Everything Bagel Popcorn

It’s Oscar weekend!  Does that excite you?  I get excited to hear that the Oscars are coming up despite the facts that I generally haven’t seen any of the nominated movies (I’m always like four years behind), and that I’m not likely going to watch the Oscars themselves.  Who can stay up for things like this on Sunday night?  I’ve got a bedtime to be true to, and if I’m going to cheat on that, it’s going to be for The Walking Dead.  But nonetheless, The Academy Awards sound so exciting… the pretty dresses and all that glamour.  And the media does a good job of making me feel like I should want to watch a lot of celebrities congratulating each other.  I think I feel the same way about The Oscars as I do about most sports spectation… If I’m not in the game/match/running, and I don’t know anyone in the game/match/running, then why do I care who wins?  I guess I just haven’t figured out the art of being a fan.

Don’t get me wrong – I do care a little bit!  Last year, I was happy for Leonardo when he finally got his much deserved little gold statue.  (He’s my favorite.)  And, in fact, I believe The Revenant was the last Oscar nominated film I actually watched.  (Good job, Leo. You can do no wrong.) So why get excited about an award show that doesn’t involve me and that I’m not likely to watch?  I think I like the associated feelings of celebration and of experiencing a special occasion.  Knowing that there’s a widely acknowledged cultural event happening makes you feel like you’re part of something and it gives you an excuse to do something special, to treat this weekend just a little bit differently.  Obviously, I’m not talking about hosting an Oscar party or anything… No, I’m talking about sprucing up my normal bowl of popcorn.

I know what you’re thinking.  “She knows how to party.”  It’s true.  I do.

I’m making Everything Bagel Popcorn.

More exciting than a bowl of plain salted popcorn!  Healthier than an actual everything bagel, but with all the same flavors!  It’s practically a superhero food. (NO, not a superfood.  I said a superhero food.  Totally different.  Just chill.)

So, you’ll need some plain popping kernels, a little bit of butter, and something to season with.  I’m using caraway seeds, kosher salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic powder, and onion powder.

If you’d like to be really ambitious, you can lightly toast your caraway and sesame seeds to bring out the flavor a bit.  I’m a huge fan of my air popper lately, so I don’t cook my popcorn in oil, but you can.  Here’s what I’d do.  If you’re air-popping, you’ll still need some fat to coat your popcorn so that your toppings will stick and it’ll taste good.  For that, I used melted better, but you could also use oil.  Or, if you’re not air-popping, you can oil pop in canola oil on the stove-top and then add your seasonings right away while it’s still hot.

In either case, you’re getting some healthy complex carbs and a fat of your choosing.  Not the worst way we could end the day, folks.

Thus, without further ado, I bring you a perfect recipe to make while you’re watching The Oscars, an Oscar-nominated movie, a comedy that won’t win an Oscar (the kind I like to watch), or The Walking Dead… Your call.  It’s Everything Bagel Popcorn!

[lt_recipe name=”Everything Bagel Popcorn” servings=”4″ prep_time=”5M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”A great snack for movie or TV night with healthy complex cards and all the flavors of an everything bagel!” print=”yes” image=”http://www.eighteenalmonds.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_9668-001-150×150.jpg” ingredients=”3/4 c un-popped popcorn kernels;3 tbsp melted butter;2 tsp caraway seeds ;1 tbsp kosher salt;1 tbsp sesame seeds;2 tsp poppy seeds;1 tsp garlic powder;1 tsp onion powder;;” ]Use an air-popper to pop the popcorn. (Alternatively, you can pop it on the stove-top in a little bit of canola oil. If so, you may want to omit or reduce the amount of butter you’re using.);Toss hot kernels with melted butter and all the seasonings.[/lt_recipe]