Craving something sweet AND salty, I decided to try my hand at caramel. I've made it before for cakes and ice cream toppings, but then I remembered making caramel popcorn as a kid. Brilliant! As I reached into my pantry for some popcorn kernels, I realized I had a partial bag of puffed kamut cereal hanging out in the back. Even more brilliant!

Kamut is an ancient wheat grain. It's high in protein and has a great nutty flavor, which I thought would be a perfect compliment to the sweet-salty caramel I planned to make. Puffed kamut might be tough to find, depending on where you live, so feel free to substitute popped popcorn or any other puffed grains of your choice for this easy snack or dessert.



Salted Caramel Kamut (vegan)
Yield: 6 servings

6 cups puffed kamut (or popped popcorn)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp almond milk (plain, vanilla or even chocolate!)
1 tsp sea salt (don't skimp!)

1. In a small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, water, Earth Balance and vanilla extract. 
2. Bring to a boil without stirring.
3. Stir in almond milk and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, stir in salt, and pour over puffed kamut. 
5. Stir to coat and spread evenly on a baking sheet. 
6. Allow to cool at room temp (2-3 hours) and enjoy! 

You should 'like' The Verdant Life on .