The Nourishing Gourmet

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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.

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!

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Granola

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bowl of pumpkin spice granola

This granola is gently spiced, sweetened with pure maple syrup, stuffed with goodness, and is the perfect fall breakfast or snack. I’ve long been a big fan of granola on top of yogurt, but my kids love it with milk. Either way, it’s delicious! We’ve also been known to snack on it plain too.

For those using Trim Healthy Mama (THM) principles, make sure you check out my other version for my THM Pumpkin Spice Granola recipe. 

One note: 

I’ve included two options here. One with pumpkin, and one with a nut or seed butter. It’s a bit of a hot debate, but really, when we call a recipe “pumpkin spice” it’s referring to the spice blend, also known as “pumpkin pie spice.” You don’t have to have the pumpkin, for it to be considered a “pumpkin spice” recipe! 

I made many batches of this granola while I was recipe testing, and here is the difference between the two: The version using pumpkin is just slightly less crunchy, but all of my family favored it a little more than the nut or seed-butter version. The pumpkin flavor will be subtle here, and not overpowering, but still there. 

The seed or nut-butter version is wonderful because of that added protein, and the heartiness it adds, so is another good option, especially when you don’t have any pumpkin on hand! 

Not a fan of the spice blend? You can also just use cinnamon! 

granola bar with fruit and yogurt

Serving Suggestion: 

You can serve this as fancy or as simple as you like. For a fun little spread, you can make a granola “bar” using chopped fruit, yogurt, and milk. 

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Granola (Gluten-free, nut-free option) 

  • 3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free, organic, if desired, you can also use sprouted)
  • 1 cup of pumpkin or sunflower seeds OR chopped nut of choice, such as pecan or walnut (optional) 
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ melted coconut oil
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 
  • ¼ cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree OR ¼ cup nut or seed butter of choice (we recipe tested with sunflower seed butter, for a nut-free option. 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a jelly roll pan or cookie pan with parchment paper. 
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, seeds, spices, salt and mix gently. 
  3. Melt the coconut oil until just melted in a coffee cup in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on the stove over low. Stir in the maple syrup, pumpkin or seed butter, and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture, and gently stir until coated. 
  4. Scrap onto pan, and spread evenly. Cook for twenty minutes, stir gently, and then cook for another ten minutes. Check the granola. If it seems like it is crisping up, remove. If it seems moist, cook for another ten minutes. In our testing, it was perfect with the seed butter at 30 minutes, and with the pumpkin at 40 minutes. It will continue to crisp after you remove it from the oven. 
  5. Cool and serve. Store in an air-tight container.

Crispy Pumpkin Spice Granola (oil-free)

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This low-fat, THM, yet delicious granola recipe is bursting with spice and pumpkin, and is sure to make your house smell heavenly while it bakes. I LOVE it especially on top of yogurt. I’ll make myself a yogurt bowl with diced apples (or whatever other fruit I desire) and granola. 

It’s a lovely snack or breakfast. It’s perfect for a “E” meal on Trim Healthy Mama (THM), or for those of you looking for a lighter granola recipe. For a THM snack or meal, serve this with fruit and Nonfat Greek Yogurt. If you use a higher fat yogurt it will be a XO (crossover) meal. 

I first learned about this little trick of using egg whites instead of oil from THM recipes. It’s a clever trick, because with the right recipe, they will crisp up in a way that I didn’t think possible without oil. It’s not quite as crisp as with oil, but perfectly lovely all the same. 

I save this version of granola for me, and make this version for my family. They love it! I will make both of these types at the same time, and cook them on separate plans. 

One quick note: For a recipe to be a pumpkin spice recipe, you technically don’t have to use the pumpkin, as it’s really referring to the spice. However, we actually liked the pumpkin puree version better. It’s not quite as crunchy as when we left it out, but it adds so much flavor that it’s worth it. Feel free to leave it out though! I tested this several times without it, and it was great. 

For other THM granola recipes, here’s a shortlist from other bloggers: 

Crispy Pumpkin Spice Granola (oil-free)

  • 2 cups rolled oats (not quick, gluten-free and organic, if desired. You can also use sprouted))
  • ¼ cup erythritol or xylitol, OR 1 tablespoon of THM Super Sweet Blend 
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 
  • Sprinkle of salt 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2 egg whites (4 tablespoons) 
  • 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 300F degrees, and line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
  2. Combine the oats, sweetener, spices, and salt, in a medium bowl and give a stir. 
  3. Combine the egg whites, pumpkin puree, if using, and vanilla, whisk together, and then pour over the oat mixture. Gently mix until it is coated. If it’s super dry, you can add a little more egg white, but the mixture will be dryer than oil-based granola recipes. 
  4. Scrape onto prepared pan, and place in oven (near the middle). Cook for twenty minutes, gently stir, then cook for another 10-20 minutes, or until the oats are dryer. They will continue to crisp up after they cool. 
  5. Store in an airtight container once done.