Cooking Light: Quick and Easy Cold Weather Soup

In the season of cool weather, candy and trick-or-treating make sure to warm your family and fill their tummies with nutritious soup. These three simple and quick to make soups from our friends at Cooking Light are sure to be a hit with the whole family! They even make a delicious and healthful family dinner before going out to trick-or-treat.

Chicken and Parsnip Soup

Time: 40 minutes

Vegetarian Swap: Use mushroom broth, omit chicken, and use 2 cans of chickpeas.

Serve with Herb-Scented Drop Biscuits: Preheat oven to 450°. Combine 4.5 ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cut in 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center of mixture; add 1/3 cup 1% milk, 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, stirring just until combined. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray to form 8 biscuits; coat tops with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings. CALORIES 156; FAT 3.5g (sat 2.1g); SODIUM 256mg

For the recipe click here.

Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens

Time: 30 minutes

Prep Pointer: Take care not to overcook the noodles, as they’ll turn soggy in the soup.

Serve with Sesame Wontons: Cut 16 wonton wrappers in half diagonally; arrange on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Brush 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil over wrappers. Sprinkle evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake at 375° for 7 minutes or until crisp and edges are browned.

For the recipe click here.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Time: 40 minutes

Time-Saver: Buy prechopped onion in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket.

Serve with Mini Ham Sandwiches: Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 1 tablespoon minced chives, 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Cut 8 (1-ounce) Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, cutting to, but not through, other side. Place rolls, cut sides up, on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until golden. Spread cut sides evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Divide 4 ounces reduced-sodium thinly sliced ham (such as Boar’s Head) evenly among bottoms of rolls. Cover with roll tops; cut into individual rolls.

For the recipe click here.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.