After weeks of consuming calorie-loaded meals and decadent desserts, its time to return to the healthy, balanced diet we all enjoyed before the holiday season.

And for those who want to slowly lose a few unwanted pounds, here are a few tasty low-fat recipes you might want to give a try.

ORIENTAL BARBECUED CHICKEN 4 servings.

Chicken thighs can be substituted for the breasts here, but they have about 9 milligrammes more cholesterol per serving.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound) 1 cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped SET oven control to broil. Spray broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray.

Trim fat from chicken. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan. Mix remaining ingredients; brush on chicken.

Broil with tops about 4 inches from heat 7 to 8 minutes or until brown. Turn; brush with sauce. Broil 4 to 5 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centres of thickest pieces are cut. Heat remaining sauce to boiling. Serve with chicken.

*** SEASONED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES 4 Servings.

4 pork loin or rib chops, about 1 inch thick (about 1 pound) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon pepper 11 cups fat-free chicken broth 2 cups sliced onions (about 1 large) 2 cups sliced cabbage 2 green apples, peeled and sliced 1 cup chopped fresh parsley TRIM fat from pork. Mix flour, thyme, paprika and pepper in plastic bag with zipper top. Add pork. Seal bag and shake until pork is well coated.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray oven proof Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook pork in Dutch oven until brown on both sides. Remove pork from Dutch oven.

Add broth to Dutch oven; scrape bottom with wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. Heat to boiling. Stir in onions and cabbage. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Top with pork and apples.

Cover and bake about 1 hour or until pork is tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Try these delicious low fat recipes *** SALMON WITH DILLED CUCUMBERS 4 Servings (WITH ABOUT 1 CUP CUCUMBERS EACH) 4 salmon or halibut steaks, 3 inch thick (about 1 1 pounds) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Dilled Cucumbers (below) PLACE fish in 10-inch nonstick skillet. Sprinkle with dill weed and salt. Pour water and lemon juice into skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Meanwhile, prepare Dilled Cucumbers. Serve over fish.

DILLED CUCUMBERS 1 medium cucumber 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 1 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt PEEL cucumber. Cut lengthwise in half; seed and cut into thin slices. Mix cucumber and remaining ingredients in 1 1 -quart saucepan. Cook over high heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until cucumber is crisp-tender.

Recipes from Betty Crocker's New Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol Cookbook.

*** CHINESE EGG AND NOODLE STIR-FRY 225 grams/8 ounces egg-thread noodles 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 4 spring onions, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed Knob of root ginger peeled and finely chopped 50 grammes/2 ounces bamboo shoots 25 grammes/1 ounces water chestnuts, sliced 50 grammes /2 ounces cashew nuts 50 grams/2 ounces button mushrooms 1 tablespoon dry sherry 100 grammes/3 1 ounces fresh beansprouts 4 medium eggs, lightly beaten Salt SOAK the noodles according to the packet instructions while you cook the stir-fry.

Heat the oil in a wok or non-stick frying pan and stir-fry the spring onions, garlic and ginger for a minute.

Add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cashew nuts, mushrooms and sherry and stir for a minute. Add the beansprouts, eggs and salt and cook, stirring, until the eggs are scrambled.

Drain the noodles and serve the stir-fry on them.

Recipes from Slim and Healthy Vegetarian.

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