So this isn’t the post that was originally supposed to be here. I was supposed to have concocted this wonderful braised pork chop recipe, but Winter Storm Nemo happened and shot my plans to go to the grocery store to hell. I tried to make a go of it with what I had in the apartment, and it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t worthy of you all. So then I was left to find something else to do at the last minute. And what else do people do when there’s no food, and you don’t feel like cooking? Microwave popcorn. Except for those of us that are dairy free, there’s no microwave popcorn that we can buy without milk or milk derivatives in it. So, the internet to the rescue! I can’t remember where I found the link on how to cook popcorn in a paper lunch bag in the microwave, but I want to thank them fervently.
Also, for those of you who are Valentine’s Day abstainers, popcorn is a good thing to have while you do a movie marathon to ignore the fact that the rest of the planet is participating in a corporate-manufactured holiday.
Basic Microwave Popcorn
- ⅓ c of popping corn
- ½ tsp of canola oil
- ¼ tsp of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or Penzey’s 4/S salt.
- 1 paper lunch bag
- 1 piece of tape (optional) or a plastic clip like these from Pampered Chef
Variations:
Cajun – Replace seasoned salt with 1/4 tsp Penzey’s Spicy 4/S Salt, or Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning to taste. If your Cajun Seasoning does not have salt, leave the seasoned salt in the basic recipe in as well.
Cheez – Add 1-2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the basic recipe.
Ranch – Add 1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and a dash of each of the following: garlic powder, onion powder, basil, dill weed, and red pepper flakes to the basic recipe.
Curry – Add 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala, and 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder to the basic recipe. If you want to add some heat, add a dash of cayenne pepper.
Open paper lunch bag. Add the popcorn kernels and all the seasonings to the bag. Add the oil, and then hold the bag closed and shake quickly to distribute oil and seasoning around popcorn kernels. Either fold the top of the bag over twice, use tape, or the clip to seal the bag tightly. Put the bag in the microwave on its side. Because all microwaves are different and everyone has figured out the optimum time to nuke microwave popcorn without burning it, try it at your normal setting and see if that works, and adjust the time as needed. In my microwave, it takes 1 minute 45 seconds to pop the popcorn without burning it. Shake the bag after taking it out of the microwave and dump the popcorn in a bowl, shaking any seasonings left in the paper bag out over the popcorn.
This would really work with any combination of seasonings you want to try. Let us know how any experiments you do work out. Enjoy!
All the Single People!
And for those who are single or anti-holiday, whatever your reason, here’s Mary Kate’s current V-Day At Home Alone, currently available via streaming Netflix, movie night plan:
and to remember that sometimes romance gets in the way of your future plans,
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Anyone watching along with me?
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