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. peanut butter straight from the jar!

  2. hmmm…I love snacks and as I’m currently eating popcorn (popped in a pot!) drizzled with olive oil and parmesan cheese I’m going to say it’s that, with a piece of fruit on the side.

  3. Popcorn with slices of cheese on the side.

  4. And I liked you on FB.

  5. I tweeted about the giveaway.

  6. Sweet potato chips & red pepper hummus!

  7. pistachio’s

  8. Salt & vinegar chips, hands down.

  9. I love chips and salsa!

  10. i am fan on facebook

  11. I love greek yogurt with blueberries and walnuts.

  12. I am also a super popcorn lover! And I love it most from scratch. I learned from Alton Brown to use the wok. And it’s magical! You don’t need an air popper! AND Just throw a little sugar in there and it’s kettle corn!

  13. I’m also a fan on Facebook!

  14. My favorite snack lately has been apple slices dipped in peanut butter. Simple, but so yummy.

  15. I just discovered these mouth-numbingly spicy peanuts from China. Great w/ beer!

  16. Hummus and pita chips…yum!

  17. my favorite snack is salted popcorn with m&m’s. Add them when the popcorn is warm so they melt inside!

  18. Coffee Icecream!

  19. Right now, my favorite snack is veggies and crackers with a really delicious dip — there’s a tofu and veggie spread from Fairways that is AWESOME.

  20. Cheese and crackers..yum!

  21. I love kettle corn!

  22. My favorite snack would have to be Peanut Butter (on bananas, apples, crackers, rice cakes, straight out of the jar, it doesn’t matter!)

  23. popcorn with a box of snow caps….yum! But a more daily snack for me is cheese and crackers

  24. Also, just became a fan on Facebook! I didn’t know you were on there!

  25. and i am now a fan on facebook!

  26. For something salty, I like popcorn popped on the stove, and for something sweet I love homemade sugar cookies like my dad makes!

  27. my favorite snack is cheese! i really love a nice double cream brie with fresh bread or apples :)

  28. plus I’m a fan on Facebook :)

  29. Ooooh I’m craving popcorn now!!

  30. and i tweeted (@jayemkae)

  31. plus i’m a fan on facebook

  32. this summer my boyfriend made me try an avocado, so now i’m in love with homemade guacamole and tortilla chips. mmm. and now i want some. :)

  33. A handful of mixed nuts.

  34. Peanut butter and bananas! Yumm

  35. I love a mixture of salty/sweet. So I always reach for Reese’s PB cups, or chocolate covered pretzels, or I’ll just dump whoppers into a bowl with microwave popcorn.

  36. I follow you on twitter and I just tweeted! @ATPerez

  37. I love just a good cheese. Some goat cheese or really any cheese. I don’t even need bread or crackers, just cheese. Yummy yummy cheese.

    Although I’m always down for some pepper kettle chips, Yum!

  38. my ultimate snack is fresh made salsa, a cut up avocado, and some tortilla chips (low on the salt).

  39. And I “like” you on facebook! Of course!

  40. My all time favorite snack is homemade guacamole and homemade brown rice chips! SO tasty! trader Joes has great brown rice tortillas that are easy to chop up, season, and throw in the oven. Then on to mucho avocado! With lemon, salsa, salt and pepper…. you got yourself a mighty fine snack!

  41. And now I’m a fan on facebook! Hip hip hooray!

  42. I am your newest follower on twitter! And now all my followers know about it.

  43. My all time favorite snack is . . . frozen snickers. It’s my drug. I love airpopped popcorn, but I have no precious space left in my cabinents.

  44. I like you on FB!

  45. My all time favorite snack is guacamole! I love the texture and the richness…mmm…

  46. Trail mixes are my usual go-to snack. A little sweet and energizing!

  47. I’m a fan on FB!!

  48. It’s hard to pick a favorite snack. I guess right now my favorite snack is a good bar of dark chocolate.

  49. Doritos and coca cola – I don’t have them very much, but they are always great together!

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