After-Work Gourmet by Lisa Messinger

Can you quit the holiday season cold turkey? That's what many of us try to do by setting resolutions regarding weight loss and fitness for the New Year. However, over the preceding months, the rich, delectable feasts have become habits.

What if you could keep on munching on party-style favorites, though, while also fusing them full of nutritious ingredients to help you along on the road to recovery? The following are like the "halfway house" of recipes when it comes to weaning off of the holiday "horrors."

If you spent the last few months imbibing much more than you usually do, one way to enjoy another festive cocktail is by nurturing its nutritional value. The cranberry-tinis that follow from acclaimed New York City caterer Peter Callahan do the trick by being chockfull of freshly squeezed orange and cranberry juices.

"I spend a lot of time in Nantucket, where cranberries are harvested," Callahan writes in "Bite by Bite," his first cookbook. "It wasn't until a few years ago, though, that I tried fresh-pressed cranberry juice — it was like going from orange juice concentrate to fresh squeezed. You can't believe how fabulous fresh cranberry juice is."

Often listed among nutritionists' worst offenders, doughnuts, too, also can be reformed and, in turn, help rehabilitate bloated holiday diets. First, either buy baked or bake your own instead of gobbling up the usual fried variety. Pans, like those made by Wilton, are created just for that process and are available in stores and online at retailers such as surlatable.com.

Additionally, prepare your batter from a mix of whole-grain and all-purpose flours or buy bakery doughnuts that have been baked with whole grains. Select toppings that continue heaping on the antioxidants, such as hazelnut-dark chocolate, glaze made with fresh lemon juice or ground cinnamon.

Even ice cream and frozen yogurt can do double duty serving both as tempting treats and nutritional powerhouses. Try toppings such as honey-sweetened granola, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, grated carrots, grated zucchini, warmed honey-filled mashed sweet potatoes or minced drained canned beets. A recipe like this, melds cooked, pureed carrots right into the finished ice cream:

CARROT-ORANGE ICE CREAM

2 cups carrots slices

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups heavy cream

1 / 2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 wide strips orange rind

1 cinnamon stick

9 egg yolks

3 / 4 cup sugar

Ice, as needed

Yields 1 quart

In a small saucepan, boil the carrot slices in water until very tender.

Drain them then make a puree and reserve it.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half, cream, vanilla, orange rind and cinnamon stick, whisking occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. In a thin stream, whisk half of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Then pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan containing the rest of the cream mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 F, the mixture should give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 F it should be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a bowl put 2 handfuls of ice cubes in the bottom, and add cold water to cover. Rest a smaller bowl in the ice water. Combine the carrot puree with the eggnog-like custard, mixing well. Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve or chinois (to remove the vanilla bean pieces, orange rind and cinnamon stick) and into the smaller bowl. Chill 3 hours, then continue according to the directions of your ice cream maker.

— FoodNetwork.com

CRANBERRY-TINI

Grated zest and juice of 6 oranges

5 cups (preferably fresh and, if not, frozen and thawed) cranberries

1 / 2 cup sugar

3 cups chilled vodka

Ice, as needed

2 cups sparkling water

Yields 1 dozen cocktails.

Place the orange zest and juice, 4 cups of the cranberries, the sugar and 3 1 / 2 cups water in a food processor or blender and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher. Stir in the vodka.

Thread the remaining cranberries on twelve cocktail swizzle sticks, 3 to a skewer. Fill 12 glasses with ice and divide cranberry mixture among the glasses, leaving enough room for a splash of sparkling water. Finish with the sparkling water, add the cranberry swizzle sticks and serve.

— "Bite by Bite" by Peter Callahan with Raquel Pelzel (Clarkson Potter, $35).

Photo courtesy of "Bite By Bite."

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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