Movie munchies easy at home

Check out these recipes for making your own movie munchies at home:

-- Inspired by a movie theater classic, these easy-to-make chocolate-raisin clusters can be kept on hand for at-home movie night snacking. You also could substitute salted peanuts or cashews for some of the raisins.

Chocolate-Covered Raisin Clusters

Makes about 30 clusters

3 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup raisins, dark or golden

Start to finish: 25 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.

Fill a medium saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

In a heatproof bowl slightly larger than the saucepan, combine the chocolate, corn syrup and vanilla. Set the bowl over the saucepan and reduce the heat to low so the water just barely simmers.

Whisk the ingredients until the chocolate is completely melted and the ingredients are combined, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in the raisins, being sure they are all well coated with chocolate.

Use a teaspoon to scoop clusters of raisins out of the chocolate. Place the clusters on the prepared baking sheet. When all the raisins have been scooped out, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. To store, transfer the clusters to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

-- If your evening will involve popping in a DVD, you might as well pop some awesome corn to go with it. In just about 10 minutes, you can have some seriously good popcorn to accompany your entertainment.

Start with the corn itself. There is a certain charm to popping it the old-fashioned way, either in a large, covered saucepan or a specialty stovetop popper. It takes just a few minutes, it's easy and the kids will love it.

Of course, there's something to be said for convenience, so these recipes have been written to accommodate 8 cups of popcorn (the typical amount in a microwave bag) however you decide to pop it.

If you use microwave popcorn, be sure to buy the unsalted, unflavored variety.

Most of these recipes call for grinding the salt and other dry toppings to a fine powder before sprinkling them over the popped corn. This helps it stick to the corn, eliminating the otherwise inevitable pool of salt at the bottom of the bowl.

For the grinding, a mortar and pestle, blender or food processor (use the small bowl) work well.

Sesame Nori Popcorn

Servings: 4

1 sheet nori seaweed (the type used in sushi)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

8 cups popped popcorn, hot

1/2-1 teaspoon very fine salt

Start to finish: 10 minutes.

Use scissors to cut the nori into very small pieces, about 1/4 inch or smaller. In a dry small skillet, combine the nori and the sesame seeds. Place over medium-low heat and toast, stirring often, until the seeds just begin to brown, about 4 minutes.

When the seeds have browned, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sesame oil and soy sauce. Add the popcorn and use your hands or a wooden spoon to toss until all of the popcorn is coated. Sprinkle the nori and sesame seeds over the popcorn and toss well. Season with salt.

Ghee, also called clarified butter, is a better choice than conventional butter for popcorn. It has an intense buttery flavor and, because it has a low water content, it won't leave the popcorn soggy. Most grocers have jars of it in the ethnic foods aisle.

Key Lime Pie Popcorn

Servings: 4

8 cups popped popcorn, hot

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon citric acid powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 drops lime flavoring oil (such as LorAnn Gourmet Flavoring oils)

1 drop green food coloring (optional)

Start to finish: 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Spread the popcorn in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.

Using a mortar and pestle, food processor or blender, combine the salt and citric acid, then grind or pulse until they are reduced to a fine powder. This will take about 1 minute with a mortar and pestle, or a few seconds with a processor or blender. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and cream of tartar. Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Once the mixture boils, stop stirring and continue cooking until the mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove the pan from the heat. Remove the popcorn from the oven.

Once the sugar mixture stops bubbling, stir in the flavoring and food coloring. Immediately pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn, using a wooden spoon to gently mix it to evenly coat the corn.

Quickly sprinkle the salt and citric acid mixture over the popcorn, tossing to coat evenly.

-- When you're searching for movie night meals, couch-friendly nachos are an obvious choice.

Trouble is, they aren't very friendly to your waist. A small serving can pack as much as 600 calories and more than 30 grams of fat. And when you are noshing in front of a great flick, who's really going to stop with a small serving?

But it's easy to remake this Mexican-American favorite, taking it from nutritional flop to mega star.

Healthy Nachos

Servings: 8

1 batch baked tortilla chips (see recipe below), about 9 ounces

15 1/2-ounce can fat-free refried beans

7-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained

1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup finely sliced scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup light sour cream

Start to finish: 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a pie plate or shallow casserole dish, spread half of the chips. Top the chips with half of the refried beans, a spoonful at a time, and sprinkle with half of the chilies and salsa. Top with the remain- ing chips, and another layer of refried beans, chilies and salsa.

Sprinkle the cheese over the nachos, then bake until the cheese has melted, 5-10 minutes. To serve, sprinkle the nachos with the scallions and cilantro and top with sour cream.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 226 calories; 66 calories from fat; 7g fat (3g saturated, 0g trans fats); 14mg cholesterol; 31g carbohydrate; 9g protein; 5g fiber; 961mg sodium.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Servings: 8

Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas

1 tablespoon canola oil

Salt, to taste

Start to finish: 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.

Using a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of each tortilla with the oil. Make a stack with the tortillas, then cut them into quarters. Spread the chips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Season with salt, then bake until the chips are crisp and golden, about 12-16 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 94 calories; 26 calories from fat; 3g fat (0g saturated, 0g trans fats); 0mg cholesterol; 16g carbohydrate; 1g protein; 1g fiber; 185mg sodium.