My new year's challenge

I've been blogging for several months now, unfortunately more off than on. But I have a new goal: to post something every day. One simple way to do this is to share a recipe that I've tried and enjoyed. Be prepared for a wide array of treats -- many simple, some complicated, but all delicious.

I had an idea to do a theme each month, but I don't know how successful I'll be with that plan. I do pledge to offer healthy recipes as often as I can. And please send ideas along to me. I look forward to hearing them!

Today's recipe is a great one for January. It's healthy, and it's great on a cold night (my theme of the month). I've made this soup several times now, and it's one of my very favorites. Enjoy!

This recipe is from a 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Golden Winter Soup

2 tbsp. butter

5 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

2 cups cubed, peeled russet potato (about 12 oz.)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)

4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

12 oz. baguette, cut into 16 slices

3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese

3 tbsp. chopped chives

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half the potato mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape; secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Blend until smooth; pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup of soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tsp. chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with black pepper, if desired.

Serves 8.

Cook's notes: I usually make this soup with one onion rather than the leeks; it turns out delicious! I've also used fat-free half-and-half, and I was surprised how much I liked it. So feel free to experiment; evaporated milk might be another delicious way to make this soup creamy without adding too much extra fat and calories.