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!
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