Tasty Homemade Beef Jerky

affordable, and tasty project well worth trying.

Once you’ve tasted your first batch you’ll never look at commercially made beef jerky the same.

We have tried several different jerky blends but like the Nesco/American Harvest Jerky [...]]]>

Homemade Beef Jerky

Making your own homemade beef jerky is a quick, fun,

Tasty Homemade Beef Jerky

affordable, and tasty project well worth trying.

Once you’ve tasted your first batch you’ll never look at commercially made beef jerky the same.

We have tried several different jerky blends but like the Nesco/American Harvest Jerky “Original” flavor the best.

Here’s the process we use for making ours… (check out the video, and/or read below)…

Here’s the process we use for making ours…

Ingredients

• Lean cut of beef (we usually use Bottom Round), cut 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.- 2.25-2.5lbs (should net approx 2lbs when trimmed down)

• - Nesco/American Harvest Marinade Packets- 2-Seasoning Packets, 2-Jerky Packets (one-each per pound of beef)

•  Warm Water- ½ cup (1/4 cup per set of packet)

Preparation

• Trim any excess fat from the beef

• Cut beef into 1-1/2 inch strips, across the grain

• Place beef into large zipper top bag

• Combine marinade packets and water in a bowl (mix well)

• Add marinade to and seal the bag

• Shake beef and marinade in the bag very well to ensure even coverage

• Refrigerate in bag for 2-8 hours

Dehydrating

• Load dehydrator trays- laying beef in a single layer

•  Dehydrate at 155degrees F, or highest temperature

• Every couple of hours, dab off any liquid that forms on the top of the jerky and turn the jerky, and/or rotate the trays to help ensure even drying

• Continue drying until leathery and dry throughout (but avoid overdrying)

Drying can take from 2-15+ hours, depending on your dehydrator and how heavily it’s loaded, the thickness of the meat, and the humidity.

Storing your homemade jerky

Jerky should be stored in a cool, dry place, preferably in a refrigerator or freezer.  We usually vacuum seal and freeze half (to prevent it from getting gobbled up so quickly) and store the remainder in the refrigerator in a clean zipper top bag.

Enjoy!

These wings are baked and broiled- leaving them with a crispy texture that you will love!  Your taste buds will never know that they weren’t [...]]]>

Looking for a quick and simple recipe for some awesome Buffalo style hot wings?  Well, here’s a recipe that’s sure to satisfy even the most finicky of wing connoisseurs.

These wings are baked and broiled- leaving them with a crispy texture that you will love!  Your taste buds will never know that they weren’t deep fat fried!

Check out my video tutorial to see how simple this recipe is to make.

Ingredients

• Chicken wings- one package (approx. 2lbs)
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt (preferably fresh ground)
• Pepper (preferably fresh crushed)
• Hot Sauce of your choice
• Olive oil spray (or cooking spray)

Preparation

• Preheat Oven to 415 degrees F
• Divide wings and remove tips (if whole wings)
• Spray large baking dish with olive oil spray (or cooking spray)
• Add wings
• Dust wings with garlic powder, fresh ground sea salt, and fresh crushed pepper
• Splash every wing with hot sauce (covering generously).  If using a thick sauce, even out with a basting brush (optional)

Cooking Your Wings

• Bake at 415F uncovered for 25-28 minutes
• Turn wings over and splash with more hot sauce
• Broil on high for 5-6 minutes (until the wings begin to brown some)
• Turn wings again and broil for another 5-6 minutes
• Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with remaining pan drippings.
• Let cool a bit and Enjoy!

This recipe is very quick to make but does require some time in the fridge to get the dip cold and to get the flavors to fully meld.  Be sure [...]]]>

Looking for a new recipe to spice up your holiday party or carry-in?  Well, here’s a crab dip recipe that is sure to please!

This recipe is very quick to make but does require some time in the fridge to get the dip cold and to get the flavors to fully meld.  Be sure to leave yourself ample time.

This recipe yields two cups and can easily be doubled.

Enough said, onto the recipe….

Ingredient List

Seasoning

• Paprika- 1 teaspoon
• Cayenne Pepper- 1/2 teaspoon
• Ground Cumin- 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried Thyme- 1/4 teaspoon
• Onion Powder- 1/4 teaspoon
• Crushed Black Pepper- 1/4 teaspoon
• Sea Salt- 1/4 teaspoon

Core Ingredients

• Cream Cheese- 4-oz (i.e.- 1/2 package)
• Mayonnaise- 1/2-cup
• Real Crab Meat- 6-oz can (or imitation crab, minced- if you prefer)
• Mini shrimp- 6-oz can (optional, but a nice touch)
• Celery- chopped, 1/4 cup
• Sweet Pepper (yellow, red, or orange)- 1/4 cup chopped
• Garlic- 1 clove, pressed
• Crackers (your choice)

Putting It All Together

• Combine seasoning, mix well
• In a glass bowl microwave cream cheese for 30 seconds, to soften
• Add mayonnaise and whisk until smooth and lump free
• Mix in seasoning, celery, peppers, and garlic
• Drain and mix in crab meat and shrimp
• Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours
• Serve with crackers of your choice
• Enjoy!

This recipe will cover the blackened chicken recipe.  My next video and post will cover the crab dip, a personal favorite of mine.  Be sure to subscribe to get notified when they get published later this week.

Watch my video to see how quick and easy it really is to make your own soft pretzels.  They also make delicious bread sticks that can be dipped in pasta sauce, [...]]]>

Once you’ve tasted homemade soft pretzels, fresh from the oven, you will never look at event or store bought pretzels the same way.

Watch my video to see how quick and easy it really is to make your own soft pretzels.  They also make delicious bread sticks that can be dipped in pasta sauce, cheese sauces, or garlic butter.

Truly simple ingredients produce a wonderfully complex taste!
(printable instructions below the video)

Ingredients-

• HOT water- 1/8th cup
• Dry yeast- 1 pkg
• Warm water- 1-1/3rd cup
• Brown Sugar- 1/3rd cup
• Flour (your choice*)- 4-1/2 to 5 cups
• Baking Soda- 8 Tablespoons (approx)
• Salt- Margaretta (my preference) or Course Kosher

Directions-

Heat oven to 475 degrees.

Mix yeast into hot water.  Stir in warm water and brown sugar.  Mix in 4 cups of flour.   Knead in enough of  the extra four until dough is smooth.

Cut dough into golf ball sized pieces.  Roll into a rope about a foot long.  Bring the ends together so they cross about 2-inches from the ends.  Cross again and press the ends to the far side of the circles to make the pretzel shape.

Bring one gallon of water to a boil.  Add 8 tablespoons of baking soda (one tablespoon for each cup of water).

Process pretzels in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove, drain, and place on a well greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and bake for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool a little (or eat immediately:)  and dip in your favorite condiment.

Makes approximately 12-15 pretzels.

What’s your favorite dipping sauce? Please let us know by leaving a comment below…

Enjoy,

Steve.

From time to time the grocery store will run some awesome sales on fresh mushrooms.  Why not take advantage of these opportunity buys and stock up?

Can’t eat them all before them start to go bad- [...]]]>

One of my favorite foods also happens to be one of the quickest and easiest to dehydrate- mushrooms!

From time to time the grocery store will run some awesome sales on fresh mushrooms.  Why not take advantage of these opportunity buys and stock up?

Can’t eat them all before them start to go bad- no problem-dehydrate them!

Dehydrated mushrooms will store for a long, long, time and take up very little room.  The process is quick, easy and inexpensive.

Preparation

To clean the mushrooms rinse them with cold water, wiping off any remaining growing medium. Quickly wipe them dry using a cotton cloth or paper towel. Leaving them wet may result in the mushrooms turning a little brown while drying.  This is just cosmetic but can easily be avoided.  An alternative to rinsing is to wipe them off with a damp paper towel.

Slice the dry mushrooms in one-quarter to half-inch slices and load a densely packed single layer on each dehydrator tray.

Run the dehydrator at 95-100 degrees for six to twelve hours, checking them every few hours. They are ready when the mushrooms are light and brittle and snap when bent.

Storage

Your tasty mushrooms can be stored in any type of moisture proof container. I prefer to use wide mouth mason jars for the mushrooms we keep in the kitchen pantry. For long term storage I prefer to store them in vacuum sealed bags.

Your supply of freshly dehydrated mushrooms can be stored for a very long… Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite things to dehydrate?  Please leave a comment and let me know!

Well, here’s a quick and easy recipe to get you cooking…

As I’m sure you have noticed,  EnjoyTimeCooking.com is still under development.

I have had this domain registered but parked for quite some time.  The time has come to get it up and running and get some great content over here.

Currently I have been posting some [...]]]>

You found it!  Thank you for stopping by.

As I’m sure you have noticed,  EnjoyTimeCooking.com is still under development.

I have had this domain registered but parked for quite some time.  The time has come to get it up and running and get some great content over here.

Currently I have been posting some of my cooking and gardening content and videos on my EnjoyTimeOutdoors.com site.

The gardening content may somewhat fit there, but the cooking stuff really doesn’t (unless we’re talking about grilling or camp cooking).

Moving forward, the gardening, landscaping, and Permaculture content can be found, where else but, EnjoyTimeGardening.com.  Of course, the cooking, recipes, and food-related stuff will be published here.

I will slowly be moving some of the existing content their rightful domains and all new content will be published where it belongs.

Again, Thank You for visiting.  Please SUBSCRIBE and you will get spam-free email updates when I add new recipes, cooking tips, food-related projects, and much more!

Wishing you a healthy and happy day,

Steve.