These perfectly spicy and dehydrated vegan meat sticks are full of flavor and such a delicious snack. The vegan jerky sticks are nutritious, gluten-free, paleo, low carb, and so tasty!
Lately, I was inspired to make raw dehydrated snacks, so I dusted off my dehydrator and pulled out one of my favorite recipe books, Blissful Raw Food Recipes from Café Bliss.
If you are ever in Victoria B.C. Canada, check out Café Bliss, where you can purchase the recipe book, grab raw food snacks, or enjoy the best smoothies and juices!
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These vegetarian pepperoni sticks are slightly modified from the spicy nori sticks recipe in the book Blissful. I made the spicy nori sticks years ago and loved them, so I decided to make them again with a couple of tweaks.
I added in almonds and nutritional yeast, which enhances the other flavors and adds a touch of cheesiness. Plus, nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamin B12 that can be difficult for vegans to obtain dietarily.
The filler for these vegan meat sticks is made with:
The garlic, ginger, miso, chili powder, and nutritional yeast provides a unique and mildly spicy flavor that vegans are bound to love.
Tips for making the vegan jerky sticks
Soak the sunflower seeds in water for 6 hours, then place all the ingredients for the base in a food processor and mix.
I then use nori seaweed wraps that are cut in half to make the best vegan meat sticks! Seriously, nori wraps are the best way to make mock vegetarian pepperoni sticks.
Place the filling for the vegan jerky sticks into a medium-size ziplock freezer bag, then cut the tip off the bottom corner of the ziplock bag.
Cut the nori sheets in half, then lay a nori sheet on a cutting board. Squeeze the filling out of the bag into a thick straight line. Aim for a 1.5 cm diameter.
Now roll up the nori wraps the same way you would make sushi. Have a bowl full of water to dip your fingers into and wet each side of the nori wraps so that they stick together and look like vegetarian pepperoni sticks.
It helps to place the bottom side down where the nori wrap is sticking together to keep the vegan jerky sticks in place while dehydrating.
The filler will make 20-24 vegan jerky sticks, so you will need at least ten nori sheets cut in half.
Once dehydrated, these vegan jerky sticks have a texture similar to a pepperoni stick that is perfectly chewy and slightly moist. The primary difference between these vegetarian pepperoni sticks is they are much healthier for you!
Benefits of Vegan Peperoni Sticks
Ginger and turmeric are culinary herbs with many health benefits. Miso adds the perfect salty taste and is a fantastic probiotic-rich food for gut health.
The nori wraps are an excellent source of iodine, which is a crucial nutrient for thyroid function. Nori is also rich in many trace minerals.
Brazil nuts are high in the mineral selenium, which is an antioxidant and essential nutrient for the immune system.
There are also many benefits to eating foods high in enzymes such as these dehydrated vegan jerky sticks. So, hop into the kitchen and get cooking!
Vegan Meat Sticks
These dehydrated vegan meat sticks are nutritious, gluten-free, low-carb are so tasty! The vegan jerky sticks are perfectly chewy and the best substitute for pepperoni sticks.
Soak sunflower seeds in a bowl covered with water for 6 hours. Strain excess water before putting in the food processor.
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a a ziplock back then cut a 1.5 cm hole to squeeze the mixture out.
Cut 10 nori sheets in half parallel to the lines on the sheet. Squeeze a long thick line lengthwise along the nori sheet. Roll up and seal the edges with water so they stick together.
Place the nori wraps on a dehydrator tray with the seam facing down.
Dehydrate the vegan jerky sticks wrapped in nori for 18 hours at 50° celcius or 120° Farenheight.
Notes
Store the vegan jerky sticks in a ziplock bag in the fridge. These should last weeks if they are not eaten right away!
Beyond Meat announced significant changes as part of a turnaround plan in 2024 that includes cutting costs, increasing prices and discontinuing its Beyond Jerky product line, according to news reports covering the company's fourth-quarter financial report.
Cut against the grain when slicing meat. Use a marinade with at least one acidic ingredient. Marinate the meat strips for about 24 hours. Watch the meat strips closely while cooking/dehydrating to make sure they don't get too tough (that is, lose too much moisture).
The best cuts of meat for beef jerky are Top Round, Bottom Round, Lifter and Pectoral, but a variety of cuts can be used such as Flank Steak and Skirt Steak. These cuts of beef check all the boxes for beef jerky—economical, lean, and full of flavor. Selecting a lean cut of meat that has very little fat is key.
The plant-based meat company is making some significant changes as a result of its declining sales. Plant-based meat producer, Beyond Meat, is hitting the reset button on its failing business, and it involves implementing some changes consumers may not like.
A more immediate challenge for the money-losing company is cash flow. Beyond Meat has been cutting costs to preserve cash, including a 19% cut to its non-production workforce last November. In 2024, it expects to slash operating expenses by at least 25% from last year.
Dehydrating beef jerky for too long can lead to over-drying. While this may not pose as immediate a health risk as undercooking, the implications for your taste buds are dire.
Properly dried jerky is non-perishable, meaning it will last for many years, but will lose taste, texture, color, and smell and will eventually become not very good. Commercial jerky package labels include a best-by date. This is usually about one year from the date that the meat was put in the package.
use the freshest meat possible. use lean cuts like top or eye of round. pat the jerky dry from any marinade before dehydrating to accelerate the process. freeze meat before slicing to make it easier to cut.
35ml apple cider vinegar: Acids are essential for food safety since they inhibit the growth of microbes. This ingredient will not just add a distinct taste but help ensure your jerky is safe for consumption.
Top round is considered to be one of the best cuts of meat to use for jerky. In fact, this is the cut that many commercial jerkies are made from. This is a good cut because it comes in large pieces, is a lean cut of meat, and is economical. Top round can also be referred to as London Broil or inside round steak.
To decrease drying time, pat jerky strips, fruits, and veggies dry with a paper towel, or use a pretreatment process or product. Be mindful of how much liquid you add to your jerky marinade.
The dry strip should exhibit a firm, flexible form that can easily bend completely back on itself without snapping. Dried jerky should not be crumbly but instead displays a leathery texture that tastes palatably chewy.
There are a variety of cuts of beef that you can use to make tender, delicious beef jerky. While top round, bottom round, pectoral, and lifter are typically the best cuts, others like flank and skirt steak can also make great jerky. These cuts of beef are all lean, economical, and full of flavor.
The plant-based meat stock hit a peak in early 2021 but has since been in a major downward trend, with shares falling 94% in the last three years. After flooding the market with innovative plant-based meat products, Beyond Meat and other fake meat companies have seen customer demand dry up.
JPMorgan analysts Ken Goldman and Anoori Naughton reported that Dunkin' recently removed the Beyond Meat sandwich, writing in a note according to CNBC, "We personally enjoyed the Beyond Sausage sandwich at Dunkin' and thought it was one of BYND's best, but apparently it did not sell as well as expected."
Beyond Meat's plant-based meats can be a better choice than animal protein equivalents because they have less saturated fat, and no cholesterol, added hormones, or antibiotics.
Beyond Meat Jerky is also the first product developed and released under Beyond Meat's Planet Partnership, a joint corporation it created last year with food and beverage giant PepsiCo.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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