Homemade Beef Jerky

Beef jerky has been around for hundreds of years when hunters and gatherers would use this method to preserve the meat to last longer. By pounding the meat thin, adding salt, and drying it out or smoking it over a fire, it helped preserve the flavor and longevity.

Beef jerky is a great snack for school, camping, or on the go because it leaves minimal mess. It used to be seen as a healthy snack until large corporate food companies starting adding sodium nitrate to have the meat last even longer. Although it has healthy factors such as a high protein count, low caloories, low fat, and low carbohydrates, most brands now are loaded with sodium and sugar. Yikes! You'd be better off eating a cookie at that rate. It gets better. The beef you are eating isn't even locally sourced. It's processed and shipped from another country such as South America. Talk about total freshness. I mean, that's what companies are advertising when they want you to eat their product over another.

One serving of jerky seems healthy right? I noticed that when I started eating packaged jerky that I would not only want to eat the whole thing in one sitting, which is 3 or 4 servings. That ends up being more calories than eating a well-balanced meal. Those nitrates are addicting and trick your brain into wanting more while turning off the part of your brain that says it's full. Newsflash, it's because you're not getting enough nutrients and losing water. Oh and I can't forget how bloated I felt afterwards. No amount of water could save me after that mishap.

While it may be a bit of extra work and clean up, it is worth making your own. Whether you use your oven or dehydrator is up to you, but I found that the dehydrator function on my Instant Pot Duo Crisp has been amazing. I never even used that setting until I started making my own jerky. You could use flank steak, eye of round, or top round steak because they are all lean cuts of meat. I like to marinate mine in different sauces overnight before dehydrating it, which lets the meat soak in those delicious flavors. I can literally throw it in the dehydrator in the morning and it's done by the end of the day. It's super convenient and I take this on all my camping trips. It helps me curb my cravings when I'm super hungry and no food is around in the middle of the woods. Storing it is easy peasy. Put it in a ziploc bag in the fridge if you're going to eat it right away. or vacuum seal it for extra freshness.

Mix and match different flavors and let me know which one you like the best. I listed my favorite recipes I've used to make my own beef jerky, which I'm excited to share below.

Sweet and Smoky Beef Jerky

• 2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or enough to fully cover the meat)

• 1/4 cup vegetable stock

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

• 1 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp seasoned salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp dried mustard powder

• 1 tsp Flavor God Honey BBQ seasoning

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Dill Pickle Beef Jerky

2 pounds flank steak (or eye or round or top round steak)

Leftover dill pickle marinade (or use already made dill pickle juice)

Sweet Pickle Beef Jerky

2 pounds flank steak (or eye or round or top round steak)

Leftover bread and butter pickle marinade (or use already made bread and butter pickle juice)

Honey Mustard Jerky

• 2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)

• 1/2 cup Honey

• 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard (Not Pub Style)

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce Containing Tamarind

• 1 tsp Liquid Smoke

• 1/2 tsp Cumin

• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

• 1/2 tsp Paprika

• 1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder

• 1 tsp dried mustard powder

• 1 tsp Flavor God Honey BBQ seasoning

Spicy Kimchi Jerky

2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)

Leftover kimchi brine (or use premade Kimchi brine)

Directions:

1) Cut your steak into thin slices against the grain for a more tender jerky or with the grain for a more chewy jerky. I cut mine on an angle against the grain for a longer piece. I suggest popping your meat in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to make it easier to slice. Or you can ask the butcher behind the meat counter at the meat market to do it for you.

2) Put your steak in a Ziploc bag and add the seasonings to the bag. Close the bag and shake it around until everything is fully incorporated.

3) Close the bag and let it marinate overnight for the best results. You can do it for less time if you're short on time, but I wouldn't recommend it.

4) In a dehydrator, spread out your meat without making them too crowded (or else it won't cook all the way). For the best results, heat your dehydrator to 165 degrees and cook for 8 hours. I have been using the dehydrator function on my instant pot duo crisp. Make sure to use the extra rack to give you more room. The jerky is done once it's dry and firm, but still a bit pliable. You don't want it to be too chewy. I prefer mine to be almost crispy, like bacon.

5) Once it's done, let it cool and place in a sealed container. Serve immediately. Refrigerate for up to a month or vacuum seal it to last longer. If it lasts that long. ;)

Egg-Free Baked Avocado Fries

Have you tried deep-fried avocados before? It’s been a trend popping up over the last few years that tends to show up at bars and burger joints. To be honest, I never heard of this way of cooking avocados until recently. I’ve put avocados in smoothies, as a pasta sauce, and as a sandwich spread to swap instead of mayo. I’ll eat it in sushi, as guacamole, or in a protein bowl.

In the country where we deep fry everything, it seems like a no-brainer. As I get closer to 30, my stomach can’t digest fried food anymore. I experience symptoms of Leaky Gut. It isn’t talked about much in Western Medicine because the majority of those doctors are trained to prescribe medicine to cure symptoms. Instead, I’ve looked closer at my diet in order to minimize or eliminate trigger foods. The pain of bloating and constant trips to the bathroom isn’t worth it for the few minutes I get to enjoy the fried food.

Many times, it feels like I’m alone while I’m watching my friends enjoy fried foods in front of me. I experience the sensation of what the food would taste like in my mouth as well as the placebo feeling of eating the food. Seeing the fried food in front of me makes it more tempting to want to eat it. I ask myself if the benefits of eating fried foods outweigh the costs before putting anything in my mouth. Most of my friends don’t watch their diets nearly as much as I do. However, my healthy food is always a hit when I bring it around. Every time someone enjoys my food and reflects on their own eating habits, it means that I’ve succeeded in promoting the RAD brand.

The inspiration for this dish came out of thin air. I had a bunch of avocados I needed to use and I was sick of eating guacamole for the millionth time. Plus, that leads to eating a lot of potato chips (another trigger food). I thought, why not bake it? I found that vegenaise is a fantastic swap for having eggs. It also serves as the flour because I dip it straight to the bread crumbs. To my surprise, this formula sticks to the avocado and is a much lighter alternative to the traditional breading method. My one piece of advice before eating these is to make sure not to eat too many. They are still high in fat and too much of a good thing can become a recipe for more inflammation. 1/2 an avocado would be a proper serving size. With a hint of sriracha aioli, this can be served on almost anything. Or you can eat them standalone as an appetizer. Whatever you choose will be delicious. Feel free to share your creations in the comments.

Ingredients:

For the Avocadoes:

• 3 ripe avocadoes, peeled and cut into slices

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (preferably gluten-free)

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (** see notes below)

• ½ cup veganaise

• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For Sriracha Aioli

• ¼ cup vegeneise

• 3 tsp sriracha

• 1 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2)      Cut avocadoes in half. Core and cut them into 4-5 slices per half. Peel the skin off and set aside.

3)      In 2 separate bowls, put the veganaise and dry ingredients for breadcrumb mixture. Take one slice of avocado, dip to coat in the veganaise, and then get a generous coat of breadcrumbs. Shake to coat excess breadcrumbs.

4)      On a prepared baking sheet, place the breaded avocadoes. Cook for 20 minutes rotating the tray after 10 minutes. Cook extra for a bit more of a brown crust.

5)      Combine ingredients for sriracha aioli and serve.

** Alternatively, you can air fry these at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes.

** This dish can be made completely vegan if you omit the parmesan cheese. You can use this recipe instead if you want to make a vegan parmesan cheese

Sources:

1) Healthline

2) Minimalist Baker

Everything Bagel Seasoning Dill Pickles

Those of you who know me understand how much I love pickles. For starters, I grew up eating a pickle with my lunch throughout grade school. It’s how I finished every meal. I love the taste of dill pickles. It’s salty and garlicky with a crunchy bite to make this a great snack. I’d go through multiple pickles a day and a whole jar in less than a week. That’s because I mostly ate them straight from the jar.

When I was in college, I started caring more about my nutrition. I read the ingredients on the label of my favorite jar of pickles: Claussen Pickles. I was shocked, but not surprised to find a bunch of preservatives and a large amount of sodium per pickle spear. You can find the nutrition facts here. After years of eating Claussen pickles, I got sick of the after taste it gave me. Do you know that salty taste left in your mouth when you eat potato chips? I had to drink multiple bottles of water afterward to get the taste out of my mouth.

I stopped eating pickles for a while once I started cooking my own food from home. The only jars of pickles that have all clean ingredients I’ve found at Whole Foods. These are at least $7 per jar. The amount of pickles you get isn’t worth the cost in my opinion. I don’t know why it took me this long to make my own at home. I watched my dad make whole pickles and it took over a month for them to finally finish. When they were done, they didn’t taste nearly as good as I was hoping.

It never crossed my mind to make pickles until I moved to Florida and all of my new friends love pickles as much as I do. The cravings I used to have came back. A bunch of my friends had birthdays recently, and I figured it would be the perfect gift for them on their birthday. What started with one test batch turned into the best dill pickles I ever had. The secretly not so secret ingredient is Everything Bagel Seasoning. Adding homemade vegetable stock elevated the taste by giving the pickles more of an aromatic flavor. Each recipe yields 2 jars of pickles. You’ll have to make these for yourself and taste exactly what I mean.

Ingredients:

• 2 English Cucumbers, sliced thin

• ½ white or yellow onion, sliced thin

• A handful of fresh dill (I used ½ a container in each jar)

• 1 large bulb of garlic, peeled and halved

• 2 cups homemade vegetable stock

• 2 cups white vinegar

• ¼ cup cane sugar

• 3 Tbsp. sea salt

• 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds

• ¼ tsp dried mustard powder

• ½ tsp celery seed

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 Tbsp. fresh black peppercorns or use freshly cracked ground pepper

• 1 Tbsp. Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

• 2 large mason jars

Directions:

1)      Slice your cucumbers and onions thin with a knife or a mandolin. Cut the onion in half first before slicing on the mandolin.

2)      Add all of your liquids, salt, and sugar to a saucepan. Bring them to a boil and remove from the heat. Keep stirring continuously until everything is dissolved. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

3)      Divide all of your spices and liquids evenly into two mason jars.

4)      Add your cucumbers and onions. Stir to incorporate everything evenly.

5)      Close the mason jars and store in the fridge for 1-3 days until the flavor is infused. Enjoy for up to a few weeks if they last that long.

** Note: You can use the same brine again with a fresh batch of cucumbers. I’ll use it for up to 3 batches. Make sure that you replace the used dill with fresh dill once it starts to go brown. I used a fork to get the dill out of the jar.

PS: If you live in the Central Florida area near Tampa, I’ll make you jars of pickles for your next party or for your own personal use. Contact me for more information.

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip

If I were to name my favorite appetizer of all time, it would have to be a 7-layer taco dip. Whatever you want to call it, it’s game over as soon as I see this dip in front of me. My family had this at almost every gathering and it would be the one thing I would be looking forward to. Food always gets me inspired to elevate the dishes I eat. I live to eat different foods as much as I can. Unfortunately, for this dip, it was made from a can of refried beans, sour cream with taco dip, cheese, and fixings on top. I could eat the entire dip myself without getting an ounce of nutritional value out of it. When I found a remake of this recipe on Minimalist Baker, I was elated because I could eat my favorite dip without feeling like shit afterward from all the dairy. I went the extra mile by making a homemade pico de gallo to add to the guacamole and homemade refried beans. My smoky flair on the queso puts this dish over the top to make this the best vegan taco dip you will ever eat in your life.

Inspired by: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-7-layer-mexican-dip/ and any other 7 layer dip I’ve ever had

Ingredients (in order of layers)

For the Bean Dip:

• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• ¼ cup water, divided

• 1 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper, to taste

** OR If you choose to opt-out, use 1 15 oz can of vegetarian refried beans from Trader Joe’s

For the Pico de Gallo:

• ¼ red onion, diced small

• 6 Roma or vine-ripened tomato, diced small

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (** You can leave the seeds in if you like your guacamole spicy)

• ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped

• 1-2 fresh limes, juiced (I add 1.5 limes)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Guacamole

Use my restaurant quality guacamole recipe

For the Queso Dip

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight in cool water

• 1 lemon, juiced

• ⅓ - ½ cup nutritional yeast

• ½ cup vegetable broth

• 1 tsp Chili powder

• 1 tsp Paprika

• 1 tsp Cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• ⅛ tsp liquid smoke (optional)

• Dash of hot sauce (optional)

For the Toppings:

• Diced red onion

• Diced red pepper

• Diced cilantro

Directions:

1)      In a large casserole dish, assemble the bottom layer by spreading the refried beans. To prepare the refried beans from scratch, add all of the ingredients with half the amount of water to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add more water and pulse until you achieve the desired consistency.

2)      For the 2nd layer, spread pico de gallo on top of the refried beans. To prepare the pico de gallo, chop up all of the ingredients, and mix them together in a medium-sized bowl.

3)      For the 3rd layer, spread guacamole on top of the pico de gallo. To prepare the guacamole, use any extra pico de gallo to combine with 2-3 ripe avocados. Mix in a separate bowl before adding this to the dish.

4)      For the 4th layer, spread queso dip on top of the guacamole. In a high powered blender, combine all the ingredients for the queso and blend until smooth. If you have a Vitamix or other high powered blender, you don’t need to soak the cashews overnight.

5)      Top with diced red onions, red peppers, and cilantro. Enjoy with tortilla chips as a dip or as a delicious filling for tacos to go with your protein.

Check out my recipe book, “Quarantine Clean Eating” for other dishes I’ve created while at home during COVID-19 lockdown.

Air Fried Broccoli

Would your kid eat broccoli if it didn’t taste so bitter? Yuck! I get it. I couldn’t stand to eat a vegetable for the first 21 years of my life. It took me until then to understand the value of what I’m putting into my body. It became more of a priority to start eating vegetables when my other favorite foods started having repercussions. Bloating and gassy and pooping. Oh TMI. But for real though, my body couldn’t digest the foods I was eating anymore. I had no other option but to change my diet unless I wanted to face adverse health issues, such as obesity.

Even with where I’m at, I still don’t like to eat plain vegetables straight raw. If I can find ways for these to taste good, I’ll eat it all day long. Air fried broccoli is my new favorite way to eat broccoli. It reminds me of eating potato chips because they are crunchy. The Flavor God brand of seasoning helps add a new element of flavor I can’t get from salt and pepper alone. I like to mix and match different ones to create the ultimate concoction.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 3 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used nacho cheese and garlic)

Directions:

1. Wash the broccoli and cut it into florets.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients until evenly coated.

3. Set the temperature to 390 Degrees, F. Cook, for 8-10 minutes stirring halfway.

4. Serve with more seasoning and enjoy!

Is your mouth watering yet? I have more recipes like this one to help curb your salty snack craving.

Air Fried Chickpeas

Quarantine has got me like a mad science experiment. I try new recipes on a daily basis like it’s my full-time job. Finding different ways to expand my palate is fun for me. It brings me joy when I create a masterpiece.

One of my favorite meals is snack time. I can eat a meal full of calories with snack food. It’s easy to eat a ton of them, which could wreak havoc to your body if you’re eating junk food.

I found a healthy way in order to combat this habit. Instead of shaming myself for my love of snacks, I felt a sense of peace knowing what I’m putting into my body. When I prepare my food at home, I feel powerful having self-control over eating an entire bag of potato chips. If I end up eating a lot of my own food, I don’t end up eating as many calories. That alone has helped me be able to sustain weight loss for over 8 years. I still allow myself room to eat treat food, but I don’t feel guilty when it’s done in moderation.

Roasted chickpeas are my new #1 favorite salty snack swap. I could eat an entire can of them (although it is not a good idea because it’s a LOT of fiber).

I’ll leave the recipe here so you can have some of these ASAP.

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans Garbanzo beans - drained, rinsed, and patted dry

• 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 4 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used Nacho Cheese and Taco Tuesday Seasonings)

Directions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 390 Degrees F.

2. Clean garbanzo beans by getting the clear skin off as many as you can.

3. Mix garbanzo beans, spices, and oil in a mixing bowl.

4. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, cook and stir in 5 minutes intervals. Cook until they become brown and crunchy, but not burnt.

5. Serve with more seasoning and enjoy!

Is your mouth watering yet? I have more recipes for you like this one to help curb your salty snack craving.

Air Fried Zucchini Chips

I have become obsessed with my air fryer. I recently received an instapot as a quarantine gift, which has an air fryer component. I’ve been using it almost every day to add a whole new level to my taste buds. I love how crispy everything gets without the sogginess I sometimes get from oven roasting the same exact food. When it comes to making zucchini chips in the oven, one side of the zucchini cooks properly while half of it burns. The first time I tried zucchini chips in the air fryer, they turned out perfectly. Needless to say, I will never be putting my zucchini chips in the oven ever again. They didn’t even last for an hour before my family ate it all. Now, I get to share the recipe behind the deliciousness so you can get your hands on some straight away.

Ingredients:

• 4 small or 3 medium zucchini, sliced

• 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 4 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used everything, garlic, and taco seasoning)

Directions:

1. Wash your zucchini and pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the zucchini into thin slices either by hand or with a mandolin.

2. Mix the zucchini, oil, and seasonings in a bowl.

3. Set the instapot to air fry at 350 degrees F. Cook for 40 minutes. Stir at 15 minutes and at 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir at 5-minute intervals until the zucchini are at your desired crispiness. When they are done, they will be brown and crunchy, but not burnt.

4. Top with more seasoning and serve while they’re hot!

Is your mouth watering yet? I have more recipes for you like this one to help curb your salty snack craving.

The Best Homemade Granola Ever!

Are you someone who is always in a hurry to get out the door in the morning?

raises hand 🖐

Growing up, I was rushing for the school bus in the morning on a regular basis. My bag would be packed the night before, as I get up at the ass crack of dawn. I quickly brush my hair, brush my teeth, throw my clothes on, grab my shit downstairs, and rush out the front door.

The issue here is that I was either not eating breakfast or I would eat a bag of dry cereal. Even worse, a pop tart. By afternoon, I was crashing and was unable to pay attention in class during the last two periods of the day.

Knowing what I do now, I have the tools to combat afternoon fatigue and create snacks to give me energy while I’m on the go. When I had the idea to cook this granola, the above was in mind. I found a recipe online and tweaked it for my health modifications. It’s gluten-free, egg-free, and packed full of nutrients.

Use this to eat by itself, with almond milk in cereal, or spice it up to eat with fruit. I also enjoy topping it on muffins that I create to amp up my breakfast game.

I shared these with my friends and it is a raving hit among the crowd. This will please even the pickiest of eaters because the universal flavor of cinnamon brings it all together. I decided to share my recipe with the public in order for everyone to be able to recreate this for themselves in their own home.

Find my recipe below:

Inspired by: https://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/04/honey-nut-steel-cut-granola.html

Ingredients:

• 3 cups steel-cut oats (gluten-free if necessary)

• 2 cups of mixed nuts and seeds (I did walnuts, pecans, almonds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds, but you can use whatever combination you want!)

• 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 cup apple butter or sweet potato butter

• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (local raw honey is ideal)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl combine steel-cut oats, nuts, cinnamon and sea salt.

3) In a separate bowl combine coconut oil, applesauce, honey and vanilla.

4) Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined.

5) Spread granola over a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

6) Remove from oven and flip and the bake for another 20 mins.

7) Remove from oven once again, flip and then bake for another 15 mins.

8) Remove from oven and flatten granola with the back of a spatula.

9) LET SIT FOR ONE HOUR. Do not try to move granola off tray.

10) After an hour, you can take the granola and break it up into clusters. Enjoy!

Note: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts that long!)