Pressure Cooker Popcorn

OMG!!! I've learned the simplest way to make delicious popcorn and it's a hit with the kids! If you have a pressure cooker and thought it was just for dinner, well, here's another way to put that wonderful pot to use!

First of all, I was looking for an alternate way to make popcorn at the house other than the prepackaged microwave version that contains all kinds of things that I don't want to eat nor feed my family. I don't own an air popper and really didn't want to shell out the money to get one for the occasional popcorn snack. I tried making popcorn in a large pot on the stove and it was very tiring and I actually burned the first couple of batches with a wonderful burnt popcorn smell permeating throughout the house! 

Then, I was at my chiropractor one day talking with another patient and she mentioned making popcorn in a pressure cooker and said that it was the best and so fast! I asked how and now, I keep the pop on the stove top along with a bucket of popcorn kernels close by for quick snacks at a moments notice. I've found that in the pressure cooker, the kernels pop better than even the microwaved versions with very few unpopped kernels and is fluffier than even the brands out there that promise the big fluffy popcorn.

So, now down to the how...

You'll want to start with a small batch to see how much you can actually make in your pressure cooker. So, this recipe is the small batch. My cooker is larger and I usually double the recipe.

First, pull off the pressure weight on the lid of your cooker. You want the steam to be able to escape while cooking.

2 TB Oil (I like coconut oil)
1/4 c popcorn kernels

Place your pressure cooker on the stove top on high heat. Add the oil (you can add butter also if you'd like, just be sure to keep moving the pan around to prevent burning) and 3 kernels. Shake the pan back and forth a couple of times and continue to do this about every 15 seconds or so to keep things moving. Watch the pan carefully to see when the kernels start to pop. But, not too closely, don't want to loose an eye from popcorn! 


Once the kernels begin to pop, add the remainder of the kernels. Shake the pan to evenly coat and put your vented lid on the pan. Shake the pan with no more than about 10 seconds of rest between shakes. You should hear a consistent popping. Once the popping slows to about 5 seconds between. Turn off the heat and pull the pan off the burner. Open the lid and revel in your delicious homemade popcorn. At this point, you can add salt, Parmesan or other flavors. Just shake a little to distribute the flavorings. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Sprouted Spelt Scones

More on Sprouted Flours... For breakfast this morning, my husband asked for scones. Little does he know, I've converted the not so good for you ingredients in my scones to ones that are better for the body. Starting with replacing all purpose flour with sprouted spelt flour.

You may be wondering, Spelt Flour? What is that? Well, Spelt is a very old grain that was used years ago before wheat became popular. It does have some gluten, but it's gluten breaks down easier than wheat and thus requires less kneading than regular wheat recipes. Spelt also has a nutty flavor and more protein than standard flour. I have found that it is a heavier grain and thus some substitutions don't work as well, but for scones, which are a heavier, crumbly pastry, I've found spelt works beautifully. 

Then, I prefer to use sprouted flours over standard flours. The sprouting allows the seeds to go to a sprout, i.e. starchy grain to a vegetable. This provides a different type of conversion in the body when digesting. Think, which is healthier for the body to process, a potato or a tomato? (yeah, I know a tomato is actually a fruit, but you get the picture...)

Now, for the recipe:

Ingredients
2 c sprouted spelt flour
3 TB coconut sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c butter
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 TB olive oil
2/3 c cranberries
2 tsp milk
1 TB xylitol

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, stir well. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yogurt, vanilla, egg and olive oil blending to wet dry ingredients. Stir in the cranberries.

Knead dough a few times on a lightly floured surface (I usually keep it in the bowl with a little flour to save on dishes to wash later). Pat dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet to make an 8-inch circle. Brush the top with the milk and sprinkle the xylitol all over. Using a sharp knife, cut 8 wedges. Use the knife to separate the wedges slightly. (This will help the insides of the wedges to cook more evenly and not be raw.) Bake for 14 - 16 minutes or until lightly browned.

 Notice that even though I separated the wedges quite a bit, they puffed back up after baking. 

I also didn't mention why I chose to use coconut sugar and xylitol as opposed to brown sugar and standard white table sugar. Well, I made the switch in my kitchen about a year ago and use coconut sugar instead of brown and xylitol instead of white. They are a 1:1 substitute with more benefits than what is used in the mainstream. I'll go into depth at a later date on these alternate sweeteners.

Try them out and try out these scones. Again, as with all recipes, you can change out some of the ingredients to suit you and your family and personalize it to make it your own! Happy and healthy eating!

Sprouted Wheat Tortillas

I've been making homemade tortillas for my family for years. However, it's only been in the last year that I discovered sprouted flours. I'm always searching for ways to improve my health and help my family improve their health also. In my search I learned of sprouted flours and that sprouted grains were what was eaten before the invention of the combine harvester during the Industrial Revolution. The combine harvester allowed farmers to harvest grains before they were sprouted, thus allowing them to plant more and harvest more in shorter periods of time. This whole process increased profits, but decreased the nutritional content of grains.

Having gained the knowledge of what was missing in the flours that I was using, I began searching for sprouted flours and have made sprouted whole wheat and sprouted spelt flours part of the main stay in my kitchen. I've found that the sprouted whole wheat makes a deliciously  soft tortilla that my whole family enjoys.

So, when it was time to think about dinner tonight, I told my daughter that we had a variety of things leftover in the fridge so, it was gonna be a leftover night. Like children do, my daughter hollered that she wanted wraps. Well, we had left over chicken and carne asada. We had cheese, cabbage, salsa and cilantro. And, of course, I had sprouted whole wheat flour. So, her wishes were granted and I set to making some tortillas to wrap the leftovers in for wraps.

Now, you may be thinking, but, tortillas are so cheap at the store and I like the ones from my favorite Mexican restaurant. So, why not just stop by there and grab some? Well, like I mentioned above, I'm using sprouted flour, which you will not find at the Mexican restaurant. Then, I get to control the ingredients that I use, managing what I put into my body. And lastly, it's so easy and relatively quick to make tortillas, so I can have them whenever I want and don't have to leave the house!

Now it's time for good stuff! How can you too make delectable homemade sprouted tortillas?!?

Homemade Sprouted Whole Wheat Tortillas

2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour

1 tsp aluminum free baking powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

3/4 c warm water

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend. Add the oil and mix it in with a fork until blended. Make a well in the middle of your flour mixture and add the warm water. Using your fork, blend until a ball of dough forms. If not all of the flour bits blend in, don't worry, just clean off your fork and put your hands to work! Knead the dough ball a couple of times.  

Depending on the size of tortilla you want to make and how thin or thick you like them will determine how many you can make from this batch. I usually make a happy dozen out of the batch and each dough ball is approximately 1.2 oz. I like my tortillas thin and roll them out to about 6 inches in diameter. So, with this information, pull off equal amounts of dough and roll them into balls. Keep the dough balls covered with a towel or plastic wrap while you are rolling out your tortillas.

Now you are ready to begin rolling out the dough balls. Grab one and flatten it a little and then with your thumb, press an indention in the middle. This will help to distribute the dough so that it is not thick in the middle and thin on the edges. Roll out each ball giving it a quarter turn after each roll. This will help to keep your tortillas close to round. (I haven't actually perfected the round shape, but my family doesn't care so long as they can put something inside and roll it up!)

 At this point, you can roll out all of your tortillas, or cook one and roll another one out and multitask. I usually multitask, rolling and cooking at the same time. By doing this, I'm able to make a dozen tortillas in less than 15 minutes.

Using a skillet (preferably cast iron or non-stick), heat it up on medium high heat to get it really hot. Toss in your tortilla, no need to oil the pan, if it's hot enough, it'll start cooking right away. These cook fast, so keep a watchful eye on them so they don't burn! When you begin to see bubbles form, like when cooking pancakes, it's time to flip. You can grab it carefully and flip over or use a spatula or gently with tongs. The other side only needs to cook for about 15 -20 seconds. 

Once done, pull and place in a tortilla warmer basket or I like to use a lint-free towel on a plate and wrap to keep warm. If you actually have any leftover, you can just roll the towel up and store in a plastic bag. They will stay pliable storing this way.

To reheat, the best way is to drop it in your hot skillet for a few seconds flipping once. Don't leave it too long or your tortilla will become crispy!

I hope I've inspired you to try your hand at homemade tortillas and to try out sprouted flours. I love sprouted flours and the ability to create homemade foods that are more nutritious than store bought and that also taste great!