Abokado to meshida, ebi no sarada, tonyu no yooguruto-fu doresshingu / avocado, Western lady fern and shrimp salad with soy milk yogurt-style dressing

Juicy, succulent lady fern fiddleheads lighten up the golden combination of avocado and shrimp, with everything held together by a softly spicy and creamy dressing made of soy milk.
Drawing out enough water from soy milk after mixing with apple cider vinegar takes a bit of time, so strain the mixture of soy milk and apple cider vinegar ahead of time -- the rest goes pretty quickly.

Salad with dressing (1/2 of recipe):
148 calories; 8.8 g protein; 10.4 g fat; 6.3 g carbohydrate; 2.3 g net carbs; 55 mg sodium; 38 mg cholesterol; 4.1 g fiber

Dressing only (1/2 of recipe):
46 calories; 2.0 g protein; 3.1 g fat; 1.9 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g net carbs; 14 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber

Nitamago / flavored soft-boiled eggs

A popular topping for ramen noodles! These eggs are also tasty on their own, in addition to working well as a topping for other types of noodles or steamed rice and as part of a salad (one of key components or as dressing). The recipe below involves slow flavoring in the fridge, where eggs are ready starting on Day 2 and lasting at least to Day 6.

83 calories (1 egg); 6.6 g protein; 5.3 g fat; 1.4g carbohydrate; 1.2 g net carbs; 115 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce and shoyukoji made of 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 214 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber; 74 mg potassium 

Mitsuba to kumiage-yuba no wasabijoyu-ae / mitsuba and fresh tofu skin dressed with wasabi soy sauce

Wasabijoyu-ae -- dressing the main ingredient in wasabi soy sauce -- is a common way to enjoy either mitsuba or kumiage-yuba on its own. When combining the two, fresh yuba softly envelops refreshing mitsuba in a creamy blanket.

76 calories (1/2 of recipe); 7.0 g protein; 4.1 g fat; 2.4 g carbohydrate; 1.7 g net carbs; 81 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; approximately 170 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber

Meshida to tomato no sarada / lady fern fiddleheads and tomato salad

Enjoy the delicate flavor of succulent lady fern fiddleheads in a simple pairing with tomatoes. Goes well with any cuisine!

50 calories (1/2 of recipe); 2.6 g protein; 2.1 g fat; 6.9 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 15 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.2 g fiber

Warabi no tataki (miso aji) / savory bracken paste (miso version)

An earthy and softly bitter taste with the minty sensation of spring. This simple little dish is treasured by grownups as a companion for their drinks or as a topping for steamed rice. Try this with just-harvested warabi bracken to experience the best taste and aroma of the wild plant.

11 calories (1/2 of recipe); 0.8 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 1.6 g carbohydrate; 0.7 g net carbs; 103 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Sakura daifuku / soft rice cake with cherry blossom bean paste

A seasonal variation of daifuku, a soft rice cake with sweet azuki bean paste inside. While sakura-an -- cherry blossom bean paste -- is usually made with shiroan, salted cherry leaves and red colorant, I mixed in sakura no hana no shiozuke salted cherry blossoms and beet water to shiroan white bean paste to create a softly salty, aromatic filling in sakura-iro pale pink.

104 calories (one cake, 1/4 of recipe); 2.1 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 26.0 g carbohydrate; 24.5 g net carbs; 5 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

Sukuidofu to kumiage-yuba no miso guratan / extra soft tofu and fresh tofu skin gratin with red miso

This creation is inspired by a little savory gratin we shared at an upscale izakaya pub in Osaka last winter. Red miso's rich complexity binds and highlights all the mild key players -- extra soft tofu, fresh yuba, bechamel sauce and fontina cheese. A combination of lemon zest and yuzu citron juice offers a fresh note and lightens the overall taste. Below, bechamel or white sauce is made in the microwave for simplified preparation.

254 calories (1 ramekin); 15.7 g protein; 16.0 g fat; 10.3 g carbohydrate; 9.5 g net carbs; 181 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Sakura shiokoji gohan / steamed rice with salted cherry blossoms (salted rice malt version)

Sakura shiokoji -- made with the salt used to pickle cherry blossoms -- instantly transforms regular salty-sweet sakura gohan into a sodium-savvy dish with a more subtly salty and milder taste.

1/3 of recipe:
188 calories; 3.1 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 39.8 g carbohydrate; 39.5 g net carbs; 56 mg sodium (when using sakura shiokoji made of kosher salt; excluding pickled cherry blossoms); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
282 calories; 4.7 g protein; 0.7 g fat; 59.7 g carbohydrate; 59.3 g net carbs; 84 mg sodium (when using sakura shiokoji made of kosher salt; excluding pickled cherry blossoms); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Asupara to burokkoriirabu, mini tomato no okaka-ae / asparagus, broccoli raab and cherry tomatoes with bonito flakes

A quick side vegetable dish dressed with bonito flakes. Great next to your main dish or as a filler in a bento box.

22 calories (1/2 of recipe); 2.7 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 3.4 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 52 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; approximately 100 mg with regular soy sauce); 2 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber