the good ole hemp seed. I like to have this condiment handy inthe refrigerator to use on pizza and pasta at the ready!

Tip: You can use agave as a substitute if you don’t have maple syrup on hand—or even organic cane sugar if you’re really in a pinch.

ingredients

• ½ cup (60 g) hemp seeds

• 2 tablespoons (10 g) nutritional yeast

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

instructions

1. Add the hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides if needed. Add the maple syrup, ½ teaspoon at a time, pulsing the mixture until well combined.

2. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The ingredients below can be purchased at Amazon. Beautiful Ingredient will receive a small commission for purchases you make through the links to Amazon - at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

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Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger from Epic Vegan by Dustin Harder: