If you know me, you know all about my love for Sriracha! There’s something about the combination of its heat and its tangy flavors that make me want to put it on EVERYTHING! You may remember this unusual Sesame Sriracha Brittle. I could have eaten the whole batch myself! So, after making candy with Sriracha, putting it on popcorn sounded pretty normal!

I came up with this soon after creating this Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn. We were having friends over for take-out Chinese food and I’d been having a rough day. I wanted to make something to munch on while we ordered our food, but didn’t have much time or much in the fridge. This is what came to me.

I use the same method of popping the corn as I do in my Rosemary Parmesan recipe. It’s so much healthier than store-bought microwave popcorn and so easy. No chemicals, dyes or fat! Just be sure to use the large brown paper lunch bags. There are usually two sizes at the store. The bigger ones work best. So, get popping! You’re gonna loooove this!

Sriracha Popcorn

1 large brown paper lunch bag
1/2 C. popcorn kernels
1 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T. Sriracha
1/4 t. salt

Put the kernels in the lunch bag and fold the top down two times. Place in the microwave on its side and cook on high for 3 minutes and 45 seconds (microwaves vary so much…keep an eye on yours, you may need a bit more or a bit less time).

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Sriracha and salt.

When the popcorn is done, immediately pour into a large bowl and drizzle on the Sriracha mixture while tossing the popcorn with a large spoon. Enjoy!

Notes:

• This popcorn is best eaten after making. Because of the moisture in the Sriracha, it will not store well.
• If you are getting a lot of unpopped popcorn, try storing your kernels in the refrigerator. It will create a bit more moisture in the kernel and give them a better chance at popping!

My little love nugget is so good about keeping an eye on the food. I don’t know what I’d do without her help!

If you’re at all familiar with the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you must remember the “Mooscaca” scene! You can watch it here (@ 3:00 is the scene I’m talking about). That was my childhood! Being Armenian with a family from Egypt, my Mother didn’t know anything about Wonderbread. Or any sliced bread, for that matter. All of our sandwiches were on pita bread. And many times, there was hummus in that pita. This was over forty thirty years ago (hey, stop trying to do the math!). No one in suburban New Jersey was eating pita bread or hummus for lunch. Except for me. I would beg my Mom to just buy Wonderbread. “Pleeeeeeaaaase can I just take a peanut butter and jelly on Wonderbread!” She’d reply “Hokees (sweetheart in Armenian), why would you want to eat that when this is so good?” Sigh. I’d cringe as I looked into my lunchbox. I can remember trying to find a way to eat the sandwich without taking it completely out in plain sight. I will say, no one teased me about it. They did ask me what the heck I was eating and that alone was all I needed to develop a full blown complex. One day, my friend Sandy must have felt sorry for me. She offered to trade sandwiches. That meant the world to me. Sandy’s family owned an Italian deli and she always had the most beautiful sandwiches. I don’t remember anything beyond that moment, just that she made me feel like less of a freak!

So, it’s not like I think I have any claim to hummus, but do I feel like it’s mine. I’m kidddddding! A little. It’s just that this is the type of food that was a staple in our home and back then, I felt like an oddball eating it! Now, it’s everywhere. Hummus is so popular that some tobacco farmers are switching to farming chickpeas instead of tobacco! So, I kind of feel like, well, my hummus is pretty darn good. Who knew that some of my most major hangups over food would pay off someday?

One of the wonderful things that has come to me because of my crazy relationship with food is this blog. Over the past few months, I’ve seen it grow and I’ve been hearing really sweet things from my awesome readers. You’ve all been so kind and supportive, I’d like to give a little something to you! Enter to win a $25 gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond courtesy of Taste Love & Nourish. I know I can always find a little something every time I go there! I love that store! Enter below! Good luck and thank you!

Hummus

1 29 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/3 C. tahini
juice of one lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
up to 1/3 C. water (start with less and add a bit more if you need to thin it out)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling on top
3/4 t. salt
a bit of black pepper
1/4 t. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes
toasted or grilled pita bread or assorted veggies for serving

Combine the ingredients up to the garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon into a serving bowl and drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with some crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes:

• I don’t add a lot of olive oil while processing. I feel like the flavor of the oil gets lost. I like to use the best quality extra virgin olive oil I can and use it more as a garnish. That way you really taste the fruity flavor on your tongue.
• I don’t use a ton of fresh garlic in this for a reason. I think raw garlic can be overwhelming. If I roast garlic beforehand, I add a lot more than the one clove. Roasted garlic is mellow, sweet and delicious. To roast a head of garlic, cut a bit of the top off to expose the cloves, place the garlic in a bit of aluminum foil, drizzle with a tiny, tiny bit of olive oil and roast in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the garlic. To test, just give it a light squeeze. If it’s softened, it’s done!

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There is something about a blueberry crisp that makes me feel like spring has arrived. Blueberries, in general, remind me of spring and summer. But, eating this, hot out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a cool spring night can be blissful. Now, I’m not out to spoil your bliss by telling you that this recipe is a lot lighter and healthier than most crisps or crumbles…but…it is. Hey, I still use some buttah and sugah…so trust me on this…it’s yummy…and blissful!

Blueberry Crisp

Topping
1 C. oats
1/3 C. dark brown sugar
1 T. flour
3 T. ground flaxseed meal
1/4 C. chopped walnuts or pecans
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
dash of fine salt
3 T. butter, softened just a bit

4 C. blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 T. flour
2 – 3 T. dark brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of your blueberries)
zest from 1/2 of a small orange (optional)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a baking dish (use one that is about 8 to 10 inches wide, mine is 10×7 1/2…it won’t make a big difference with this recipe).

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or a large fork, cut the dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss until combined.

Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish. Top with the topping and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top has become golden and crisp and the blueberries are bubbling underneath.

You can allow it to cool a bit before serving…I can never wait! If you’d like, serve with a lower fat vanilla bean ice cream! Bliss.

Notes:

I just wanted to share one more thing that reminds me that spring is finally here…these trees near my home…they make me happy!

I’m Armenian, but sometimes I swear there’s got to be some Hispanic relative in my lineage! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mexican food! I could eat it every day. My daughter does too. Between the two of us, we pretty much turn everything into either a taco, a fajita or a burrito.

In case you thought Cinco de Mayo was just another excuse to make a margarita…uh, it’s not. Not completely, anyway. Cinco de Mayo celebrates that day in 1862, when the Mexican army won the Battle of Puebla against an invasion by the French army. I’m not taking sides, but apparently Mexico was the underdog. I’m a sucker for an underdog.

Here is my roundup of five caliente recipes and one frío margarita…

Tortilla Soup

Steak Fajitas with Avocado Lime Crema

Black Bean and Lentil Chili

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

Frozen Pineapple Margarita

With Cinco de Mayo coming up this weekend, I thought it would be nice to put a spin on a margarita. Well, that’s partly true. I really had this poor, sad, forgotten pineapple just sitting all alone on my counter (we can address my produce addiction another time). Now, I’m not telling you to use a rotten pineapple, but if it’s just a bit too ripe, cut it up into cubes, lay them out on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and throw them in the freezer until frozen. From there you can use some to whip up this drink then put the rest in a zipper bag and back into the freezer for future margaritas or smoothies. Cheers!

Frozen Pineapple Margarita

about 6 ice cubes
2 C. frozen cut pineapple
1 C. orange juice
1 – 2 T. honey or agave (depending on the sweetness of your pineapple)
juice and zest of one lime
1/2 c. tequila
1 T. triple sec
turbinado sugar for serving
lime wedge for serving

Put all ingredients into the blender. Blend on high speed for about one minute. If you’d like to rim the glasses with the turbinado, fill one shallow dish with water and one with some sugar in it. Dip the glass into the water. Let the excess drip off, then dip into the sugar. Pour the margarita into chilled margarita glasses and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Serves about 4 margaritas.