popcorn – The Pajama Chef

Mystery Dish: Chili Lime Popcorn

April 29, 2014April 28, 2014 Sarah

I can’t believe it’s time for another Mystery Dish post! This month, Jen from Yummy Healthy Easy is our host, and she gave us the following ingredients to work with: garbanzo beans, eggs, flaxseed, cilantro, potatoes, bread, quinoa, lime, popcorn, dark chocolate, ground turkey, and asparagus. So many yummy things in that list! And healthy things. And easy ingredients. Hmmm, appropriate ingredients. 🙂

I had a really hard time deciding what to make, because I’m a huge fan of everything on this list. I seriously considered making brownies with garbanzo beans, kind of like a baked version of this cookie dough dip, but then I had to go with the classic cilantro lime combination. Instead of cilantro lime rice or quinoa, I wondered what those flavors would be like on popcorn. After this coconut curry popcorn, I’ve been daydreaming about other popcorn flavors. I may not need to daydream anymore… this Chili Lime Popcorn is superb!

I decided to flavor this popcorn with a chili lime butter to avoid the soggy popcorn you get when you flavor popcorn with any sort of liquid. I made the butter with a bit of garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder, along with lime juice… and I could have just as easily eaten this butter on a baked potato or some hearty bread instead of popcorn. But when this slightly spicy, tangy butter is melted on crunchy popcorn it is awesome. Of course I had to add some cilantro to complete the flavor combo I was going for… and I also tossed in some lime zest for an extra zing. This fancy popcorn is addictive and wonderful, and totally worth the extra few minutes of work. I hope you give it a try… it is SO good.

Oh, I almost forgot! When I make popcorn, I use a Whirly Pop. It’s so cool. Usually, I pop my kernels with a bit of canola oil, but I recently read that using coconut oil is more movie theatre authentic so I gave it a shot. So, what’s the verdict? Well, it was definitely different. I’m not sure it was authentic. There was no chemical taste, which is good. 🙂 It’s yummy though! Btw… be sure to check out what else my Mystery Dish pals came up with for this month. All the recipes are bound to be excellent!

one year ago: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
two years ago: Royal Berry Coffee Cake

Chili Lime Popcorn
click to print

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unpopped popcorn to make 4 quarts plain popcorn [pop in coconut oil if possible]
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lime
zest of one lime
1/2 cup minced cilantro, loosely packed
salt

Directions:

Pop popcorn according to preferred method, using coconut oil if possible. In a small bowl, stir together butter, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Add lime juice and stir as well as possible [not all liquid will be incorporated].

Melt butter in microwave and then pour over popped popcorn. Toss in lime zest and cilantro, and mix well. Add salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.

TIme: 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 quarts popcorn.

1. Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake by Culinary Couture
2. Pineapple Cashew Quinoa “Fried Rice” by Blahnik Baker
3. Chili Lime Popcorn by The Pajama Chef
4. Cilantro Lime Hummus by The Weary Chef
5. Gluten Free White Bean Brownies by Yummy Healthy Easy
6. Homemade Popcorn with Cilantro Lime Butter by The Well Floured Kitchen
7. Tex-Mex Chickpea Salad by Joyful Healthy Eats
8. Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato by Chez Catey Lou
9. Key Lime Pie Popcorn by I Dig Pinterest
10. Turkey Sausage Breakfast Casserole by I Want Crazy
11. Frozen Pineapple Cilantro Mojito by Baking a Moment
12. Pretzel Caramel Crunch by The Dessert Chronicles

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Coconut Curry Popcorn

April 6, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Secret Recipe Club! For the month of April, I was assigned Leandra’s blog, Love & Flour. Leandra lives in Charlotte, and claims to have a dual affiliation for/affliction of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. My husband says this is absolutely impossible, but he is a diehard Buckeye so that’s to be expected I suppose. 🙂 I’ve long admired Leandra’s blog because of her lovely photography and creative recipes, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make something from her blog! I was quite torn between many delicious dishes like this unique Popcorn Bread, a lovely Sparkling Rosemary Grapefruit Soda, or a scrumptious-looking White Texas Sheet Cake. In the end, I went with ease and simplicity, but just because this recipe came together in about five minutes flat does NOT mean it is lacking in any way.

No, actually this Coconut Curry Popcorn has big flavor and has absolutely revolutionized my popcorn habit. Normally I’m a butter ‘n salt girl. I pin all sorts of popcorn recipes but haven’t ever made any of them. So making this popcorn seasoning was a step of faith… and truth be told, I was kind of SCARED to try it.

How ridiculous is that? I love coconut and I love curry, but I think I was just terrified that I’d ruin a perfectly good batch of popcorn with a weird seasoning. To be fair, I have curried myself out in the past but I haven’t had any in awhile so I figured I’d be safe now. But Leandra described this popcorn in such a way that I absolutely HAD to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. It’s everything good at once… salty, sweet, spicy. This seasoning certainly has a little bit of kick to it, but the sweetness and warmth from the sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and ginger provide an awesome balance that is way too addictive for my taste. I’m glad this recipe makes a lot [even after I cut it down from the original] so I can keep some in the cupboard for easy access every time a craving strikes.

Thanks for the great recipe, Leandra! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
two years ago: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
three years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Coconut Curry Popcorn [from Love & Flour]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
popped plain popcorn

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except popcorn in a food processor, then pulse until coconut flakes are broken down. Toss over popcorn, then store remaining seasoning in an airtight container.

Time: 5 minutes.
Yield: 1/2 cup popcorn seasoning.

Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes for the month at the link below!

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Desserts, Other, Recipes

Oreo Popcorn

June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 Sarah

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you probably know that I coordinate the food for a monthly meeting at church. Sometimes this means just shopping for the food and delegating preparation to others, but sometimes it means being responsible for cooking and baking several appetizers and desserts for a crowd of 60-70. Usually I have help so it’s not so bad–and pretty fun to try new recipes for a group. My friend Rachel always has the most creative ideas, and though this Oreo Popcorn has made the rounds on Pinterest before–I just had to share it here because it is unbelievably good!

I must admit I was a little skeptical of this snack. For one, I despise melting chocolate. It’s just annoying, even though the results are delicious. But more than that, I’m mostly a popcorn purist. I love caramel corn and kettle corn, but anything more is just a bit weird to me. Maybe it’s having extra texture in there? I don’t know, but what I do know is that Oreo Popcorn might be the dawn of a new era for me. It’s salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy… pretty much perfect. Next time you have a get together, definitely make a batch. It’d be great in a big bowl at a pool party or a fun addition to your Friday movie night. Or, you know, ahem, for watching endless reruns of Bones on Netflix. Not that I’ve been doing that lately… enjoy! It is GREATTT. Next time I’m going to try it with a different flavor of Oreos, or maybe with a drizzle of peanut butter. Mmmm 🙂

Oreo Popcorn [from my friend Rachel]

click to print

Ingredients:

3 bags plain popcorn, popped with unpopped kernels removed
24 ounces white almond bark, melted
1 package Oreos [14.3 ounces], chopped

Directions:

Line countertop with wax paper, then spread popcorn out on top of it. Drizzle melted chocolate over, then top with chopped Oreos. You don’t necessarily need to use the whole package–just use your discretion. Toss everything together with your hands and spread flat to cool. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Time: 15 minutes.

Yield: a lot of popcorn.