Flavor and food prep

shortygirl1987

So I love to eat popcorn at times but not sure how to pop it without using butter, and what to flavor it with so it doesn't taste plain, plus what can I flavor rice with to make it taste good but make it healthy still

vrojapu

I switched recently to cauliflower rice, but prior to that I used a bunch of Indian spices - bay leaf, green and black cardamom, cumin, cloves, cinnamon etc to make rice aromatic and fragrant. Also used curry powder sometimes.

(No idea about popcorn, sorry - was never fond of it and even go to the movies when I'm hungry but out of calories because the popcorn smell destroys my appetite faster than anything else!)

RodaRose

Buy a hot air popcorn popper -- it does not use oil to make the corn pop.
This has ideas on flavoring http://www.thekitchn.com/how-do-i-get-seasoning-to-stic-118691

shinycrazy

shortygirl1987 wrote: »

So I love to eat popcorn at times but not sure how to pop it without using butter, and what to flavor it with so it doesn't taste plain

We love this for making popcorn in the microwave without oil. https://www.ltdcommodities.com/Housewares---Dining/Tools---Gadgets/Microwave-Popcorn-Maker//prod1221038.jmp

We use parkay spray butter and add italian seasoning (love the tuscany blend of this stuff https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Dipping-Seasonings-Jacobs-Variety/dp/B000TGX6M4) Cajun blackening seasoning is also very good on popcorn.

JenHuedy

Have you tried the flavored popcorn salts? They come in flavors like butter, ranch, bacon, cheddar. I also like spicy seasoning salt, ranch dressing mix or even a dash of cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat. A spritz of butter flavored spray or olive oil will help the flavors stick.

For rice, try cooking with broth. Or make a pilaf by browning onions, garlic, mushrooms or other aromatics in olive oil, then brown the raw rice, add broth and cook until done.

snowflake930

Have you got a brown paper lunch bag?
1/4 cup popcorn kernels. Place in bag. Fold over top a couple of times. Microwave for about 3 minutes. Watch closely and listen for kernels to stop popping. (it can burn very quickly)
The sky is the limit on toppings.
I like:
Buffalo wing sauce
grated parmesan
butter spray and a little salt

cwolfman13

I just pop mine with butter or coconut oil depending on what I feel like...there's nothing inherently bad about using butter. I just flavor with salt.

Wynterbourne

snowflake930 wrote: »

Have you got a brown paper lunch bag?
1/4 cup popcorn kernels. Place in bag. Fold over top a couple of times. Microwave for about 3 minutes. Watch closely and listen for kernels to stop popping. (it can burn very quickly)
The sky is the limit on toppings.
I like:
Buffalo wing sauce
grated parmesan
butter spray and a little salt

This is exactly what I do. I put 46g of popcorn kernels in a brown lunch bag, fold it closed, and microwave it for 1 minute and 30 seconds. I nuked a few dozen bags previously and this was almost always the time where the popping slowed down for my microwave, so I just use it now without babysitting it. I also use different popcorn flavorings that I bought on sale. Ranch, buffalo chicken, garlic, etc.

DancingMoosie

I like nutritional yeast or cholula on popcorn.