The Neely’s Potato Salad

I love potato salad. When I was a kid, the deli by our house made the best potato salad. We didn’t go there often, but whenever we went, my dad took home a little potato salad for me just cause he knew I loved it so much. (Thanks Dad!) As an adult, I had never really ventured into making it for myself. That is, until I came across this recipe from the Neely’s. It’s Grandma Jean’s recipe – the old-fashioned kind. You know, like Grandma used to make. I had to try it, but I gave it a modern (translate – healthy) makeover so I could eat it again and again!

Unlike your crazy neighbors, we’ve moved! We have a new page Thindulge, where we recreate all your favorite recipes, not just from Food Network, to be guilt free and now gluten free as well! Visit our YouTube page, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @Thindulge and see us on Pinterest!

POTATO SALAD – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

5 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

Salt

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

2 heaping tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained

1/2 cup light salad dressing, (recommended: Miracle Whip Light)

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda with fiber)

Paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Boil cubed potatoes in salted water until they are tender. Drain and cool. In a large bowl add celery, onion, 2 eggs and pickled relish. Add the salad dressing, yellow mustard and sugar and salt, to taste. Stir well. Sprinkle with paprika and salt. Let the potato salad chill in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours or overnight.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I took out one hard boiled egg. The removed egg was just used for garnish. My rule of thumb is you never garnish with fat. If you’re going to put fat in the dish, put it IN the dish, not on it. I garnished the salad with paprika instead.

Also, I used a light salad dressing instead of the regular fat filled variety. You don’t notice a taste difference and if you’re not going to notice the difference, then why throw it in?

Lastly, I used sugar substitute instead of actual sugar to make it that much more healthy.

I hope you enjoy this and it brings you back to the good ol’ days like it did for me!

Sandra Lee’s Waldorf Slaw

One of the new trends in cooking is combining two classic dishes and creating a whole new dish. Rachael Ray has made a career out of it! Sandra Lee takes a waldorf salad and cole slaw and makes a wonderful new dish. They are two delicious dishes, but neither are known for being low in fat. I love both of these, so it really appealed to me. The extra time on the treadmill, however, wasn’t as attractive. I came up with a new recipe to get the same taste with extra time sleeping in, not in the gym.

Unlike your crazy neighbors, we’ve moved! We have a new page Thindulge, where we recreate all your favorite recipes, not just from Food Network, to be guilt free and now gluten free as well! Visit our YouTube page, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @Thindulge and see us on Pinterest!

WALDORF SLAW – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) bag 3-color slaw mix

2 large Granny Smith apples, diced small

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup light or fat free mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing (recommend Miracle Whip Light)

1/3 cup fat free poppy seed dressing

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl combine slaw mix, diced apples, and chopped walnuts; set aside.

In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise and poppy seed dressing. Pour dressing over slaw mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Here’s the skinny:

I substituted light/fat free for regular mayo. I like to use Miracle Whip Light. It adds an extra tang to the slaw and it is also virtually fat free.

I also substituted fat free poppy seed dressing. I searched for a light alternative to regular poppy seed dressing. In the specialty dressing section, I found light and fat free versions of the dressing. I was a little nervous it would be low on taste, but it was actually really good! I recommend giving it a shot!

 

Paula Deen’s Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is an American summer classic. And coming from Paula Deen, you know it’s not gonna get much better than that. But you also know, coming from Paula Deen, it’s not gonna get much more fattening than that, either. It is delicious and traditional – what you look for when you’re looking to go back to the simpler days before everything was fusion and uber-creative. But back then, people didn’t know about low-fat cooking, either. I took the recipe and made a version you can be comfortable eating while in your bikini.

Unlike your crazy neighbors, we’ve moved! We have a new page Thindulge, where we recreate all your favorite recipes, not just from Food Network, to be guilt free and now gluten free as well! Visit our YouTube page, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @Thindulge and see us on Pinterest!

MACARONI SALAD – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, 2 yolks removed
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped pimento
1 cup fat free mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
DIRECTIONS

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and put into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Here’s the skinny:

I used whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. You get so much more protein from whole wheat pasta. In regular pasta, all the goodness from the grains are bleached out, leaving you with the bodily equivalent of white sugar. By using whole wheat pasta, you not only get a great source of protein and fiber, but you take away the bleached carbs your body can’t process easily.

Egg yolks harbor all the cholesterol and fat of an egg, while the egg white holds the protein. By removing two of the yolks, you are taking away the bulk of the fat and cholesterol. Leave one yolk in there. It gives great flavor and one egg throughout the entire salad won’t make a huge difference. Three eggs will make a big difference, however.

I used fat free mayo as well. There is no need to clog your arteries when there is a perfectly good fat free substitute on the shelves. You can’t taste the difference at all, but your belt will appreciate not having to have another hole punched into it.