Easiest Air Popped Popcorn

We all know the story:  it’s 2:00pm, you’re starving, you need a healthy, filling snack.  Well as long as there’s a microwave around, you can make a giant, but somehow 100 calorie, sized portion of yummy popcorn in under 2 minutes.  Plus there’s no clean up.  Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Put 3 Tbsp of popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag and fold it closed.  Nuke it for 1 1/2 minutes and sprinkle with a little salt.  Done!

*** Be careful to follow directions and not over cook or can catch on fire in your microwave

 

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Game Day Potato Skins

Despite the fact that I’m not a huge football fan, I always look forward to Superbowl Sunday.  Why, you might ask?  Because it’s the perfect excuse to make insanely delicious and over the top snacks.  I’ve made this recipe dairy free by using caramelized onions for the creamy factor.  This is one of my favorite tricks when making a recipe that calls for cheese (caramelized onion pizza, anyone?!).  Feel free to add a little cheese on top of yours too–they are great either way.  So while I may only be tuning in for the halftime show, I’m definitely going to be enjoying these potato skins!

• Bake, scoop, and broil potatoes

 

• Caramelize onions

• Cover with toppings

 

Potato Skins

-4 small russet potatoes

-1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

-8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

-4 green onions, chopped

-1/2 tsp sugar

-3 Tbsp olive oil, separated

-salt and pepper

Bake the potatoes in a 400º oven for about an hour or until they are fork tender.  While the potatoes are baking, work on the caramelized onions.

To caramelize onions add a Tbsp of olive oil to a pan over medium high heat and add the onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until you just start to see a little color on them.  Turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking.  Add the sugar and season with salt.  The sugar will help them get extra caramely.  If the onions start to look a little dry, just add a splash or two of water and keep on cooking!  You’ll know they’re done when they’ve developed a deep golden color and are extremely soft. This process takes about 15-20 minutes.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, let them cool slightly before cutting in half and scooping out the middle.  Feel free to use this for mashed potatoes!  Coat both sides of the potato skins with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet skin side up and broil (do not broil on the closet rack to the top!) for about 3-4 minutes or until the skin is very crispy.  Flip the potatoes over and broil for another 4-5 minutes until the inside is light brown.

Then top with your caramelized onions, bacon, and green onions.  Put back in the oven for just up to 5 minutes on 375 or just until the toppings are nice and warm.  Enjoy!

Easy, Healthy Snack – Homemade Apple Chips

I am currently doing a Whole 30/Paleo type of diet and felt like I was missing out on fun fall snacks: pumpkin treats, candy corn, etc. Then I remembered my childhood love of apple chips, and decided that was something that would be healthy and satisfy my sweet tooth without cheating. They were extremely easy and mostly hands off. The hardest parts are a little bit of patience and cutting the apples thin enough, but if you have a mandolin it is a piece of cake! If you like apples and want a healthy, sweet treat you will love this finished product! I am sure kids will love it too, but beware these babies go fast!

  

Homemade Apple Chips:

3-4 apples of your choosing (I used 1 large honeycrisp and 2 galas)

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

2 small packets of Stevia

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Wash and slice your apples VERY thinly. Using my mandolin, I put it on the 1/8th of an inch and slice away. Watch your fingers!! Mandolins are scary.

Place your apples on a cookie sheet with either a silpat or on aluminum foil to help with sticking

Sprinkle them on one side with combination of cinnamon, sugar* and nutmeg

Bake at 250 for 1 1/2 hours, flipping once (yes, this takes a bit but your home will smell excellent and they are worth it because everything else is so easy)

*If these are not “crisy” turn oven to 275 and bake for 5 extra minutes. Just be careful not to pay attention so you don’t burn them.

Take out and let cool and continue to crisp up for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!!