Nutritional yeast is our secret ingredient in this taco spice blend. Dried and not active, it’s high in vitamin B12 and has a pleasant cheesy flavor, making it the perfect stand-in when dairy’s not an option. (You can find it in the supplement aisles at grocery and health food stores.) For big and little kids: Let them help measure ingredients and toss the popcorn.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | Four 2-cup servings, plus leftover spice blend |
Ingredients
- 20 large sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed; about 3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
Instructions
- Make the Spice Mix: Put half the tomato strips in a single layer on a microwavable plate. Microwave in 30-second increments, checking the texture in between, until they begin to harden but are still red and slightly pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. (They may begin to brown and taste bitter if cooked too long.) Let sit until cool and completely hardened, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tomato strips.
- Transfer the cooled tomato strips to a spice grinder, and grind to a powder. Discard any pieces that won’t grind. Add the nutritional yeast, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt, and grind to a fine powder.
- Make the taco popcorn: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels. When one pops, cover the pot, and cook, shaking the pot constantly, until the popping subsides to 1 pop every 20 seconds. Pour in the melted butter, and toss to coat. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of taco spice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss again to coat.
- Store the remaining taco spice blend at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. (You’ll have enough to make 3 more batches of popcorn.)
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 170 |
| Total Fat | 11 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 6 grams |
| Cholesterol | 25 milligrams |
| Sodium | 360 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 16 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 grams |
| Sugar | 2 grams |
| Protein | 4 grams |
Reviews
Today I will make this
And it looks amazing
And it looks amazing
the old boy has a kick