You might call it ''My Big Fat Greek Family," San Fernando Valley style.

The Angelopoulos family of North Hollywood knows all about Greek family, food and holiday traditions. Daughter Katherine McCune, now of Hidden Hills, remembers how her Greek father cooked with abandon for the special day, putting flavorful Greek specialties on the table laden with calories and fat.

''I was overweight, very chubby and very sensitive -- with a milk-bottle body from ages 8 to 11."

When the health-conscious McCune married and began tackling Greek feasts herself more than 20 years ago, she started modifying many of the family's recipes, trimming some of the fat, calories and sugar without sacrificing flavor.

Although she grew up with lamb as the centerpiece, nowadays a spiral-cut pre-cooked ham stars on her table for special events such as holidays. Alongside, she offers an array of colorful, easily prepared creations such as stuffed grape leaves, hummus, Greek salad, quiche, roasted asparagus and a strawberry cheesecake.

''It's not difficult to cook a lighter-style meal," says McCune, especially if you rely on reduced-fat products. Except for nonfat milk and fat-free half-and-half, she avoids most fat-free items, as they don't taste even close to their higher-fat counterparts -- and often yield unappetizing results.

''Moderate portions are also key," says the registered dietitian who specializes in weight management and medical nutrition therapy in private practice in Tarzana.

To juggle and streamline both special-occasion and daily cooking chores, McCune, the mother of two, advocates using all kinds of shortcut items like pre-washed spinach, bagged lettuces, bottled fresh chopped garlic, canned fat-free broth, reduced-fat pesto, olive or canola oil sprays, reduced-fat feta cheese, shredded light Cheddar cheese, bagged cleaned baby or shredded carrots, shredded coleslaw, canned Italian or Mexican-style or cut-up tomatoes, frozen corn, broccoli, peas and artichoke hearts, and frozen fruits.

''My quiche is made with bagged, cleaned spinach (or chopped frozen spinach as a second choice). Prepare it a day ahead, cook it three-quarters of the way through, cool and refrigerate, then bake 15 minutes just before serving." Although McCune makes her own stuffed grape leaves and hummus the day before a big event -- with much less oil than her father's original recipes -- cooks short on time can buy them. Garnish the grape leaves with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, the hummus with lots of chopped fresh parsley.

McCune points out that she isn't rigid but favors a lighter eating style year-round. ''I only occasionally indulge in desserts, light ice cream, a glass of wine or pasta, and I exercise five times a week."

McCune's philosophy of cooking encourages people ''to get back into the kitchen, even if it is for 15 to 20 minutes a day to prepare a quick evening meal (utilizing shortcuts), including an entree, mixed green salad, whole-grain roll and sliced fruit."

Now indulge in your own Greek feast without feeling deprived or guilty. Opa!

Hummus

2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons liquid) and rinsed

¼ medium red onion, cut in pieces

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

Place all ingredients, including 2 tablespoons reserved bean liquid, in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blend until pureed as smooth as possible. Taste for seasoning. Serve with raw vegetables or pita bread triangles. Makes 2 cups. Each 1/4 cup (without dippers) has about 110 calories and 5 grams fat.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

1 (8-ounce) jar grape leaves

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon pine nuts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups slightly undercooked white rice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ cup fat-free chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Remove grape leaves from jar, rinse with hot water and drain. Cut off stems from leaves, pat leaves dry and place on paper towels with shiny sides down.

Saute onion, mint, parsley and pine nuts in 1 tablespoon olive oil until onions are soft. Add rice and mix thoroughly. Set aside 15 minutes, until cool.

Place some of rice mixture in center of each of 36 leaves. Fold end of leaf over to cover filling. Fold up sides of leaf and roll over carefully until a cylinder is formed, about 2 inches long. Roll leaves loosely to allow for expansion during cooking.

Spray a large saucepan with olive oil spray. Arrange remaining unfilled grape leaves in bottom of pan. Place filled grape leaves in layers in pan, sprinkling each layer with lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour broth over stuffed leaves and place a plate on top to weigh them down. Simmer, covered, over very low heat 30 minutes. Remove, drain and cool before serving. Makes 36 stuffed grape leaves, each about 30 calories and 2 grams fat.

Greek Salad

1 (13.5-ounce) can water-packed artichoke hearts, well-drained and quartered

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 yellow pepper, sliced into thin rings

1 sweet red onion, halved and sliced thinly

15 pitted Kalamata olives

Dressing

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

Arrange artichokes, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow pepper, red onion and olives randomly on a large serving platter or dish. Drizzle evenly with dressing. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Makes 8 servings, each about 130 calories and 3 grams fat.

DRESSING: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Paremsan Cheese

1 pound medium fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed

2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place asparagus on foil. Mix garlic and olive oil and spread over asparagus. Using clean hands, turn to evenly coat. Sprinkle with cheese and salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 350-degree oven 14 to 15 minutes or until crisp tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Makes 4 servings, each about 60 calories and 3.6 grams fat.

Wild Rice Pilaf

Water

1 cup uncooked wild rice

5 green onions, sliced

½ cup finely chopped baby carrots

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

2 tablespoons light whipped butter

¼ cup chopped pecans OR almonds

¼ cup dried cherries, cranberries, dried apricots OR golden raisins

2 cups cooked white rice

Salt and pepper

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups water to boiling. Stir in wild rice. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer about 40 to 50 minutes, until rice is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute green onions, carrots and celery in butter about 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Add nuts, fruit and white rice; heat through. Mix into hot wild rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings, each about 145 calories and 1.2 grams fat.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

8 cups trimmed fresh spinach leaves OR 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, well-drained

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup chopped, peeled shallots

3 plum tomatoes

½ cup nonfat milk

2 eggs plus 2 cups egg substitute (equal to 16 egg whites)

1 cup shredded 1/3-reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse fresh spinach well and place in a large saucepan with just the water that clings to leaves. Place saucepan over low heat and stir to wilt spinach, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Melt butter in a small skillet; add shallots and saute over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Halve tomatoes and squeeze out and discard seeds and juice. Coarsely chop and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, egg substitute, Jack cheese, dill, lemon peel and salt and pepper. Stir in spinach, shallots and tomatoes. Turn into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch pie pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings, each about 125 calories and 6 grams fat.

Strawberry-Topped Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/4 cups low-fat graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light whipped butter, melted

Cheesecake:

3 (8-ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat than cream cheese)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup real egg substitute (liquid)

Topping:

3 cups fresh whole medium strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thoroughly dried

1½ tablespoons low-sugar strawberry jam, heated in microwave for about 10 seconds or until slightly warm

For crust, mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter until thoroughly blended. Spread crumbs evenly on bottom and part way up sides of an 8-inch springform pan.

For cheesecake, in large bowl of electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in flour until blended. On low speed, beat in egg substitute; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn into crust-lined pan. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Up to an hour before serving, top with strawberries, point sides up. Brush with jam. Refrigerate until serving time. Cut into slices with sharp knife.

Makes 10 servings, each about 345 calories and 15 grams fat.