The Nourishing Gourmet

Nourishing. Satisfying. Gourmet.

KimiHarris

2 Ingredient Peppermint Bark

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One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and peppermint. This easy, two-ingredient recipe explodes with flavor yet takes just a few minutes to throw together. 

It makes a wonderful last-minute gift or a treat to eat while watching a Christmas movie. 

(Save some candy canes so you can make it again later in the year, as this is delicious any time of year!) 

Because you are only using a couple of ingredients, make sure you pick chocolate that you especially like, as well as flavorful candy canes. 

We’ve made this with super dark chocolate for our family and with smooth milk chocolate for gifting. Enjoy Life is a great, allergen-friendly chocolate. Just use chocolate you like, and it will be good!

There are some delicious candy canes out there. We’ve made it using a more typical candy cane as well as the YumEarth brand (which uses organic ingredients and natural coloring from fruit). 

If you use a dark chocolate, this treat is also lower in sugar, especially in comparison to most Christmas cookies and treats. If you have allergens, such as dairy or gluten, it should be easy to find chocolate and candy canes that meet your needs.

Do you love peppermint and chocolate together? Here are some other recipes: 

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients: 

  • 11.5 ounces chocolate chips (dark, super dark, or milk) 
  • 5 regular sized candy canes 

Directions:

  1. Unwrap candy canes and put them between sheets of parchment paper. Using a mallet, crush the candy canes into small pieces. We like there to be some pieces about the size of a large pea, and some of it finer. 
  2. Lay a new piece of parchment paper out on a jelly roll pan. 
  3. Put the chocolate chips into a medium-sized dry microwaveable bowl. Melt using 15 to 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is just melted. *
  4. Using a spatula, scrape the melted chocolate into the center of the parchment paper on the pan, and smooth out to about ¼ inch thickness 
  5. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane evenly over the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate harden (you can put it into the refrigerator or freezer for a faster approach). When hard, break into smaller pieces. Keeps well. 

Recipe Notes:

  • * You can also melt the chocolate by putting it in a double boiler over low heat, and gently stirring it until just melted. 
  •  This method is really so simple, you can use varying amounts of chocolate and candy canes.

Herbal Hibiscus Lemonade (Keto, THM)

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The tart and floral flavors of hibiscus, chamomile, peppermint, and (optional) rosebuds or lavender make this stevia-sweetened hibiscus lemonade special. While I’ve been enjoying this flavorful drink through the cold dark winter, it will be even more welcome on warm spring days and hot summer days. It’s a lovely, antioxidant-rich beverage that will keep you hydrated without adding calories and sugar.

Because hibiscus lends so much flavor and tartness, you won’t need as many lemons for this lemonade. By the way, you can make this using just the hibiscus as well, though I love the more subtle and complex flavors the other herbs add. Each of these special herbs and flowers adds its own flavor, as well as benefits. 

This is sweetened with pure stevia for a sugar-free option. This is a great choice because there is already an herbal flavor to this lemonade, and lemon also hides stevia well. Other options include pure monk fruit, or, to go old-school, you could sweeten with simple syrup. Because I drink this almost daily, I like to keep mine sugar-free. 

For those on THM, make sure that you use pure stevia powder or pure monk fruit powder. 

This drink is a wonderful way to stay hydrated, but you also get gentle support from these herbs, along with the lemon. There are many benefits to each. As always, it’s good to make sure that there are no contraindications with any medicines you may be taking or other considerations (including if pregnant or breastfeeding), before adding any herbs regularly. But these herbs are generally considered safe for most people, and herbal infusions are a gentle way to consume them while getting many of their benefits. A friend’s nutritionist recommended daily hibiscus infusions as part of her protocol for lowering high blood pressure, and I’ve been intrigued since. 

For example, a few of the possible benefits include: Hibiscus is full of antioxidants and can support the liver and lower high blood pressure (if you have low blood pressure, ask your doctor about whether this is appropriate for you). Chamomile and hibiscus both have been studied for possible anti-cancer benefits. Chamomile and peppermint can aid your digestion, while chamomile can help lower blood sugar. Sources 1, 2, 3

A simple way to make this? I just use my French Press! Here’s the one I own. Any eight-cup (34 oz) French press will work. OR, steep in any heat-safe container, and pour through a strainer when finished.

Where to source herbs

I was able to find mine at a local co-op/store where they provide herbs and spices in bulk. This is an excellent path when experimenting and deciding what you like and don’t like. Long-term, you may want to buy in bulk as it will be a cheaper option. Do so by buying through a trusted company (Frontier co-op and Mountain Rose Herbs both have good reputations). Rose petals or rose buds are harder to source, as well as more expensive, so they are optional. I would be very wary of buying online through companies that don’t have a strong reputation.

Helpful kitchen items: 

Other Delicious Healthy Beverages:

Herbal Hibiscus Lemonade 

  • 2-4 tablespoons hibiscus petals 
  • 1 tablespoon chamomile blossoms 
  • 1 tablespoon dried peppermint 
  • 5 edible dried rosebuds (or 1 tablespoon dried rose petals), OR 1 heaping teaspoon dried lavender, optional*
  • 2 lemons 
  • Pure Stevia Extract (no fillers) 

Put all of the herbs into the French press. Two tablespoons of hibiscus will make a more mild and gentle version. 4 tablespoons is very bright and flavorful (and it may need a little extra stevia to counteract the tartness). 

Add hot water to fill line and allow to steep for twenty minutes without the lid on. Stir once or twice to ensure all of the herbs are submerged. 

Once the herbal infusion is lukewarm or room temperature, press down with the plunger on the French Press. Fill two mason jars ¾ full of ice. Add the juice of one lemon to each jar. Add a heaping 1/16 teaspoon or a scant ⅛ teaspoon of Now Pure Stevia extract to each quart. Split herbal infusion between the two jars and fill to the fill line with water, if needed. Stir well, making sure the stevia is dissolved. Add more stevia to taste, if needed. Enjoy!

*Rosebuds/petals will give a light floral flavor. Lavender will be more pronounced.

Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup

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This creamy, dairy-free soup is frugal and comforting on a cold winter’s night. Cumin, garlic, ginger, and curry powder all help give this soup a robust flavor profile, while the balsamic vinegar provides just the right tang. 

Red lentils cook up in a hurry, making this a wonderful last-minute meal. I love lentils as they are full of essential nutrients, a frugal source of protein, and are delicious too! 

I add gelatin to the soup to add more protein, but that’s optional. This soup is easily made with broth or water, vegetarian or not. 

Serve with muffins, bread, or over brown rice, and a large salad for a complete meal. For those on THM, this makes a wonderful “E” Meal.

Tips

For easy blending, use an immersion blender.

For more protein and collagen, use the optional gelatin. This is a good brand.

I like to keep all of the ingredients for this soup on hand. They are easily made into a variety of dishes, and I can also make this soup for last-minute meals!

Other Soup Recipes 

Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup

  • 1-2 tablespoons fat or oil of choice 
  • 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped 
  • 3 celery, thinly sliced 
  • 3-6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
  • 2 cups red lentils, rinsed in a fine sieve (remove any small pebbles, if there are any)
  • 8 cups broth or water 
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cumin 
  • 1 heaping teaspoon dried ginger or one tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder 
  • ¼ cup of gelatin in 1 cup of cool water, optional
  • Around 1 – 2 tablespoons of salt 
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

1. In a large pot, add the fat/oil (just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pot) and turn on medium heat until the fat is just hot. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Stir here and there, and cook until the vegetables start to soften (about five minutes) and add the garlic and cook for one or two more minutes. 

2. Add the red lentils and broth/water, turn heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Turn down to keep at a gentle simmer. Remove with a large spoon any foam that may come to the surface of the soup. 

3. Add the spices. Simmer for around twenty minutes, or until the lentils are soft. 

4. Stir together the gelatin and the water, soften for a few minutes. Stir into the soup, along with salt (to taste, you will need more if you used water) and balsamic vinegar. 

5. For a creamier texture blend part or all of the soup. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use an immersion blender, which you can put right into your pot for easy blending. OR, carefully scoop out some of the soup, and blend in a blender (follow procedures for your specific blender for how to do this safely. For my blender, I vent it, and only fill halfway, and blend on low to start). For blending in a blender, you will need to do at least several batches. I blend about half of the soup. 

6. Check the flavor, and adjust with salt, vinegar, or pepper, and enjoy!

One-Pot Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

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This one-pot super creamy and delicious gluten-free mac and cheese is finished in less than 15 minutes. It’s so simple! 

My kids aren’t really into sandwiches, unfortunately, but this pasta dish is something they love as a last-minute meal. If my husband has an evening meeting, and I’m eating a dairy-free (THM) meal, I can whip this together with minimum fuss. Since I homeschool our kids currently, they also ask for it for lunch. 

You only need a few basic ingredients: Milk (I use whole), chicken broth, pasta, cheese, and salt. That’s it! 

How it works: Instead of boiling the pasta in water and making a cheese sauce, this recipe boils the pasta in the chicken broth and milk, and the starch released from the pasta thickens the sauce as it cooks. It’s a little magical. To compare it to a more traditional mac and cheese method, check out this recipe (also gluten-free, but using goat cheese!).

Notes: 

  • You can have fun trying this with different cheeses. Our favorite so far is half Colby Jake and half Pepper Jake. Yum! 
  • You can use all milk instead of half broth. I love my homemade broth, so this is a chance to get some more in. But I also think the flavor is better and more complex with half broth. If you are using homemade do pre-salt it, otherwise it will be too bland. 
  • Pick a gluten-free pasta brand you know stays together well for this recipe, and cook until just tender. Because different brands may vary in how much starch they give off, you may need to adjust the amount of liquid if it ends up too liquidy. Just remember that you can give it a quick boil at the end to remove excess liquid, if necessary.  

One-Pot Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

  • 12 oz dry gluten-free pasta (shells, elbows, or other short pasta) (about 4 cups of dry pasta) I tested this with Field Day Gluten-free Brown Rice pasta
  • 2 cups of whole milk 
  • 2 cups of chicken broth (homemade or storebought) 
  • 2 teaspoon salt 
  • 2 cups of shredded cheese (my kids like Colby, or one of our favorites, Pepper Jack! I like to use half of each. Use cheddar for a more traditional flavor)

Directions

Place the pasta, milk, chicken broth, and salt in a medium or large pot. Bring to a low simmer, and simmer until just tender (for the brand of brown rice pasta I use, that took about 7-10 minutes. Look at the package and follow their time suggestions). 

Because you are using less liquid, you will need to stir more often to make sure the pasta isn’t sticking on the bottom of the pan. Not quite constantly, but pretty often, especially as it begins to cook. 

Once the pasta is getting close to being done, you can turn up the heat a little to boil away any extra moisture there is, if necessary (again, making sure you don’t let the pasta stick on the bottom of the pan). When it looks thick enough to be a sauce-y mac and cheese, turn off the heat, and add your cheese. Stir in (it should melt easily), and let sit for a minute or two, and serve! The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.