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Chili and Spice Popcorn

Did anyone else watch the Golden Globe awards last night? I did, of course, because I get sucked into things like that and no matter how bizarre the whole thing is, I really do like to see what people are wearing and hope to see some awkward moment like Jacqueline Bissette’s acceptance speech.  Could the men have looked any better this year?  Geez!  Usually it’s the women’s dresses that are all the talk but nothing gets much better than seeing Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor Kinney, and Jared Leto is tuxes.  Wowza!  Anyway, a perfect and quick snack for a long television event like the Globes is this Chili and Spice Popcorn.

Plain old microwavable popcorn is jazzed up with a mixture of melted butter, chili powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  The mixture of the spices with the brown sugar makes this snack wonderfully sweet and savory which just melts on your tongue.  This popcorn is slightly addictive and before you know it, you’ll be licking your fingers and considering making another batch.  Now that’s a good golden snack.

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The ingredients:

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Prepare  a 3.5-oz package of microwave popcorn according to package directions. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Combine chili powder, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

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Drizzle melted butter over popped popcorn followed by spice mixture.

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Toss to combine.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Woman’s Day magazine

Maple-Chipotle Peanuts

I’ve had so many people say to me lately, “Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving?” I don’t know what’s surprising about it to people but it’s no shock to me.  Maybe it’s that I think about food all the time and have been thinking about what I want to make for Thanksgiving since the calendar changed to November.  Either way, yes, Thanksgiving is this Thursday so I hope everyone is ready.  It’ll be low key for me, just me and my cousin, so I have no stress in making a ton of food.  But if you have a bunch of people coming by and wonder how you’ll get everything done, consider making these Maple-Chipotle Peanuts if you need a quick and easy, no stress, no fuss appetizer that can be made ahead of time.

Maple syrup and chipotle chile pepper are simmered together until slightly thickened and then mixed with dry-roasted peanuts.  Once cooled, the result is sweet, salty, and spicy peanuts that are seriously addictive.  Once the peanuts cool, the peanuts become ooey and gooey and it’s hard to not want to shove your face into these.  Once they’ve cooled overnight, the syrup hardens, the gooeyness is gone and the peanuts become candied.  Whichever way you prefer, these are amazing.  The smell of these peanuts reminded me of being at a carnival or my county fair as a kid for some reason.  I realized that if I continued to eat these peanuts at the rapid rate I was, there was a good chance I would have devoured an entire container of peanuts in two days.  So consider yourself warned.  If you have a lot of guests coming, you might want to make two batches.  And if you have any leftover, throw a handful on top of some pumpkin ice cream.  Yum!

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The ingredients:

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Simmer 1/3 cup maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder in a saucepan until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

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Stir in 2 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts.

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Pour onto a lightly oiled pan and let cool.

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Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Food Network magazine

Zucchini Tart with Crumbled Sausage and Dijon

I’ve become a big fan of puff pastry.  What’s more simple than thawing out some frozen dough and having the result be flaky and buttery without you doing a lick of the work to get it that way?  Last week I brought you a pizza made with phyllo (which I loved) and this week I bring you something similar.  This Zucchini Tart with Crumbled Sausage and Dijon isn’t technically a pizza but it’s just as simple.

Puff pastry is thawed and topped with Dijon mustard, browned turkey sausage and thinly sliced fresh zucchini before being baked until golden and puffy.  For so few ingredients, you might think that this could be bland – at least I did.  But I’ll tell you what, the Dijon adds such a pop of flavor to the tasty sausage that I was almost thankful for the mild zucchini (of course you can always use hot sausage instead for an even bigger punch).  Any other flavor might have taken this tart right over the edge.  I do recommend going on the lighter side with the Dijon because a little really does go a long way.  Make this tart for people and I guarantee it won’t stand a chance.

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The ingredients:

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Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked partway through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon; reserve the skillet.

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Add the zucchini, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

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Unfold the pastry on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork, leaving a ½-inch border around the dough. Spread the mustard on the pastry (avoiding the border); top with the zucchini and sausage. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

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Cut the tart into 8 pieces.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Sweet turkey sausage

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Real Simple magazine

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