Oscar Nibbles: Red Carpet Popcorn

It's just 3 days until the Oscars. I hope everyone has their Oscar Ballots filled out. There are a lot of close races this year. Will Boyhood or Birdman (or maybe even The Grand Budapest Hotel) win Best Picture? Will it be Michael Keaton or Eddie Redmayne for Best Actor? Surely no one can challenge Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and J.K. Simmons in their races. However, if there's one thing I've learned through the years about the Oscars, it's that there are always surprises.

I've been sharing my Oscar Cocktails on my site and through social media the last couple weeks. Whether you're having an Oscar party, watching the show with friends or by yourself, you'll probably want something to snack on with those drinks. And popcorn goes perfectly with movies.

But the Oscars are a night to get dressed up, so instead of plain buttered popcorn, I'm offering two recipes to spice up the classic snack.

The first is an Asian-inspired mix of honey, sesame and srirarcha. Feel free to use as much or as little of the sriracha as you like, depending on your heat preference. This popcorn is sticky--so serve it with napkins--but it was our favorite of the two. The other is good too though, a spicy-savory blend inspired by fajitas.

Sriracha-Spiced Honey-Sesame Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. honey
A few squirts of sriracha (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it)
Pinch or two of salt
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds

1. Place 5 popcorn kernels and vegetable oil in a large (4 qt.) saucepan. Set over medium heat with the lid on the pan. Listen for the 5 kernels to pop. Once they have, add the rest of the corn and put the lid back on. Cook, shaking the pot frequently, until almost all the corn has popped (the rate of popping will slow way down when it's about done). Remove from heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.

2. Combine butter, honey, sriracha and salt in a microwave safe bowl (a 1-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup works well). Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture to combine. If the butter hasn't all melted, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir again. Stir in the sesame oil.

3. Using a spoon, drizzle a few spoonfuls of the mixture over the popcorn, then gently toss the popcorn. Continue drizzling and tossing until the corn is as evenly coated as you can get it. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Fajita-Spiced Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
Pinch or two of salt

1. Place 5 popcorn kernels and vegetable oil in a large (4 qt.) saucepan. Set over medium heat with the lid on the pan. Listen for the 5 kernels to pop. Once they have, add the rest of the corn and put the lid back on. Cook, shaking the pot frequently, until almost all the corn has popped (the rate of popping will slow way down when it's about done). Remove from heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.

2. Combine butter, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder and salt in a microwave safe bowl (a 1-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup works well). Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture to combine. If the butter hasn't all melted, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir again.

3. Using a spoon, drizzle a few spoonfuls of the mixture over the popcorn, then gently toss the popcorn. Continue drizzling and tossing until the corn is as evenly coated as you can get it.

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