Ring in the New Year by warming your home and hearth with freshly baked gingerbread. This easy-to-follow recipe is perfect for any experience level and a great way to entice everyone into the kitchen. Featuring antioxidant-rich blueberries and whole-wheat flour it also makes for a wholesome treat for all your helpers.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp., divided
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 tsp.
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup light buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. unsulfured molasses
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9 x 2Ó baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk together whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, 3/4 cup sugar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt until blended.

3. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, egg and molasses, until well combined and creamy. Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk enough to mix; leaving some lumps is better than over mixing, which makes the gingerbread tough.

4. If using frozen blueberries, spread in one layer on paper towels and blot dry. Skip this step if using fresh berries.

5. Add berries to the batter, folding just to distribute them. Spread batter in the prepared pan in an even layer. In small bowl, combine remaining tablespoon of sugar with remaining cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over batter.

6. Bake the gingerbread 35-45 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and it springs back when touched lightly in the center. Set pan on a wire rack and cool gingerbread completely.

7. Cut cake into 9 squares and serve. Or, the cooled cake may be unmolded, wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours before serving.

Makes 12 servings

Per serving:
180 calories, 6 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 31 g carbohydrates,
3 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 220 mg sodium.

This warm and hearty soup is ideal for melting away a blustery winter day. Though it only takes about 20 minutes to make, the truly busy can fix it in the morning and reheat it at the end of a long day. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy, this dish will bring the whole family to the table.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 -1 tsp. ground chipotle chile
4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-oz.) can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped and divided
1Tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
30 baked yellow corn chips (whole grain preferably)
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Directions:

1. In large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and green pepper, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute, stirring.

2. Add broth, canned tomatoes with their liquid, beans, 1/2 cup of cilantro and dried oregano. Bring liquid to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

3. Let soup cool at least 30 minutes to increase flavor, then reheat before serving. Or, refrigerate soup up to 4 days.

To serve, reheat soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble 5 corn chips each into bottom of 8 bowls. Ladle soup over chips. Garnish each bowl with remaining chopped cilantro and lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

Per serving:
230 calories, 7 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 32 g carbohydrate,
10 g protein, 8 g dietary fiber, 480 mg sodium