Hot and Spicy Popcorn - Whole Grain Snack

LifeAsMom’s ultimate recipe swap this week is Hot and Spicy. Go check out what others have cooking.

Popcorn is a whole grain snack, and when you make it at home and control butter/fat and sodium amounts it can be wholesome. Popcorn is Hubby’s signature dish. As a kid I grew up eating microwave popcorn EVERY day after school. A whole bag to myself. My brother hated the way it smelled, but I loved it and had the whole thing to myself. I don’t even what to know how chemically altered that junk is. I recall a few months ago where a man who ate several bags a day sued the manufacturer because the chemicals in the fake butter mixture made him sick. That’s enough for me to swear off microwave popcorn for all eternity. If you can spring for the cost, buy organic popping corn.

My dad uses an air popper, then drizzles on melted butter. But the popcorn gets mushy this way. Hubby’s stove- top popcorn is by far the best I’ve ever had. I used to make popcorn with earth balance fake butter, but no longer buy the stuff. I'm a complete coconut oil convert when it comes to stove-top popcorn. Do not use olive oil for popcorn. It is not high heat safe. Plain butter will also burn at this heat.

UPDATE** Thanks to cheeseslave I've switched to coconut oil for popcorn. I LOVE it. I resisted initially thinking I'd miss the buttery flavor. I don't miss the butter flavor at all! Hubby's not quite as enthusiastic as I am, but he's taking one for the team, as we try to reduce the amount of "butter" spread we use.

The hot and spicy comes from the seasoning. I have a Mediterranean mix with herbs and crushed red pepper flakes. You probably have your own dry spice mix with some heat in it in your pantry. If not, check out the spice isle in your grocery store and pick one out. I use this same spice blend on oven fries, and with olive oil and salt for a fresh crusty bread dipper.

Kid Appeal Tip Popcorn is a universally accepted snack by most kids so this is a good way to introduce “heat” to your child. Start with a lite sprinkling of spice mixture and increase how much spice you add each time you serve it. Over the course of a few months your kidlets may have learned to appreciate a little heat!

I defer all popcorn making to hubby. He’s the pro in the family. His always tastes better than mine, and I’m sure that because he’s had far more practice. The wisdom here is that if you’re new to saucepan, stove top popcorn, and it’s not absolutely delightful the first time, keep practicing until you get it right!

Stove Top Popcorn Recipe
Turn heat on medium high-high heat. Add enough coconut oil to coat the bottom of the pan generously. Pour popcorn kernels in the bottom of the pan. They shouldn’t be too crowded and they should be in a single layer. Any more than that and it won’t fit in your pan when popped. Cover the lid and don’t open it until the kernels have all popped. Swirl the kernels around, then let it sit until you hear the kernels popping. Be vigilant, you need to start stirring as soon as kernels start popping so they don’t burn in the oil. Once you hear it start to stop, continuously move the pan in a circular motion until you no longer hear kernels popping, or they slow down a lot. Take the pan immediately off the heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl. Add salt and spice to taste and toss. Store left overs in an airtight container.

Alton Brown likes to eat his leftover popcorn like breakfast cereal with milk and sugar sprinkled on top. If you want to try that, keep some of the popcorn plain. Any one tried breakfast popcorn?

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What’s your favorite way to make home made popcorn?