Microwave: Spicy, Cheesy Popcorn

Microwave: Spicy, Cheesy Popcorn

(Adapted from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/real-cheddar-cheese-popcorn-recipe-2098775)

Pre-preparation:

Make popcorn*. Store in a container with a lid.

 

*See post DIY Microwave Popcorn Maker for more information.

 

Ingredients:

4 TBspns Olive oil, spray if possible
1 Tspn Garlic powder

Ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tspn Onion flakes
1 Tspn Cumin
1 Tspn Paprika
2 Drops Hot sauce
Parmesan cheese
Cheese, shredded or grated

Note: if you want the mixture spicer, increase the amount of hot sauce, cumin, and paprika.

 

Process:

• With popcorn in a container with a lid, spray popcorn with vegetable oil. (See DIY Oil Sprayer, below.)
• Add garlic powder, ground black pepper, onion flakes, cumin, paprika, hot sauce, parmesan cheese, grated cheese and salt.
• Cover container.
• Shake container to spread the spices throughout the popcorn.

Note: I had to remove some of the popcorn to make it fit into the container.

DIY Oil Sprayer:

Use a bottle with a sprayer.

Add vegetable oil.

 

 

Alternative Process:

 

In a small, microwaveable, glass container, add oil, garlic and onion powders, cumin, paprika, hot sauce and salt.
Stir and mix ingredients together.
Microwave on high for about 10 seconds.
Remove container.
Stir and mix ingredients.
Spoon mixture over popcorn.
Sprinkle popcorn with parmesan and grated cheese.

Cover container.

Shake container to spread spices throughout popcorn.

 

DIY MIcrowave Popcorn Maker

My previous microwave popcorn "maker", a casserole dish broke. So, I had been using a cracker cardboard box to make microwave popcorn but after many uses, it bit the dust.

 

So, I checked my cardboard box stash and found another box that might work as a DIY Microwave Popcorn Maker.

 

 

I got another thin piece of cardboard and cut a piece to put inside the box on the bottom.

 

To make popcorn with your DIY Microwave Popcorn Maker*:

• In a cup, add about 1/4 cup of kernels.
• Add water to cover the kernels.
• Wait about 5 minutes to let the kernels soak up some water.
• Drain the water off the kernels.
• Add kernels to your DIY Microwave Popcorn Maker.
• Close box lid.
  
• Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes.
• Wait until the popping begins to stop, where you hear only 1-3 pops. Be careful the box will be hot, the contents will be hot.
• Add popcorn to a container with a lid.

 

Basically, you add prepped popcorn to the box and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes.

 

 

Most of the time, using the prepped kernels reduces the number of unpopped kernels.

 

See Microwave: Spicy, Cheesy Popcorn for a popcorn seasoning idea.

DIY: Hasty Pickle Relish

I needed to use the remaining pickles from an aging batch of DIY Quick Pickles. I thought using them in a pickle relish would work.

When I searched for a pickle relish recipe, I was surprised. Most recipes were for sweet pickle relishes and the quantities were huge because the idea was to can the relish.

But, the relish I had in mind was different, was it a dill pickle relish? Search results were similar.

So, I read a few recipes. Most of the recipes included bell peppers, celery seed, mustard seed, dill seed, turmeric, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Plus, most recipes wanted the cucumbers and bell peppers ground up in a blender.

Well, this wasn't going to happen, so I was left to improvise.

Using a recent Cucumber Relish recipe as a guide, I added and deleted a few ingredients.

I choose not to add the vinegar, lots sugar or salt because I was using pickles. Plus, I did not have celery seed, mustard seed, or dill seed. I had Turmeric, but hesitated using it. Maybe another time.

 

 

DIY: Hasty Pickle Relish

(Inspired by: Cucumber Relish, Dining with the Duchess: Making Everyday Meals A Special Occasion by Sarah, The Duchess of York and Weight Watchers, p42)

 

Ingredients:

8 DIY Quick Pickle Spears, sliced and diced

2 TBspns Bell pepper, sliced and diced

2-4 Grinds Black pepper

8 Shakes Onion flakes

1/2 Tspn Sugar

 

Process:

In a medium container with a lid, add the pickles and bell pepper.

Add black pepper, onion flakes, and sugar.

Stir thoroughly to mix ingredients.

I had to test this relish, so I added a few spoonfuls to half a ham and cheese tarta (sandwich). It turned out great!

 

WW Cucumber Relish

WW Cucumber Relish

(Adapted from: Cucumber Relish, Dining with the Duchess: Making Everyday Meals A Special Occasion by Sarah, The Duchess of York and Weight Watchers, p42)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 Cumber, peeled, deseeded, sliced and diced

2 TBspns Bell pepper, sliced and diced

4 Tspns can salsa, drained

6 Shakes Onion Flakes

1-2 Drops Hot sauce

1 Tspn Oregano powder

1/4 Cup Yogurt, plain

 

 

Process:

 

In a medium container with a cover, add cucumber

ber and bell pepper.

Add salsa, onion flakes, hot sauces, oregano and yogurt.

Stir thoroughly to mix ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate until needed.

 

Skillet: Chicken and Vegetable Hash (Toast Topping)

I had a bell pepper I had to use before it went bad. I did not want to do the usual dice it up and freeze it. So, I hunted down a few recipes where I could use fresh diced bell pepper.

This one is great for using vegetable and chicken leftovers.

 

Chicken and Vegetable Hash (Toast Topping)
(Inspired by: https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/creamy-chicken-hash)

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil

1/2 Tspn Onion flakes

1/2 Tspn Garlic powder

1-3 Drops Hot sauce

2 Grinds Black pepper

1/4 Bell pepper, diced or 1/2 Cup Frozen mixed vegetable, drained, rinsed, cooked

1/4 Cup Canned Mushrooms, drained, rinsed, sliced

1/4 Cup Potato, cooked, diced (Optional)

1/4 Cup Chicken, cooked, diced

Optional sauce:

2 TBspns BBQ sauce

2 TBspns Milk

Add ingredients to a separate bowl. Mix well and set aside.

 

Process:

Add oil to skillet.

Add onion, garlic, hot sauce, black pepper.

Stir and mix.

Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add bell pepper and mushrooms.

Stir ingredients thoroughly.

Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium.

Add potatoes. (Optional)

Add vegetables. (Optional)

Add chicken.
Mix ingredients.

Cook on medium-high until cooked and warmed throughout.

Stir frequently.

 

Optional sauce: add 1 TBspn of BBQ sauce into mixture or as a topping.

Variation: Serve as a Toast Topping.

Spread 1 Tspn mayo over toast.

Add some hash to top of toast.

Option: Top with 1 Tspn if BBQ sauce.

For me, the “heat” factor was high.

 

2021: The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables

The Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations Declare

2021 - The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables

Brief Overview:

 

In general, the goals of program are outreach and assistance:

• To increase awareness of the value of fruit and vegetables for better health outcomes.
• To reduce lossage and waste in the production, harvest, storage, and transportation of fruit and vegetables.
  
• To promote and improve sustainable food systems.
• To focus on assistance and inclusion of small farmers.
• To adapt and improve technology and approaches to combat food waste.
  

Essentially, we are not eating enough vegetables. The World Health Organization recommends 400g of fruit and vegetables a day. It's hard to believe that for some it's hard to find and eat enough fruits and vegetables equal to a can of corn or mixed vegetables.

 

Lack of fruits and vegetables in our diet can lead to increases in gastro-intestinal cancers, ischemic heart disease or stroke according to the FAO publication, Fruit and Vegetables - Your Dietary Essentials.

 

Barriers to increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables include: availability, affordability, lack of knowledge and competition from processed food products.

 

The FAO wants its member nations to focus on:

• ways to increase production and consumption of fruits and vegetables to diversify our diet.
  
• methods to decrease perishability and waste in the food chain.
• education and promotional options to increase awareness of the value of a diversified diet.
  

 

References and Resources:

 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

http://www.fao.org/fruits-vegetables-2021/en/

 

A Healthy Diet Sustainably Produced

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-NMH-NHD-18.12

 

Pocket Guide for a Healthy Diet

https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/208306

 

Here’s What It Looks Like to Get 8 Servings of Vegetables in a Day

https://helloveggie.co/8-servings-of-vegetables/ 

 

My Plate

https://www.myplate.gov/

 

Refrigerator: Mango Breakfast Bircher

It was the title of Jack Monroe's recipe, Mandrin Breakfast Bircher, that grabbed my attention. What’s a bircher?

Then, I looked at the ingredients and processes and asked myself, "Do I have the ingredients? Can I make it?"

I had everything but the mandarin oranges but I am on a mango kick, at the moment, so using canned mango slices seemed an ideal substitution!

 

Refrigerator: Mango Breakfast Bircher
(Adapted from: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2014/01/31/mandarin-breakfast-bircher-recipe/ and Cooking on a Bootstrap)

 

Ingredients:

Oats
Yogurt, plain
Milk (dry milk mix or other)
Fresh or canned mango, drained, sliced

Honey (Optional)

Nuts, crushed (Optional)

Note: Use any fruit you desire.

 

 

Process:

 

In a small bowl with a cover, add a thick layer of oats.

Pour in 2 oz or more yogurt.

Pour in 2 oz or more milk.

Liquids should cover oats and a bit more. Oats will soak up the liquids overnight.

Stir ingredients thoroughly.

Cover bowl and store in refrigerator overnight.

When are ready to eat, if oats are too dry, add more milk.

Top with fruit slices.

Optional: Add honey or nuts, if desired.

 

Jack makes several oats recipes that are similar like: porridge, overnight oats, and bircher.

Funny thing, I never liked hot "porridge" but I do like Jack's cold oats recipes.