Nasu no hisui somen / eggplant jade noodles

Pretty, light-green noodles with a refreshing jelly-like texture. Served with dipping sauce with tomato below for a summery marriage of flavors.

1/2 of recipe (nasu somen noodles with condiments):
69 calories; 1.2 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 16.5 g carbohydrate; 14.1 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 2.4 g fiber

When served with dipping sauce with tomato:
122 calories; 2.7 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 26.1 g carbohydrate; 21.9 g net carbs; 281 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 4.2 g fiber

Somen no tomato-iri tsuketsuyu / dipping sauce with tomato for thin wheat noodles

This dipping sauce takes full advantage of the mighty tomato, which is known for its high umami content among vegetables. Many dipping sauces for noodles contain lots of sodium, and leaving more in the sauce cup naturally results in taking less sodium. But since Tom still likes to taste a bit more of the sauce than is good for him, here is a Tom-friendly variation. You can safely have a big taste of what is left in your sobachoko dipping sauce cup after finishing your noodles.

1/3 of recipe:
53 calories; 1.5 g protein; 0.1g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 7.8 g net carbs; 281 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber  

Kyuri to kani no shoga-amazu-ae / Japanese cucumber and crab in ginger-flavored sweetened vinegar

Wonderfully light and pleasant on a hot day. This is a different take on an old standby, cucumber sunomono (rice vinegar dressing dish), and takes advantage of softly salty and sweet Dungeness crab in season. It's very easy to make -- just remember to let it sit for a while after mixing everything, as this has a quick pickling effect on cucumber and prevents the dish from tasting bland.

1/2 of recipe:
46 calories; 5.1 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.8 g carbohydrate; 4.9 g net carbs; 113 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Caldo de camarones / Mexican shrimp soup

A shrimp soup I enjoyed repeatedly whenever available during a road trip in Mexico years ago. Soupy but very aromatic and satisfying, thanks to the rich broth and numerous dried chili peppers that go into it.

1/2 of recipe:
257 calories; 23.8 g protein; 1.8 g fat; 30.8 g carbohydrate; 23.8 g net carbs; 552 mg sodium; 141 mg cholesterol; 7.0 g fiber

Zukkiini no guriru, howajao doresshingu-gake / grilled zucchini, with Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil and soy sauce dressing

Toasted hua jiao Sichuan peppercorns add a nice tang to the sweet note of grilled zucchini. A great starter or a side dish.

1/4 of recipe:
32 calories; 1.5 g protein; 1.6 g fat; 3.9 g carbohydrate; 2.5 g net carbs; 40 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce, 78 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

Saishin no karashi oisutaasoosu-ae / yu choy sum in Japanese mustard and oyster sauce dressing

This is a reduced-sodium version of chingensai no karashi oisutaasoosu-ae, but with yu choy sum. The pungent aroma of karashi gives a spicy accent to the sweet, rich note of oyster sauce. The combination goes especially well with Chinese greens, especially those with succulent stems. Baby bok choy in the original recipe and yu choy sum in the recipe below are just a few of many good choices of greens. No Chinese greens nearby? Then try broccoli (especially stems), asparagus ... Brussels sprouts are probably a great choice, too.

1/2 of recipe:
32 calories; 2.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 4.9 g carbohydrate; 2.2 g net carbs; 212 mg sodium (when using shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.7 g fiber

Okura no surinagashi / chilled okra soup

A pleasant little green soup for a hot day. It cools you down from the inside as the loose, jelly-textured soup goes down your throat.

1/2 of recipe:
30 calories; 3.1 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 4.1 g carbohydrate; 2.1 g net carbs; 209 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Hayatouri no akadashi / red miso soup with chayote

Juicy chayote with its relatively plain taste makes a great contrast to the strong flavor of akadashi red miso broth.

1/2 of recipe:
31 calories; 2.1 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 4.6 g carbohydrate; 3.6 g net carbs; 245 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber