Tuesday night I was in Granada, Spain with my dad and his girlfriend, drinking champagne and eating popcorn at Nito’s bar. Today I’m back in Zurich, back to work, back to recipe testing, and back to laundry…with dulse popcorn in hand, but no champagne to go with it. I figured I had to bring some fun to the day-after-vacation-blues.
We only had one full day in Granada, so we filled it to the brim. We did some morning shopping, afternoon at the Hammam, and early evening at the Alhambra. From the outside, the Alhambra just seems like an old castle, granted a gigantic old castle.
But oh no, that is not the case at all. Walk inside and your jaw just may drop from its beauty. The Alhambra is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Every corner I turned had a new and amazing feature. I loved the intricate details, the patterns, and colors. I even bought one of those adult coloring books at the gift shop, because I was truly inspired to create something beautiful, even if it’s just a coloring.
After our full day, and our last day together, we were ready for our evening cocktails. We had a mission to find Nito’s bar, which just so happened to be owned by my aunt’s Spanish novio from when she lived in Granada 40 years ago. He just so happened to be working Tuesday night with his son, and they treated us right. The drinks kept coming and the snack bowls were bottomless.
Not only did they serve us popcorn, they also gave us gummies, peanuts, and beans. An odd combo, but no complaints on my end. As we were munching and sipping, we were discussing the genius of serving popcorn at bars. It costs them practically nothing, but they salt your palette so you need to drink more. Simple and smart.
So I came home with popcorn on my mind. Not Spanish tapas, just popcorn. I always forget how easy and delicious of a snack it is. And healthy too, if made right. I make mine on the stovetop (as everyone should – the microwave kind is dangerous for us!) and I just add whatever suits my mood. This time I added my dulse flakes – since I could use a little boost of nutrients after vacation. This dried seaweed is loaded with iron, potassium, B12, and a whole lotta other good-for-you stuff. Plus, the savory flakes add some extra flavor to plain popcorn.
Add the oil and a few kernels to the pot.
Once you hear that first ‘pop!’ the pot is hot enough for the rest of them.
Pop that popcorn and add your favorite toppings…dulse it is.
I wonder if champagne counteracts the health benefits? 😉
- 2 tablespoons high-heat oil (such as coconut, vegetable, canola, or peanut)
- ½ cup // 110 grams organic popcorn kernels
- 1-2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Heavy sprinkle of dulse flakes
- In a big metal pot, pour in your oil and turn the heat on medium. Drop in a couple kernels and cover. Wait until at least one pops, then add the rest of the kernels. Cover again and place on the stovetop and wait until they start popping. While they are popping, hold the sides and the lid down, and shake the pot often so the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom. Let them continue to pop until you get a few second pause. Then take it off the heat and let it sit for about a minute with the lid on to let the last few kernels pop.
- Now that your popcorn is popped, mix in melted ghee or butter, salt, and sprinkle the dulse flakes all over!
- Not digging dulse flakes? Try nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or chocolate chips!
One Response
I don’t know why I’ve never made my own popcorn but this sounds so easy and delicious! Thanks for posting about this!