Fancify Your Popcorn
I may have mentioned one or five times that I love to make unexpected recipes! Whether it is adding something sweet to a savory dish or featuring snack food in a major meal, that extra element makes food fun. I was reading up on Punchbowl’s Reason to Celebrate and discovered that today is National Popcorn Day. I decided to set out (sit at my desk) on an exhaustive search (Google) to find a way to do something savory with my favorite snack.
I didn’t want to go to my usual suspect recipe sites, so I went straight to the source – - Popcorn Brand Sites. I sifted through the top four and while the recipes were delicious on three of them, I found that they lacked originality. It wasn’t until I visited Jolly Time Popcorn – number four in the market, number one in my heart – that I found what I was looking for!
The delicious recipes actually came from The Popcorn Board which, I was surprised to learn, exists in the world. NOTE: All recipes below must be made with Jolly Time Popcorn because loyalty is important!
- 2 cups popped popcorn
- ½ cup dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 (1 ¼ lbs) tilapia filets
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Here’s How: Place popcorn, mushrooms, onion powder, garlic powder and salt in a blender (or food processor) and blend until powdery and almost smooth; pour into a wide, shallow bowl.
Beat egg in a shallow bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip tilapia into egg and then into popcorn mixture, coating both sides. Cook tilapia about 3 minutes per side or until fish is golden and center is cooked. Serve with lemon wedges.
Variation: Substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for tilapia and adjust cooking time as needed.
- 2 cups popped popcorn
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 (1 3/4 lbs.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Here’s How: For the Thai Peanut Sauce: Mix 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce in a small bowl until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350º F. Process popcorn in a blender or food processor until ground. Pour ground popcorn into a shallow dish; stir in peanuts and set aside.
In another shallow dish, whisk egg, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce until blended; set aside.
Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Dip chicken breasts first in egg mixture and then in popcorn mixture until well coated. Place in skillet and brown on both sides; about 3 minutes per side. Place skillet in oven 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with Thai Peanut sauce.
