Sunday, March 22, 2015

Real Fast (non-toxic) Popcorn

It's movie night!  There's only a few minutes of previews and you don't want to miss a thing, so you grab a bag of microwave popcorn.  WAIT!  Did you know that chemicals used to make microwave popcorn cause cancer and also affect human fertility and development?  Researchers have linked the PFCs used to make the oils not leak through the bag to infertility, cancer, thyroid disease, immunosuppression and increased bad cholesterol.  A Google search lists dozens of reputable sources siting microwave popcorn is a food to avoid, including Dr. Mercola, Prevention.com, Food Babe and even Fox News. 

What if I told you that you could make delicious, buttery homemade popcorn in the same amount of time?  Seriously, it takes less than 5 minutes to make a kettle of popcorn at home, and contrary to what you might think, it's not difficult or messy!  Once you taste this popcorn, you will never eat the fake bag again. 

Real Fast (non-toxic) Popcorn
serves 4-6

1/2 cup popping corn
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp butter, melted (actually, I use up to 4 Tbsp butter, for extra satisfaction and healthy fat)
Sea salt to taste

In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  You can test the heat of the oil by adding a couple of kernels and then add the rest once those pop, but that isn't totally necessary.  Add corn kernels and stir or shake to evenly coat and distribute the kernels in the oil.  Once popping has started, shake the pan every 10 seconds or so to avoid burning any popped kernels.  When popping slows to a few seconds between pops, remove from heat and continue shaking to get any last kernels to pop.   Transfer popcorn to a large bowl, and drizzle with melted butter (to taste) while stirring gently.  I usually melt the butter in the same pan I cooked the popcorn in, just because I hate washing dishes, but you could make this faster by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat while cooking the popcorn.  Sprinkle the buttery popcorn with salt and enjoy!

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