Fuel Your Adventures with Our Plant-Based Jerky

mushrooms-beats-board-2_medWho’s craving an adventure? We are! And what better way to fuel your adventure than with a batch of this easy, 100% vegan jerky? Yes, that’s right—we’re going to share our surefire way to make plant-based jerky that will satisfy even the most ravenous appetites. This jerky is spicy, chewy, and makes the perfect road trip snack.

Hearty, Nutrient-Rich, Completely Vegan Jerky

To maximize your adventure mileage, we filled this jerky with hearty, nutrient-rich ingredients like mushrooms…beets…and chia seeds. For this recipe, you’ll want to grind the chia seeds, which changes their texture and may also increase their bioavailability. To make our savory mushroom-beet jerky, you will need…
• 8 oz. mushrooms (cremini, button, whichever you like!)
• 1 medium beet

• ½ cup ground chia seeds
• 1 clove garlicmushrooms-beats-board_faceb
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons liquid amino acids
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

How to Make Savory Mushroom-Beet Jerky

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Using a spice mill, mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, or whichever tool you prefer, grind the chia seeds. Be careful not to overgrind, you’ll end up with chia butter!
• Remove the stem and leaves from the beet, scrub it, place it in the bowl of the food processor and process for a few seconds until finely diced.
• Gently wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth, remove the stems, and add to the process. Again, process for a few seconds.
• Peel the garlic, then the clove to the bowl of the food processor, along the mushroom caps, ground chia seeds, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, dried sage, and black pepper, and process until evenly distributed, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Add the olive oil, amino acids, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, and a dash of salt, and process until the mixture comes together in a sort of paste. This should take about five minutes, and you’ll likely need to scrape down the sides a few times.
• Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if desired. Keep in mind that the flavors will become more pronounced as it dries out.
• Spread the paste evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet.jerky-base-2_facebook• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is visibly dry.
• Remove from the oven and lower the heat to 325 degrees.
• Rest one edge of the baking sheet against a cutting board, pick up the far edge of the parchment paper, and in one smooth motion, flip the jerky out onto the cutting board.
• Peel the parchment from the jerky, and slice the jerky into strips that are about an inch wide. You don’t need to be too precise here.
• Place the parchment paper back on the baking sheet, and lay out the strips of jerky.
• Return to the over for about 30 more minutes. The strips should dry out, but remain flexible. You may want to keep an eye on them for this step, as some strips could dry more quickly than others. If they do, simply remove those first and allow the rest to keep cooking.
• Let the strips cool completely before eating.
The jerky keeps best in an airtight container—zip bags are handy for traveling, and there are plenty of reusable or biodegradable options out there. Bring some along the next time you head out for an adventure!vegan-jerky_facebook