I was in Costco the other day and I found these Keto Nuggets and decided to give them a shot. I’ve been looking for something that I can eat post-dinner that isn’t too terrible for you. I really just can’t get behind the idea that dinner is the last meal that I will eat in a day. I don’t vibe with that. Anyway, back to my story: I purchased them and they were pretty darn good! But, since it’s me and I need to make mostly everything from scratch, I decided that instead of buying them again, I was going to make them. And here we are!

So these “nuggets” are super quick and easy. The nuts and seeds in the recipe can easily be swapped out for your favourite nuts and seeds, as long as you abide by the number of grams listed!

I like to toast the almonds and pecans to get that roasty toasty flavah before dousing them in the melted chocolate. So good!

Note: There isn’t any extra sugar added to these…Just what is in the chocolate. I like things less-sweet, but also because I always use maple syrup, honey or agave to sweeten my food, and their properties could potentially seize the chocolate. Chocolate is super temperamental, and even the tiniest drop of water could ruin an entire bowl. Because all of my preferred sweeteners are in liquid form, I didn’t want to add any and compromise the chocolate.

You can definitely find a lot of the ingredients at Costco or your local bulk food store, but here are some links to the required products if you prefer to shop online:

• Pecans
• Almonds
• Hemp hearts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds
• Shredded coconut
• Flaky sea salt
• Dark chocolate
• Coconut oil

Another very helpful item is a kitchen scale. This is so great to have on hand, especially if you do a lot of baking. I used my scale for this recipe as it is the most accurate, especially when you are measuring nuts – their awkward shape always fits differently into measuring cups.

Let’s make some nuggets!

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Dark Chocolate Protein Nuggets

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Cool time (inactive): 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp Flaky sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread the pecans out on the parchment paper and bake in oven for 3 minutes.
3. Pull out the baking sheet and add the almonds. Bake for another 3-6 minutes, or until just starting to become brown. Watch carefully! They will burn easily.
4. To a large bowl, mix together the toasted nuts, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, coconut and salt and set aside.
5. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a double boiler*, over low heat. Stir frequently with a spatula until almost completely melted. Remove and continue stirring until the remaining solid pieces melt.
6. Pour the chocolate over the nut and seed mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix until all of the nuts and seeds are coated. Spread the mixture out onto a parchment lined baking sheet (you can use the same parchment you used for roasting the nuts). Place in the fridge for at least one hour to set.
7. When fully set, remove from fridge and break into bite-size “nuggets.” Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!

NOTES:

*For the double boiler, fill a small pot with one – to two-inches of water and place over medium low heat. Add a larger glass, or heatproof bowl on top of the pot with a wooden spoon in between to let the steam escape. Place the chocolate and coconut oil into the glass bowl to melt.

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Okay, firstly, can we all agree that salt is the greatest natural resource ever discovered? I cannot and will not make food without it. And popcorn and salt are best friends. This recipe has a double hit – salty, nutty parm and zesty, fragrant lime salt. This is what my heaven looks like. Gimme all the salt!

Let’s talk about the popcorn. I’m sure that 99% of the world uses a microwave when making popcorn. Let’s face it, we are a world that loves convenience and microwaved popcorn is quick and easy when you need an immediate snack. However, those of us who do not own a microwave would still like to enjoy the occasional bowl of pop and believe it or not, the original way of making popcorn is not in a microwave…so it is possible to cook it stovetop! Did you know that Canada’s First Nation Peoples taught the European settlers how to pop corn? It’s true guys…My students always love learning about this in class.

Okay, this is super easy. All you need is some fat (depending on you, it could be butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.) and some fresh kernels, found here. If you are like me and love shopping in bulk, check out a larger quantity here. They will last forever! If you do have a microwave, and think you may want to try stovetop, but also want the convenience of the microwave cook time now and again, you can always buy the microwave packs and open them up, using the kernels in the same way on your stovetop!

Lime salt – Lime salt is lime and salt mixed together and dried out in the oven. And it’s good. If you make a bunch, you can have it readily available to put on everything. Some of my favourite dishes to top with this seasoning are: avocado toast, salad, buddha bowls, and uhm, everything. Grab about 1/4 cup of coarse sea salt and the zest of two limes. Mix together and spread out on a baking dish lined with parchment. Pop in the oven on the lowest temperature, around 170 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and a half, or until the zest has dried out. If you do not have this kind of time, just skip the dehydration part and put the darn salt and zest on your popcorn as is. Still delicious!

Alright let’s pop. First thing’s first, grab the largest pot you own. Make sure it has a fitted lid. Prep all of your toppings so they are ready to throw on when the popcorn is done, and still warm in the pot. When ready, place your pot on a burner over medium heat and add a tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter, or olive oil) to it. Dump in 50 g or 1/4 cup of kernels. This will make one serving, according to Orville Redenbacher. It is a portion that makes me very happy. If there are a few of you snacking, double the oil and kernel amount. Toss your kernels around so they become coated in the oil. Place the lid on, leaving it open slightly. As your pot begins to heat up, shake it every so often to prevent the kernels from burning. As soon as you see the first kernel pop, close the lid completely and shake away. This would be a lot of fun for kids! Keep shaking the pot frequently until the popping slows. Remove the pot from the burner and quickly toss in most of the parmesan, closing the lid again and letting it get melty and gooey. Do not stir as you don’t want the cheese to melt on the bottom of the pot instead of on the popcorn. After a few seconds, open the lid and add the lime salt. Transfer to a big bowl and top with the remaining parm, and a little more salt if you are like me. Eat with Netflix. Or don’t, your call.

Stovetop Parmesan Popcorn with Lime Salt

Serving size: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes + 1.5 hours for the lime salt (optional)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
• zest of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup fresh parmesan, grated, plus more for topping
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)
• 1/4 cup popcorn kernels

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to lowest temperature (or 170 degrees F).
2. Combine the salt and zest in a bowl and then spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dehydrate in the oven for 1.5-2 hours, or until zest has completely dried out. *You may skip this step if you are in a hurry and just top the popcorn with salt and fresh lime zest.
3. In a large pot, add coconut oil and popcorn kernels. Stir to coat the kernels and turn the heat on to medium-high. Place a lid on the pot, but leave a small opening. Shake the pot every so often to prevent the kernels from burning. When you see the first kernel pop, close the lid fully and continuously shake the pot until popping slows. Remove from heat. Quickly open lid and throw in the parmesan. Close the lid and let melt for a few seconds (do not stir). Open the lid and transfer popcorn to a bowl. Add the lime salt while still hot and top with more parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

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