Love and Olive Oil

Olive Oil Popcorn

Spicy Olive Oil Popcorn

You know those days, when you’ve eaten dinner, but maybe it’s too late for dessert (or maybe you’ve already eaten dessert) and you still feel the need to munch? Maybe you’re watching a movie on a Friday night and to you, movies just aren’t complete without popcorn? Whatever your reason, sometimes we all just need a snack.

Enter the air popper. Yes, we have one. We’ve decided that this little unitasker is worth our precious cabinet space. You may feel otherwise, but we love our little popper.

One of our favorite snacks is freshly popped popcorn drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Yes, we kind of ripped the idea from Trader Joe’s (whose olive oil popcorn is practically like crack), but we’ve adopted it as our own.

Until now, however, we’ve stuck to plain old extra virgin. The fruitier the better. You’re only using a few tablespoons so you might as well use the good stuff. You may feel that popcorn is useless unless it is smothered in butter (and I think I’ve expressed my love for butter enough already this week), so let’s give the olive oil some love, too. Because it truly makes an otherwise ordinary snack extraordinary. This may be the shortest, simplest recipe I’ve ever posted. It may also be one of our all-time favorites.

Take it up another notch and use a fiery chili-infused olive oil, like the one the fine folks at Nudo were kind enough to send (they also sent me a sample of their stone ground lemon, which sounds divine, but maybe not on popcorn). But the chili… oh the chili! Spicy. Sassy. Delicious.

So for once (and I don’t say this often), put down the butter, and give this a try.

Olive Oil Popcorn

Makes 4 snack-size servings

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
  • 1 teaspoon table or popcorn salt (fine grain), or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil of your choice

Directions:

  1. Place popcorn kernels in air popper and pop according to manufacturers directions (alternatively, you can make ‘air-popped’ popcorn in the microwave, simply put kernels in a brown paper bag. Fold over top of bag multiple times. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes or until the pops are more than 1 second apart).
  2. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl (much larger than the actual quantity of popcorn). Drizzle over olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, and toss to coat. Continue adding olive oil until you achieve your desired coverage. Sprinkle with salt again and toss until evenly coated.
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405 Comments

  1. My husband makes this popcorn with chili oil, garlic powder, and curry powder. It is amazing. Doesn’t sound that exciting, but it’s seriously addictive!

  2. Cheesecake…or maybe I shouldn’t consider that a snack? Nuts are always good too.

  3. I am a fan on facebook.

  4. It is actually popcorn.

  5. i also already like you on facebook. :)

  6. my favorite snack has to be peanut butter and ritz crackers!

  7. My favorite snack is chips & guacamole.
    Great give away! The Nudo containers are super cute and colorful! Love them!

  8. I am already a fb fan. My favorite snack is chive cream cheese spread on celery sticks! Yum!

  9. My favorite snack used to be popcorn…I could make it sweet or salty, depending on what I was craving! But now I’m in my first trimester and I’m sick sick sick! But this would totally be something to look forward to if I won!

  10. Nothing is better than pretzels and chocolate frosting. Yum.

  11. I’m a fan on facebook.

  12. I love figs, goat cheese and honey! And I’m now a fan on Facebook :)

  13. Popcorn, but cooked in a pan with grapeseed oil. It doesn’t even need other toppings. My roommate and I keep a jar of popcorn on the counter, and… well, it needs to be refilled often.

  14. My favorite snack is a homemade smoothie!

  15. if i HAD to choose… it’d have to be PUPPY CHOW! i add pretzels into my mix so you get the salty aspect too! mMMMMMMMMMmm!

  16. I love good food, but my snack preferences lean toward the pedestrian…..Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Ice Cream Bars or Cheese & Crackers.

  17. My favorite snack is tortilla chips and guacamole.

  18. hmm… we’re big popcorn fans, but heck, we also like ice cream!!

  19. Yum! I think I need an air popper… my favorite snack of all time is definitely Chex Mix. Any kind. All kinds. The homemade kind, ever. I loooove me some Chex Mix.

  20. this is going to sound cheesy but it’s 100% true: POPCORN is my favorite snack of all time! Me and my old roommate would generally go through a lb of popcorn in a week…easily. I LOVE my hot air popper! My favorite topping is salt, cumin and hot sauce!!

  21. I’ve been a long time fan/Liker on Facebook!

  22. I love to snack on hummus and raw veggies. Healthy I know, but so good.

  23. I’m already a HUGE fan on FB :)

  24. My favorite snack of all time is either sour patch kids or avocado and cottage cheese. But omg this EVOO popcorn sounds amazing. Thanks for the giveaway. :)

  25. And of course, I already like Love and Olive Oil on Facebook!

  26. I’m also a FB fan!

  27. I also just liked you on fb :)

  28. My favorite is olive oil popcorn too…but use the olive oil to pop the corn on the stovetop in my Mom’s old dutch oven, and then sprinkle liberally with sea salt. YUM!

  29. I would lie and say something healthy, but it’s gotta be french fries.

  30. All time favorite snack??? Just one?? I suppose it would be tortilla chips (and dip); we almost always have them around. But I like a LOT of snacks!

  31. My favorite changes all the time! But the one I’m currently craving (for an afternoon snack) is coffee and a piece of banana bread

  32. ripe avocado spread liberally on toasted crusty bread. mmmmmmmmm…………

  33. my usual snack is actually popcorn! I often eat it plain, though its also nice with some salted butter.

    but I think my favorite snacks are anything coated in white cheddar- white cheddar cheese puffs & white cheddar popcorn especially. yum yum yum!

  34. Chips & Dip

  35. My favorite snack are chips! Especially Zapp’s jalapeno chips.

    I tweeted and I’m a FB fan! Loving giveaway week…would love more if I win!

  36. A thin slice of Gorgonzola on a Carr’s cracker, drizzled with a tiny bit of honey.

  37. Apples and boursin. Mmmmm!!!! I could eat it for breakfastlunchanddinner.

  38. Butter pretzels with Nutella!

  39. My favorite all time snack is CHEESE. With bread….dates….crackers…apples…pears…..cured meats….or the Mexican version as queso with tortilla chips :-)

  40. My favorite snack is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

  41. Cheese and crackers!

  42. anything chocolate! and then i usually want something salty. then back to sweet, and so on. it’s a viscious cycle ;)

  43. Any kind of cheese, on toasted pieces of bread with a glass of wine of course ;)

  44. I’ve learned to love grapes, but my favorite snack of all time is caramel popcorn mixed with M&Ms and cashews.

  45. While not the healthiest I love Chex Mix but I will usually grab some carrots and soft cheese.

  46. I’m partial to nut butter straight from the jar :)

  47. I’m already a fan on facebook.

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