Yesterday was my last day on the Daniel Fast, and I feel so much better. After consuming an obscene amount of rich and indulgent food over the holidays, I was in desperate need of an eating overhaul. For twenty-one days, I limited my diet to fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. On my good days, I sailed through the day without a second thought about food. On my bad days, I felt like Pookie from New Jack City struggling to stay clean. But I never caved, and I stuck to the plan like an O.G.
Whenever I felt like camping out in front of the pantry (because that’s where the fellas kept the good snacks) I’d whip up a batch of popcorn. And I’m not talking about the microwave kind. I went old-school and popped actual corn kernels in a pot on the stove. Popcorn was my saving grace, and it was fun making it. My kids even wanted in on my popcorn action.
I used coconut oil for its flavor and health benefits, which added to the health benefits of the popcorn. Sprinkling the salt into the heated oil distributed the salt more evenly than by just sprinkling it on the popped kernels. Eating popcorn on those challenging days was all I needed to stay on track.
Now that I’m free to eat whatever I want, I don’t have the desire to climb into a carton of ice cream or shove a bacon cheeseburger with sauteed mushrooms and barbecue sauce down my throat like I thought I would. But I do want to keep this popcorn recipe in the snack rotation, maybe add some nuts, raisins, plain M&Ms…
Let me know when you make this recipe. Take a picture and hashtag it #QUEENCITYKITCHEN. I can’t wait to see what you post!
Stovetop Popcorn
Makes 1-2 servings
3 tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup popcorn kernels
Melt the coconut oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add three kernels of popcorn. When one or two kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels. Shake the pot to evenly distribute the kernels into a single layer. Cover the pot but keep the lid slightly ajar to release steam. Gently move the saucepan back and forth over the heat to prevent the kernels from burning.
Continue to shake the pot until the popping has slowed and most of the kernels have popped. Turn off the heat and continue to move the saucepan back and forth for a few seconds to pop any remaining kernels. Remove the pot from the heat and turn the popcorn into a large bowl. Serve.
Store the popcorn in an airtight container for up to three days.