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Popcorn for Dinner

November 7, 2013 by Nicole 18 Comments

Kettle Corn

I just made a very important decision about dinner tonight.  You see, I’ve had two pretty healthy meals today, both of which included vegetables and protein.  Okay, it was only one vegetable, but I did have it for both breakfast and lunch, so I’m counting broccoli as two vegetables today.  Either way, I’ve decided that I’ve had enough vegetables today.  And fruit.  And protein.  On top of that, I went to the dentist today and found out that I have no cavities and I do a good job of flossing.  So after all my healthy eating and all that praise I received from my dentist and hygienist, not to mention it being my birthday month, I’m feeling like I should treat myself.

So popcorn for dinner it is!

Phil works a lot of nights, so I’m often on my own for dinner.  On these nights, I usually wait too long to think about dinner and then I’m starving and just scrounge around the fridge for leftovers or whatever I can find to pull together quickly and easily.  Sometimes it’s just one thing, like leftover grilled chicken.  Or hard boiled eggs.  Or broccoli with mayonnaise.  It’s pretty sad, really.

But tonight’s dinner is different.  Tonight is popcorn cooked in coconut oil, tossed with melted butter and sea salt, and devoured on the couch with a side of dark chocolate and a movie.  Sorry, Phil, I’m having a date night by myself and I can’t wait.

The photo above is actually kettle corn, from a previous post, because there’s no way I’m going to stop and take photos before diving into tonight’s dinner just so you guys can see a slightly different picture of popcorn.  Besides, it gives me an excuse to tell you that you should really try that Kettle Corn recipe if you haven’t yet.  It’s delicious.  In fact, the only reason I’m not making the kettle corn tonight is that I’m having a side dish of dark chocolate with tonight’s dinner.  Buttery/salty popcorn with chocolate is way better than sweet/salty popcorn with chocolate.  That’s just the way it is.

While you probably don’t need instructions for making popcorn, I’ll give you the basic “recipe” we use when making popcorn for two.  And when I say popcorn for two, I mean two big bowls.  It’s really good.

How to Make Popcorn on the Stove

Things you need:

Large pot with lid
3 tablespoons coconut oil (virgin coconut oil gives the best flavor)
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
very large bowl
3 tablespoons melted butter
fine ground sea salt
2 medium-large serving bowls

Start heating pot with oil over medium-high heat.  Drop three kernels in the oil and cover the pot.  When you hear all the kernels pop (meaning the oil is hot enough), add the rest of the popcorn and swirl it around to get it all coated in the hot oil and let the kernels settle into an even layer.  Put the lid back on the pot and when the kernels start popping, start shaking the pot back and forth a little.  Once the popping really starts going, I crack the lid a little to allow steam to escape (but not enough to allow oil and kernels to come flying out at me!) and hold it in position while continuing to shake the pot.  I suggest wearing pot holders while doing this.  Once the popping slows to where you can count several seconds between each pop, dump the popcorn into a large bowl.  Drizzle popcorn with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat.  Divide popcorn between two serving bowls and enjoy the show!

So, what’s your favorite popcorn topping?  Butter and salt like me?  Cheese?  Spices?  I’d love some new ideas for my next date night!

Filed Under: NaBloPoMo, Snacks

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Winnie says

    November 7, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    There is NOTHING wrong with popcorn for dinner.
    Reply
  2. Janette says

    November 7, 2013 at 5:20 pm

    Sounds like a great evening! Janette @culinaryginger
    Reply
  3. Anna says

    November 7, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    My favorite topping is, oddly enough, lemon pepper. Sounds weird, but tastes wonderful!
    Reply
  4. Julie says

    November 7, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    I love popcorn for dinner. And I probably do it more often than I care to admit. I always do it on the stove. Topped with butter and seasoning salt. My mom did it that way when we were kids and in my opinion, there's just no other way.
    Reply
  5. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says

    November 7, 2013 at 6:32 pm

    I've never had popcorn for dinner, but I still haven't eaten dinner tonight.. so there's still time! :)
    Reply
  6. Jamie | Jamie's Recipes says

    November 7, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    Popcorn for dinner is one of my favorites. I made popcorn for the first time with coconut oil last week and was impressed with how wonderful it was. I even considered blogging about it. Buttery and salty popcorn paired with peanut butter M&M's are the perfect salty/sweet combination.
    Reply
  7. Sabrina says

    November 7, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    Healthy Popcorn: Non gmo popcorn popped in raw coconut oil Drizzle in raw organic melted butter Sprinkle with Pink salt. Get you minerals, and good fats!
    Reply
  8. countrychick says

    November 7, 2013 at 8:12 pm

    I had popcorn for dinner a few nights ago, also. I love drizzling olive oil over it with a little salt. I use the dry heat popcorn maker and love it! Was that you in the picture the other day? What a nice little cabin you have! We live in the forest with no neighbors for miles... and love the peace! Thanks for sharing your days with us!
    Reply
  9. Kristen says

    November 8, 2013 at 2:47 am

    I thought I was the only one who ate chocolate with my popcorn! I love my stove-popped popcorn with Crazy Jane's Mixed-Up Salt and nutritional yeast (the large flake kind). Try it. Seriously.
    Reply
  10. Sally says

    November 8, 2013 at 5:32 am

    I LOVE popcorn for any meal! I wish I could convince the rest of my boat that. I'm writing a recipe blog about sailing around the world and cooking on a boat. www.sallyinthegalley.net. I would love to hear what you think of it! I adore your blog and this entry especially, popcorn is sooo important in the sailing world. I'm posting my recipe soon!
    Reply
  11. amanda says

    November 8, 2013 at 5:58 am

    i love it! date night by yourself. if only i had a tv i would totally be doing the same thing. every single night. since i'm trying to not drink so much... and i'm single. ;)
    Reply
  12. holly ; the hobbit kitchen says

    November 8, 2013 at 6:22 am

    i loooove popcorn dinner - i actually had it last night, at the cinema! this looks like a far healthier & tastier alternative :) the hobbit kitchen x
    Reply
  13. Samantha says

    November 8, 2013 at 6:26 am

    I have been known to have popcorn for dinner. I'm glad I'm not the only one!
    Reply
  14. MCS Gal says

    November 8, 2013 at 6:31 am

    The chocolate with the popcorn sounds wonderful. Believe it or not, my husband sometimes suggests popcorn for dinner and he even cooks :)
    Reply
  15. Sabrina Modelle says

    November 8, 2013 at 8:56 am

    Yes. Yes. Yes. I am missing popcorn so badly since we've gone grain free. I may have to have a bowl soon! My favorite is coconut curry popcorn or (the best) buffalo popcorn.
    Reply
  16. Sean says

    November 9, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Have you ever tried Tiny Buy Mighty popcorn? We sold them when I was at Foodzie. I sorta hate popcorn, because of the hulls that get stuck in your throat, but this is an heirloom varietal with teeny kernels, and when they pop the hulls disintegrate. They also have a naturally buttery flavor. I'm a fan!
    Reply
  17. Karen says

    November 10, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    We all LOVE popcorn for dinner made in coconut oil (organic virgin, of course)! We drizzle a little butter, sprinkle a little himalayan pink salt, toss, then repeat. However a nice treat is the popcorn my hubby makes with marshmallows. It turns into a lovely caramel corn. The 3 little kids love ranch seasoning on theirs. My 2 oldest love lime zest, sriracha, and salt. All tasty!
    Reply
  18. anna @ annamayeveryday says

    November 11, 2013 at 8:12 am

    I love popcorn, sweet, salty, spicy, whichever way it comes - nothing wrong with popcorn for dinner!
    Reply

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