The third 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 | quick | easy | gluten-free | 10 ingredients or less | 30 minutes or less | year-round

Ok, so for the third recipe in the Epic Vegan Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger series, we have Quinoa Bacon Bits! While I won’t say these are exactly like bacon bits you might be used to, they add a nice, satisfying saltiness to just about anything - and it’s quinoa, not bacon. I choose the quinoa! I used red quinoa so that it had that bacony color.

You can use a stainless pan instead of nonstick (I don’t own nonstick), and I do want to say that it really is key to leave it cooking for the three minutes undisturbed before flipping and stirring. This is one of those recipes you’ll likely want to keep in your fridge on the regular - a delicious way to eat this nutritious seed.

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Quinoa Bacon Bits

recipe

FROM EPIC VEGAN BY DUSTIN HARDER

vegan | quick | easy | gluten-free | 10 ingredients or less | 30 minutes or less | year-round

PREP TIME (Make ahead): 15 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

Yield: 1 cup (160 g)

Author’s Note: BACON! Even vegans are obsessed with it. Because I enjoy smoky flavors in my meals, I created these bacon bits particularly for the Loaded Baked Potato Soup on page 140, but you will find use for them in several other recipes in this book! I also like to have them on hand to sprinkle over salads, soups, or even in sandwiches.

Tip: The quinoa will not necessarily crisp up when in the skillet; you might luck out and get some crispy pieces, but the purpose of this step is to dry out the quinoa a bit and release some of the robust flavors.

ingredients

• 1 cup (185 g) cooked quinoa

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

• 2 teaspoons (10 g) ketchup

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the quinoa, soy sauce, olive oil, ketchup, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it’s hot. Add the quinoa mixture and spread in one layer. Cook 3 minutes, undisturbed (it will be hard to resist!). Using a spatula, scrape the quinoa off the bottom of the skillet, mix it around, and spread it in another single layer. Cook an additional 3 minutes.

3. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl, scraping the skillet to get any crispy stubborn bits off. Store cooled bacon bits in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger recipes from epic vegan by dustin harder: