Popcorn 101

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A huge thank you to Mitchel Jones for help with all of time images featured in this blog.

Popcorn, coffee and cheese. That would be my list of non-negotiable foods in life (peanut butter coming in a close fourth). I think the inclusion of popcorn in this top three stems from a Sunday night tradition in my childhood home - fighting with my brothers over who got to climb up on the counter top and microwave the butter as my dad popped popcorn for our weekly standing movie date. The seven of us, a silver bowl of almost comical volume filled to the brim with salty, buttery goodness and a movie that more often than not would be shut off before it finished due to a few sets of extremely heavy eyelids. Being far away from home I have found myself drawn to the familiar including, of course, a bowl of popcorn popped on the stovetop before bed.

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ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon scoop coconut oil

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

• 2+ tbsp butter, melted

• “everything but the elote” seasoning from @traderjoes

• salt to taste (I like a lot) 

• 4 quart dutch oven 

• oven mitts (v. important) 

Directions

1. put coconut oil and 3 popcorn kernels into your dutch oven (I haven’t tried this in any other pot. may work. may not)

2. cover & cook over medium-high heat until all 3 kernels pop (once popped remove the three kernels)

3. add the rest of the popcorn kernels - cover - remove from heat & wait 30 seconds (weird but important)

4. put the pot back on the heat. cook, shaking the pot occasionally until the popping slows down/stops- take the lid off immediately to keep the popcorn crisp

5. transfer the popcorn into your favourite popcorn bowl (or any bowl that will fit it - i use a mixing bowl)

6. melt your butter, pour butter, “everything but the elote” and salt on popcorn. 

7. toss. toss. toss. 

8. enjoy. thank me later. 

Bonus Recipe:

My sweet friend Tessa of Tropical Tasties (home of the BEST vegan cheesecake bar recipe) makes me this amazing sweet and salty popcorn every time I visit her. It is full of gooey gooey peanut butter goodness with half melted chocolate chips in every bite.

ingredients:

• popcorn

• sea salt

• coconut oil

• smooth natural peanut butter

• chocolate chips

recipe:

I use my popcorn machine to pop the kernels, then drizzle coconut oil & sea salt to taste. While it’s popping I heat up the peanut butter (LOTS BC YUM) with like 1-2tbsp coconut oil until it’s melty and delicious looking. Then I pour it on top and add the chocolate chips at the end so they get melty.

alternate popcorn toppings

100% submitted by you! Thank you!

*notes that this was recommended multiple times

sweet

• Caramel *

• No butter, just coconut oil (for a tropical taste)

• Condensed milk

• Marshmallows - add to popcorn and then microwave (I assume somewhat similar to Rice Krispy squares?)

• Vanilla Ice cream (I checked - not a joke)

• Cinnamon

• Dark Chocolate

• Honey

• Truffle honey

• Peanut m&ms

• Reece’s Pieces

• Dulce di leche

• Homemade Carmel (sugar +butter + condensed milk + karo)

• Epicure kettle corn seasoning *

salty/savoury

• Butter + salt *

• Butter +salt + cracked black pepper*

• Olive oil + sea salt

• Furikake *

• Furikake + are 

• Dill. So much dill *

• Dill pickle seasoning *

• Olive oil + fresh rosemary to pop ( instead of coconut oil)

• Oregano

• Oregano + garlic powder +salt (in oil with kernels)

• Garlic salt + butter *

• Roasted pepper and garlic powder

• Garlic powder/salt + paprika *

• Sumac + sweet paprika

• Cilantro +salt +lime

• Cheese**

• Cheddar cheese

• White Cheddar powder

• Half coconut oil half butter + white cheddar seasoning + salt

• Butter + truffle salt *

• Black truffle salt (from evoolution) *

• Truffle salt + butter oil (from evoolution)

• Olive oil + everything but the bagel spice *

• Taco seasoning

• Butter +Johnny’s seasoning salt

• Crushed Cheetos 

Nutritional Yeast

• Nutritional yeast + butter/coconut oil/olive oil + salt * (recommended over 50 times)

•  Nutritional yeast + coconut oil + salt + pepper *

• Nutritional yeast + garlic salt + black pepper + butter *

• Nutritional yeast + fried rosemary + butter + himalayan salt 

• Nutritional Yeast + truffle butter +salt

• Nutritional Yeast + truffle salt + parmesan cheese

• Nutritional yeast + powdered cheddar

•  Nutritional yeast +butter + dill + salt *

•  Nutritional yeast + butter + dill pickle seasoning (from Silk Road if you’re in Calgary)

• Nutritional yeast + paprika *

• Nutritional yeast + onion powder + paprika

• Nutritional yeast + pumpkin spice + salt + pepper + smoked paprika

• Vegan parmesan - cashews + nutritional yeast + salt + garlic powder 

• Spritz with water + generous amount of nutritional yeast + Himalayan pink sea salt

Parmesan

• Parmesan + butter + flaky salt *

• Parmesan + fresh black pepper +salt + butter *

• Parmesan + truffle oil

• Parmesan + truffle salt

• Parmesan +nutritional yeast + truffle salt

• Parmesan + garlic 

• Parmesan + rosemary + garlic powder

• Parmesan + coconut(or olive) oil +rosemary *

• Parmesan + soy sauce

• Parmesan + prosciutto

• Fresh parmesan + franks red hot sauce 

spicy

• Sriracha + sea salt + butter *

• Valentina hot sauce + a quarter of a lime worth of juice 

• Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning+ butter *

• Chili Powder

• Creole seasoning (no butter) 

• Tony Chachere's creole seasoning + butter *

• Spicy Montreal steak seasoning + black pepper + Tony Chachere's creole seasoning + fresh ground salt

• Fresh parmesan + franks red hot sauce 

• Hot sauce seasoning (from Frank’s)

• Frank’s red hot sauce

• Butter or coconut oil + onion powder + garlic powder + cayenne + salt

• Louisiana hot sauce + pickled jalapeños 

• Pickled jalapeños *

• Tobasco sauce 

• Tobasco + Tajín

• Tajín + butter*

• Tex mex spice

• Chipotle seasoning + lime

• Butter + hot sauce *

• Onion powder + cumin + chili powder + oregano 

• Cayenne pepper + ranch powder

• Ranch seasoning + sweet sriracha 

sweet + salty

• Sea salt + caramel + cheese powder

• Mini m&m’s + sea salt *

• Honey + sriracha 

• Butter + honey + a tiny bit of cayenne (all melted and mixed together)

• Smoked paprika + sugar + chipotle chili powder + lime juice + coconut oil + garlic salt

• Nutella + salt

• Melted peanut butter + coconut oil topped with chocolate chips *

• Lemon pepper + a small pinch of sugar

intriguing

• Sour patch kids (unverified)

• Nutritional yeast + pumpkin spice + salt + pepper + smoked paprika

• Blue cheese (note - unexpectedly legit)

• Balsamic vinegar

Let me know if you try my, Tessa’s or any of the suggested toppings below! Or if I missed your favourite!

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