Let's Get Popping

An all time favorite snack food of ours has got to be a big bowl of homemade popcorn. It just fits all the requirements for a good snack; crunchy, salty, savory, finger food, and so much more! A huge reason we love homemade popcorn as a snack food is that it can be flavored in so many different ways, because let's face it, plain popcorn just doesn't satisfy our snacky cravings. So first let's find out why homemade, stove-top popcorn is the ONLY option before we get to our must have recipe.

During the age of convenience foods, microwave popcorn became a huge hit. Being that it is fast, easy, and cheap we can definitely see why. BUT since learning more about potential carcinogens in foods we think that microwave popcorn has really lost all of it's appeal. Microwave popcorn is definitely a no-go for us because a majority of popcorn brands in the grocery store contain terribly unhealthy ingredients. Lets start with the bag itself; most microwave popcorn bags are coated with a layer of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled as a carcinogen (gross!). On many microwave popcorn ingredient lists you will find partially hydrogenated oil, pro-inflammatory genetically modified oils, artificial flavoring, and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a food preservative made from butane which is a toxic gas (double gross!). But don't worry! When made at home from whole corn kernels popcorn can be a healthy snack. Popcorn is considered a whole grain and good source of fiber with 3 grams of fiber per 3 cup serving. If air popped and lightly sprinkled with salt, popcorn can be a low calorie snack food. But since we focus more on quality than quantity (of portion sizes or calories) we went for a stove-top, savory flavored version. This recipe will quickly become a crowd favorite so let's get popping!

Savory Miso Popcorn
PREP TIME: 5 mins
TOTAL TIME: 10 mins
Servings: 12 Cups

Ingredients
Popcorn
3 oz organic popcorn kernels (about 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp grass fed ghee
1/2 tsp sea salt

Miso Topping
1 Tbsp raw miso paste (we used chickpea, brand featured here)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl mix miso with olive oil until combined then set aside. In a dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet add 3 Tbsp ghee and sea salt. Turn stove top on to medium-high heat and allow ghee to melt. Add one popcorn kernel to melted oil and wait a few minutes until the kernel pops (this is how you know the oil is ready). Add 3 oz of kernels to the pan and cover with a lid. Bring the temperature down to a medium heat. While wearing oven mits, gently shake the pan back and forth to allow kernels to evenly pop. Continue doing this until you no longer hear popping. You may also lift the lid to take a peak, just be careful! While the popcorn is still hot, pour miso olive oil mixture over the top and stir to combine. We found that using your hands to gently massage the miso mixture into the popcorn worked well. Pour prepared popcorn into a large bowl and start snacking!

Well, how good was that? The miso topping really takes this popcorn to a new level adding a whole other layer of flavor and savoriness that only fermented foods like miso can provide. This popcorn really will be hard to stop eating so we suggest sharing with a friend (or many!) and pairing with a favorite movie.

Happy Popping,
Jess and Cecelia