Yield: 2-3 servings

1 medium beet root, boiled or baked, grated or cut into strips
2 cups sorrel (sour grass) – about one medium bunch, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup cucumber, cut into strips
2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
1/2 cup green onion (scallion), chopped
salt
1 cup Kefir or Buttermilk or drinkable yogurt

Bring to boil 2 cups of spring water, add sorrel, cook until color changed (2-3 minutes), turn heat off. Add beets and lemon juice. Let cool, add chopped and crushed with salt green onion and chopped cucumber. Let chill in fridge couple hours or overnight.

Just before serving add Kefir (shake it well in bottle) and chopped or quarted eggs.

1 serving equals 160 calories

Yield: 1 cup (about 8 oz. ≈ 45 ea)

1/4 medium watermelon, washed
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp. powder sugar

Cut the watermelon into wedges.  Remove the flesh and eat it or set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, peel away the green outer skin. Cut white part of rinds into chunks.

Put rinds into a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes.  A pink-orange foam can float to the surface, discard it. Drain and rinse the rinds.

Combine sugar and water, let dissolve, add rinds, bring to boil, cook 15 minutes, turn heat off and let rinds stay in syrup, covered with kitchen towel, about 8-10 hours. Bring to boil again, cook 15 minutes, turn heat off and let rinds stay another 8-10 hours.  And do it again one more time but add lemon juice and vanilla extract and cook 15 minutes, drain the rinds from the syrup (reserve the syrup for other uses if you want or store candied rinds in syrup).

OR just simmer rinds in syrup 45 minutes. Cooking with long intervals will not let fruits seethe, but make them transparent.

Line a baking sheet with parchment, and sprinkle powder sugar over the parchment.  Add candied rinds into pan, so they do not touch each other and let dry day or two. Low-heated oven or dehydrator can help use too.

1 serving (all rinds and syrup) is about 830 calories

1 piece without syrup is about 12 calories

Yield: 6 servings (2 kabobs each)

1 1/3 lb. ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast)
1/4 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 small beets, grated (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used fat-free)
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
salt and pepper

12 short bamboo skewers, soaked in water 1-2 hours

Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Or use grill skillet.

Place turkey, onion, beets, feta cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Divide mixture into 12 equal parts. Shape each part around 6-inch bamboo skewer, pressing the mixture with your hands to cover half the length of the skewer.

Place kabobs on grill rack. Cover and grill kabobs over medium heat about 7-10 minutes, turning kabobs occasionally to ensure even browning.

1 serving equals 132 calories

Yield:  4 servings

2 large red and yellow bell peppers
1 tbsp. capers
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, divided
2 Japanese eggplant, trimmed and sliced
4 ea. salmon fillets (approx. 5-6 oz. each), bones removed
2 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp. goat cheese
1 tbsp. olive oil

Bake or grill peppers until blackened; cover and let cool. Remove skins and seeds, cut into strips, add capers, garlic, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.

Bake, grill or fry eggplant slices until tender and brown on both sides. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Season the salmon fillets and bake, grill or poach it for ready.

Place spinach on a platter. Add salmon, peppers and eggplant on top. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the eggplant.

Wisk 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and olive oil, pour on salad. Serve warm or cold.

1 serving equals 163 calories