Easy, healthful meals to help minimize the holiday damage

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There's nothing wrong with a little indulgence, but much of the eating we do each holiday season is born of obligation or boredom, rather than actual enjoyment. It's uncomfortable to turn down dessert at a dinner party, or be the only one at the meeting who doesn't take a cookie. All those extra treats add up.

Social pressures probably won't change anytime soon, and skipping holiday parties entirely would be a very depressing solution, but it is possible to minimize the damage. For one, consider joining a gym in December, rather than January.

And, when you're not eating out or going to parties, make an extra effort to cook healthful meals at home with plenty of vegetables and modest portions of meat, dairy and fats.

Remember, it's a lot easier to keep from gaining that extra pound than to lose it later.

And no matter what Congress says, we all know that pizza is not a vegetable.

Here are some suggestions on preparing those healthful meals.

SPICE-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Roasting Jerusalem artichokes peel-on makes them incredibly easy to handle. If you like, toast the cumin in a dry skillet, then grind it in a spice grinder, but you can also substitute ground cumin. If you're sensitive to heat, cut down on the cayenne or leave it out, as this version is fairly spicy. Serve with braised greens and eggs fried in olive oil for a healthful, filling meal. -- China Millman

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, cut into roughly 1-inch dice

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower and Jerusalem artichokes; toss them generously with olive oil and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the cumin and cayenne and add it to the veggies. Toss well to thoroughly combine.

Spread the veggies on a baking sheet in one even layer -- use two baking sheets if necessary. Roast for 20 minutes, then stir the veggies so they have the chance to brown all over, and rotate the pans to ensure even cooking. After 20 minutes, repeat this process.

Roast the vegetables for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are brown, tender and smell wonderful -- almost like popcorn. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Remove the veggies from the oven, sprinkle with chives, transfer to a serving dish, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

-- Adapted from "Cook Like a Rock Star" by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer (Clarkson Potter, 2011, $27.99)

SWEET-POTATO SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK AND MUSTARD GREENS

(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A can of light coconut milk adds just enough richness and sweetness to this soup to make it mouthwateringly delicious, without overwhelming the flavor of the sweet potatoes or ginger. You could substitute kale, chard or spinach for the mustard greens, just give the kale a couple of extra minutes to soften. -- China Millman

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 clove garlic, chopped

2-inch knob fresh ginger, finely sliced

2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 can light coconut milk

Salt

Pepper

1 bunch mustard greens (or other cooking greens)

1 lime

In a 4- to 6-quart, heavy-duty soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, you can prep your sweet potato, garlic and ginger. Add the other tablespoon of oil and heat for a moment, then add the diced sweet potato. Saute until the sweet potato has just begun to soften a little, about five minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes, until fragrant.

Add enough stock to just cover the ingredients by about half an inch. If you don't have enough stock, add a little water. Turn heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. While it simmers, wash and chop mustard or other cooking greens, removing the stems if they are thick.

Simmer until the sweet potato is very soft and easily mashed with a wooden spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Either puree with an immersion blender or carefully puree in small batches in a blender. Return soup to pot, if using a blender, and add the can of coconut milk. Return the soup to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chopped greens and simmer just until tender, about 3 minutes for mustard greens. Taste again for seasoning.

Just before serving, squeeze a little fresh lime juice into the soup, off the heat.

Serves 2 generously.

-- China Millman

BLACK-EYED PEA AND KALE CHILI WITH MONTEREY JACK CHEESE

(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

You may not think of bacon as diet food, but cooking with it in moderation adds lots of flavor without too many extra calories. -- China Millman

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 slices bacon, diced (1 cup)

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

2 celery stalks, diced (1 cup)

1 clove garlic, crushed

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice

One 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, depending on how spicy you like your chile, including seeds, chopped fine (1 to 2 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 bunch Tuscan or green kale (about 1/2 pound) stems removed, leaves washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over a medium flame. Add the bacon and allow it to render a bit (about 2 minutes), stirring regularly to stop it from sticking.

Add the onion, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat everything in the fat, and keep cooking for about 2 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

Add the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, chicken broth, 1 cup of water and the chipotle peppers, cumin and coriander. Stir to mix everything together well; then let the chili cook, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the flavors come together.

Stir in the honey and mustard.

Stir in the kale and cook for 10 minutes or so, until the kale is soft.

Serve the chili in large bowls with the Monterey Jack cheese grated on top.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish.

-- Adapted from "American Flavors" by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman (HarperCollins, 2011, $35)

(Email China Millman at cmillman(at)post-gazette.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

Must credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette