LIGHTLY DOES IT : These eight delicious recipes prove that it’s simpler than you think to cook in a light, easy, glamorous fashion--even when you set out to reduce fat and calories.

Have you decided, like many of us who want to keep weight down and health status up, to “go light” on cooking?

You know. Low-fat and low-calorie cooking. But you probably also want the cooking to be glamorous and appetizing, and, last but not least, fast and easy.

Tall order, yes, but we’re here to help.

We’ve put together a group of recipes that we hope will give the cook a good idea of how simple it is to reduce fat and calories in almost any recipe you choose without loss of taste or looks. You’ll get excellent results by using proper ingredients and cooking methods that are aimed at reducing fat while keeping appeal high.

Last July, U.S. Surgeon Gen. C. Everett Koop urged consumers to reduce overall fat, especially saturated fat, in their diets and to choose foods that are low in fat and saturated fat.

Many other health organizations, such as the American Heart Assn., recommend that a well-balanced diet for healthy adults should consist of no more than 30% of total calories from fat (less than 10% of calories from saturated fat), 55% carbohydrates and 15% from protein. The average American gets about 37% of the daily calories from fats and about 13% from saturated fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Too much fat in the diet has been linked to heart disease, some forms of cancer, diabetes and hypertension. Saturated fat has been linked to coronary heart disease. “Saturated fatty acids are the most potent dietary factor that affect LDL cholesterol levels,” Margo Denke, a lipid researcher at the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Texas, said at a recent food editor’s conference in Los Angeles.

Health experts recommend that consumers find substitutes for foods high in saturated fat, replacing whole milk with skim milk, sour cream with yogurt, ice cream with sherbet, and butter with margarine. Opt for fish or skinless poultry more often than red meat, and use an unsaturated vegetable cooking and salad oil.

Certain vegetable oils, such as canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut, olive and soybean, contain the least percentage of saturated fat (6% to 27% per tablespoon, while palm, coconut and palm kernel oils contain the most (51% to 79%). These highly saturated oils, moreover, are also higher in saturated-fat content than butter or animal fat. Canola oil, a derivative of the rapeseed plant, is 94% saturated fat free, about 30% less saturated than safflower oils, 50% less saturated than corn and olive oils and 60% less than soybean oil. All of these vegetable oils are cholesterol-free.

In the recipes given here, we try to show how normally healthy persons can reduce fat content, not by eliminating fat, but by cutting down on its consumption.

Some red meats contain more fat than others. Meats such as sirloin, top loin, chuck arm and blade and round beef contain less total fat than brisket, rib roast and tenderloin. However, taste often dictates choice, and moderation should, therefore, be a guide, according to Denke. Steaming, poaching and broiling will automatically cut fat content, because little or no extra fat is necessary in these cooking methods. But you won’t have to eliminate grilling or stir-frying if you reduce the amount of fat in the recipe. Investing in non-stick skillets can help too. (Using liquid fat will help keep cholesterol down, as well.)

In our recipe for Grilled Chicken Wrapped in Radicchio, we used only 2 teaspoons oil instead of the 2 tablespoons called for in the original recipe, (a saving of 135 calories) to cook the radicchio rolls in a skillet. We also used 2 teaspoons oil in a pasta dish containing tomatoes. The same dish using the normal amount of fat (about one-quarter cup butter) would have contained more than 300 additional calories.

A skillet dish in which vegetables are combined with eggs for a brunch entree uses only 2 teaspoons of oil to cook the vegetables before adding eggs for poaching. Eggs are an excellent low calorie and fat alternative to most meats, chicken with skin and even some high fat fish such as salmon, trout or mackerel, for persons without cholesterol restrictions. An egg contains 4.6 grams total fat (1.7 grams saturated fat), but 275 milligrams cholesterol, compared with 27 grams total (10.8 grams saturated fat) and 85 milligrams cholesterol for ground meat, and 14 grams total fat (4.4 grams saturated fat), and 91 milligrams cholesterol for roast chicken with skin. We used less-fatty ground turkey instead of beef for a Greek-Style burger, and lean sirloin steak (instead of the more fatty tender cuts) for a stir-fry steak and potato dish.

Lean leg of lamb was the choice for a curry using lean meat. You can try the same recipe with skinless chicken, turkey, shrimp, fish or vegetables, as well.

Low-fat yogurt is used in place of sour cream for a sauce with the burger and scallop kebabs that are cooked on the grill or under the broiler. Lime instead of fat is used for the basting sauce for the scallops.

GRILLED CHICKEN WRAPPED IN RADICCHIO

6 small boneless, skinless chicken half breasts, butterflied

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt, pepper

18 tangerine segments (3 tangerines)

6 large radicchio leaves

2 teaspoons olive oil

Hot cooked rice

Open chicken breasts and sprinkle with mint and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 tangerine segments lengthwise over each breast.

Roll breasts, jellyroll fashion, tucking in ends. Place each over radicchio leaf and wrap, fastening edges with wood pick.

Place rolls in skillet with 1/2-inch chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Drain liquid and add olive oil to skillet. Heat, then toss rolls in hot oil until radicchio wrapping is lightly browned. Or brush rolls with olive oil and place under broiler to brown tops lightly. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 6 servings.

SESAME SCALLOPS WITH CILANTRO YOGURT SAUCE

1 1/2 pounds scallops

Juice of 1 lime

Sesame seeds

1/2 onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 cup plain yogurt

Salt, pepper

Rinse scallops several times to remove sand particles. Dip in 1/2 of lime juice and roll in sesame seeds. Thread on skewers and grill or place under broiler and broil until done on all sides, turning often and basting with remaining lime juice.

Combine onion, garlic, cilantro and yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over scallops to serve. Makes 6 servings.

LAMB CURRY-ORANGE KEBABS

1 pound lamb, cut in uniform 1-inch cubes

Salt, pepper

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oil

Juice of 1 orange

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

Orange slices

Thread lamb cubes onto 6 (6-inch) bamboo skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under broiler or over hot coals and cook until browned on all sides, turning often. Set aside.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in oil in 8-inch skillet until onion is tender. Add orange juice and Madras curry powder and stir until smooth. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes over low heat.

Arrange kebabs on platter and pour sauce over. Garnish with orange slices. Makes 6 servings.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

4 tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoon oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

Dash red pepper flakes

Salt, pepper

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain.

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes in skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat until tomatoes are barely heated through and still firm, about 3 minutes. Pour over drained pasta. Makes 4 servings.

EGGPLANT, LEEKS, TOMATO AND EGG SKILLET

1 Italian eggplant

1 large leek

2 tomatoes, peeled

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt, pepper

4 eggs

Chopped parsley

Cut eggplant into large dice. Thoroughly rinse leek and cut into thin slices. Dice tomatoes.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender. Add eggplant, leek, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix well. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 20 minutes.

Uncover and break eggs over casserole. Simmer until eggs are poached as desired. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

GREEK-STYLE TURKEY BURGER IN PITA BREAD

1 pound ground turkey, chicken, lamb or veal

1 slice Italian bread, soaked and squeezed dry

1 egg

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Paprika

Salt, pepper

6 pieces pita bread

1 cup torn lettuce

1 tomato, cubed

Yogurt Sauce

Combine turkey, soaked bread, egg, onion, garlic, mint leaves, parsley, and paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Form into well-rounded patties. Broil or pan-fry without fat until browned on both sides.

Serve in pockets of pita bread stuffed with lettuce and tomatoes. Top with Yogurt Sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped mint leaves

Salt, pepper

Combine yogurt, garlic, mint leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup.

STIR-FRIED STEAK AND POTATOES WITH GRAIN MUSTARD SAUCE

1 pound sirloin steak, sliced into strips 1/2-inch wide

1 large white onion, halved and sliced

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons grain mustard

Salt, pepper

4 small cooked potatoes, cubed

Chopped parsley

Toss steak strips in hot wok or skillet without fat until seared. Add onion and toss until onion is slightly browned. Add wine and simmer over high heat until wine is reduced to glaze. Stir in mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes and toss lightly. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

LEMON-HERB FISH BAKE

2 teaspoons oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 fish steaks (halibut, snapper, sword fish or 4 individual trout)

Combine oil, wine, lemon zest and juice, parsley, thyme and salt in shallow baking dish. Place fish in marinade, turning to coat. Marinate 30 minutes.

Bake, uncovered 15 minutes, basting frequently with marinade. Fish is done when flakes easily and flesh is opaque. Makes 4 servings.

Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane