Paper Chef #19

I finally remembered to participate in a Paper Chef event. The three ingredients chosen were corn, pine nuts, and ground coriander. The fourth ingredient being something that represented Independance Day. So many ideas started whirling in my brain. I could work with these ingredients. I started with the corn and the Independance Day "ingredient". As I thought about corn itself, and how we began eating corn, it seemed to me that the most fitting way to present this delicious grain was in the form of Popcorn. The ingredient that threw me the most was ground coriander- especially since as I set out to make my concoction, I found I was out of ground coriander. But no worries here. I did posess whole coriander, and a few steps later I had a fresh tablepoon of the ground variety.

I can't recommend whole coriander enough. Lightly toasted in a skillet, and then ground, it contains so much more essence and flavor than the purchased ground variety.

I proceeded to melt some butter, and added the requisite coriander, along with a myriad of other spices, tossed the popcorn with it, and was pleasantly surprised. A few toasted pine nuts, a handful of dried berries for sweetness, and I have a fantastic Chile-Spiced Popcorn. This was definitely out of my comfort zone, and I am thrilled with it. I wasn't sure about adding the dried berries, but I thought they contributed nicely to the patriotic theme here, being indigineous to the United States. You could leave them out, but I think they break up the spiciness quite well. So without further ado, here is my recipe for Chile-Spiced Popcorn Mix.

Chile Spiced Popcorn Mix

1/2 Cup popcorn kernels, popped in a hot air popper
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp. freshly ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Ancho Chile Powder
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Spanish Smoked Paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup pine nuts (or pignoli) lightly toasted
1/2 Cup dried blueberries
1/2 Cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350º. Place the popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground coriander, cumin, Ancho chile powder, paprika, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper to the melted butter. Whisk well to incorporate. Pour the melted butter over the poprocn, and stir well with a wooden spoon. Pour the popcorn onto an ungreased baking sheet (I used a half-sheet pan). Place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Allow to cool, and pour into a large bowl. Add the toasted pine nuts, blueberries, and cranberries. Toss well. Enjoy!

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