Time for a Snack! - Chocolate Popcorn Trail Mix

I love popcorn! The fluffy and crunchy kernels make an easy snack to curb the mid afternoon munchies.  A big bowl of warm popcorn is the perfect thing to curl up with while watching a movie (sorry Honey).  Popcorn a fantastic blank canvas to turn savory or sweet and can calm many a craving.

Before we started losing weight I would frequently suggest a movie date in order to make a large bag of theater popcorn my dinner entre. I still love theater popcorn just in much smaller portions.  I also love fresh kettle corn when we find it at fares or farmers markets.  The crunchy sweet and salty little morsels that are slightly smokey from the open flame cooking method make me super happy.  Most often we make popcorn at home with our air popper.

I love to experiment with ways to season popcorn and frequently pull items from my spice cupboard adding a dash of this and that to see what works.  Popcorn's mild flavor allows many flavors to shine but not all, sorry bacon salt.

Some of my go to flavors include:
A couple of teaspoons of roasted garlic or regular olive oil and salt
A couple teaspoons of melted Smart Balance or Butter
Pam Spray - Butter or Olive Oil
Pretty much any seasoning blend tossed together
Kernel Seasons Popcorn Seasonings (so far I like white cheddar)
Nutritional Yeast
Vogue Instant VegeBase

Inspiration struck a couple weeks ago when I was eating lunch and had the t.v. on.  I caught the end of The Chew and a segment on food myths.  Co-host Daphne Oz suggested swapping traditional trail mix for one made with popcorn.  Then she suggested sprinkling in a few chocolate chips to keep that salty sweet mix that is so tempting in trail mix.  Oh it was like a gift from the heavens!

I immediately thought of the granola I made the week before and thought that if I toasted the nuts and popped the corn at the same time I could quickly toss in some mini chocolate chips while everything was still warm and get a nice even coating of chocolate on all the ingredients.  So I did and Chocolate Popcorn Trail Mix was born!

Chocolate Popcorn Trail Mix
Whip up a crunchy, salty, sweet, gourmet snack in just a few minutes.  Simple enough for any day but just the right amount of pizzaz to take to a party or package up as a gift.

Ingredients

1/2 c unpopped air popped popcorn
(use whatever combo of nuts and dried fruit sounds good to you but it will change the nutrition information provided below)

15 whole almonds
10 pecan halves
1 TB raw sunflower seeds
3/4 c. dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, raisins, chopped apricots, etc.)
1/4 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
salt - to taste

Directions

Pre-measure all the ingredients before starting.

Air pop 1/2 cup of popcorn into a large bowl. While corn is popping toast the pecans and almonds so they will be warm when the corn is all popped.

Once the corn is popped toss the chocolate chips and toasted nuts into the popcorn. It helps to use two wooden spoons or spatulas. Sprinkle a bit of salt on top and toss in the dried fruit. Continue tossing until most of the corn has some chocolate on it.

If needed - pour the ingredients into a baking pan and warm briefly in a medium oven to melt the chocolate.

Allow the trail mix to cool completely before serving, otherwise it is very messy!

Serving Size: makes about 6 2c. servings

Approximate Nutrition: Calories 204; Fat 6g; Carbs 32g; Fiber 3.5g; Protein 2.2g

*You know who else likes popcorn?  The Popcorn Board and they have a fun website with recipes, activities for kidlets, nutrition information, and more.  Check it out!  www.popcorn.org

The Chew, a Review and a Recipe - Apple Pancake Rings

This week, ABC launched a new daytime talk show called "The Chew".  I caught the first two episodes, and while it has a bit of a frantic pace it has the potential to settle into an entertaining and informative program.  The set is a large kitchen including a breakfast bar that seats around a dozen members of their live audience.  Those seated at the bar are able to taste several dishes throughout the broadcast and provide brief feedback to the five co-hosts.  This audience participation directly ties into one of the show's overarching themes, family.  


The hosts, most already familiar faces on television, were going a mile a minute during the two episodes I've seen.  Food Network's "Iron Chef" personalities Mario Batiali and Michael Symon provided most of the cooking demonstrations.   From TLC's "What Not to Wear", Clinton Kelly gives the audience entertaining and presentation tips.  Diet book author Daphne Oz (daughter of ABC's Dr. Oz) refreshingly contributes health tips that are actually healthful.  Rounding out the quintet is former "Top Chef" contestant and fan favorite Carla Hall, who more than any of the others succeeds in making the viewer feel welcome and engaged.


Saturday morning our family sat down to a breakfast taken directly from The Chew's second episode, Carla Hall's Fried Apple Pancake Rings.  These were a fantastic way to round out our apple filled week.  Click on the link to see the recipe and a video of Carla making them.  I made the recipe simply based on watching the show and had great success.  The written version on the website seems a bit over complicated.  


Of course I deviated a little from the recipe as presented.  Here's my version:


Carla Hall's Fried Apple Pancake Rings


2 medium apples (I used honey crisp) - washed, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin 1/8 inch rings.
2 - 2-1/2 cups of your favorite pancake batter (homemade or a mix) a little on the thin side with a generous dash of pumpkin pie spice


Preheat a pancake griddle or large non-stick frying pan to medium heat.
Using toothpicks dredge the apple rings through the batter so they are well coated.  
One at a time, place the rings on a pancake griddle or large non-stick frying pan.
From here cook the rings as you would any regular pancake.  Flip when the top stops bubbling and the bottom begins to turn golden.
The pancakes are finished when both sides are golden and the middle is fluffy.


Unlike the original recipe, by using a non-stick griddle I made ours with no additional fat.  They were amazing!!!  The apple rings were perfectly soft in the middle and they were delicious all on their own.  We drizzled the tiniest bit of sugar-free syrup over them and I had a few with a touch of almond butter.  My toddler ate his plain and probably had more than I did. YUM!!!


I love this idea.  I would serve these any day of the week, to company, for a snack, or even as a dessert.  It speaks to so much of what I strive for when picking recipes for my family.  Making food healthful, simple and delicious doesn't have to be complicated or look unfamiliar.  Put these in front of a crowd and no one will be the wiser!






*editors note: Sorry for the lack of pictures.  By the time I thought to blog about the pancakes they were nothing but crumbs and sweet memories!




*Update*  We had these for breakfast again this weekend and this time I snapped a few photos while I was making them.

A melon baller works really well to remove the core from apples.

After the apples are peeled and cored, slice into rings around 1/8 of an inch thick.

Cooking on a non-stick griddle means larger batches and no oil required.

Cook until golden brown on each side.

So yummy they are ready to eat straight off the griddle, but you can add some toppings if you like.