ITALIAN STYLE POTATO SALAD

Potatoes
Originally uploaded by Michelle Middleton Photography

Many of us love potato salad during the summer months, but hate the high fat content in traditional potato salad recipes. There are many creative ways to make this tasty summer favorite healthy. Since my mother came from Italy, she was never a big Mayonnaise user. Instead, she made the Italian version of potato salad, which is not only lower in fat, but healthier as well. If you want to steer clear of saturated fats this season, I'd be glad to share this recipe with you.

1 5 Lb bag of red potatoes, boiled and chopped
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1/3 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup of olive oil(you can substitute light olive oil for regular)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water and add potatoes while still whole. Bring water to a boil. Let the potatoes boil for 30 min or till they become soft enough to pierce with a knife . To save time while waiting for the potatoes to cook slice onions, mince garlic, chop cucumber and halve the grape tomatoes. When the potatoes are done, drain water and place the potatoes under running cold water for a few minutes to stop them from cooking any further. Let the potatoes cool. Peel the skins and chop them into a large bowl with the veggies you prepared earlier. Add the chopped parsley, chives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together and let chill for at least an hour before serving. This salad will serve up to 8 hungry people.