Kale Popcorn Food

KALE-DUSTED PECORINO POPCORN FROM DEB PERELMAN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale; no worries if you don't get every last droplet of water off. Remove and discard the tough stems.
• Lightly brush two large baking sheets with olive oil-the thinnest coat is just fine. Arrange the leaves in one layer on the prepared baking sheet(s), sprinkle lightly with salt, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the leaves are crisp. Let cool completely. In a food processor, with a mortar and pestle, or even with a muddler in a bowl, grind the kale chips down into a coarse powder.
• Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 or 3 kernels of popcorn in a 3-quart or larger pot. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cover with a lid. When you hear these first kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and replace the lid. Using pot holders, shimmy the pot around to keep the kernels moving as they pop. When several seconds pass between pops, remove the pot from the heat.
• Transfer the popcorn to a bowl, and immediately toss with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, kale dust, Pecorino, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.

KALE POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the kale with 1 tablespoon oil and use your hands to massage it evenly into the kale. Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet and season with salt. Bake until crispy, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Transfer the kale to a food processor and process until it forms a fine powder.
• Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 popcorn kernels and cover. When the kernels pop, add the remaining kernels, cover partially and heat until they start popping. Cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the popping slows almost to a stop.
• Pour the popcorn into a bowl, drizzle with the butter, add the kale powder and season with salt. Toss to evenly coat the popcorn. Enjoy!