Recipe: Mushroom Jerky

2 pounds king oyster mushrooms (marinade is sufficient for up to three pounds)

3 sheets nori seaweed

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for sauteing

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the mushrooms lengthwise (from the cap to the stem) into thirds, and set aside. Toast the sheets of nori in the oven for about 1 minute. Let cool and crush into a powder, using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or simply chopping them fine with a knife.

2. Mix the nori with the remaining ingredients (except the sauteing oil) in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

3. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan (cast iron recommended), heat the oil until almost smoking and quickly saute the mushrooms in stages, using just enough mushrooms at a time to cover the bottom of the pan and allow them to all cook evenly. When the mushrooms achieve a light brown color, add them to the bowl with the marinade. Repeat this process until all the mushrooms have been sauteed. Toss everything together well to ensure even coverage of the mushrooms, cover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, place a cooling rack on a metal tray and lay the mushrooms out on the rack, ensuring they are not overlapping each other. Place in oven at the lowest possible setting and allow to dry until they have the texture of beef jerky. Check after 8 hours, then every hour after that until done. This will work faster if your oven has a convection mode. The mushrooms will shrink during this process by at least 50 percent.

5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

— From Jason Cichonski at Ela

Per serving: 121 calories, 5 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams sugar, 4 grams fat, no cholesterol, 598 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber