Chipotle Popcorn.

Olive oil and mixed spices make this snack healthier than the usual simulated butter flavouring you’ll find at the movie theatre. “Recent studies show” that a large sized popcorn with butter at such Canadian movie theatre chains as Cineplex, AMC, and Empire can run you up to anywhere between 1,100 and 1,300 calories, with up to 80 g of fat and 1,300 milligrams of sodium. In one sitting. That’s insane. You can read more about those numbers here.

 Air popped at home in a machine is the best route, but if you don’t have that: opt for the lesser of the evils when it comes to the microwave stuff. Opt for brands like Newman’s Own Natural for example, and steer clear of flavoured ones like “movie”, these are the ones jam packed with extra junk. Read the labels, compare them with common sense, look for ingredients you recognize, and note the ‘serving size’ in regards to the nutrition chart. One serving might only contain 80 calories, but that serving might only be 1/4 of a cup. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anybody who only eats 1/4 of a cup of popcorn on a rainy movie day…

 

The Chipotle Popcorn: for 2

 

1 bag                      low fat, low sodium, microwave popcorn (or your own air popped)

2 tsp                       extra virgin olive oil

pinch                      salt

pinch                      freshly ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp          cumin

1/8 to 1/4 tsp          smoked paprika

1/8 tsp                    chili powder

few squirts              Chipotle Tabasco

 

-Drizzle the olive oil over the popcorn first, then dust on the seasonings and toss together.

I swear by this particular Tabasco flavour by the way, it’s a punch. I can’t eat tacos without it. It’s on the lesser end of the heat spectrum for those of you who don’t like too much spice, but it’s smokey and delicious. Go get some. I might have to make a corn and black bean soup with it, or maybe even tortilla soup, soon…

Mmm… smoked chipotle. Yes.