Yakinasu, atsuage to ebi no raisunuudoru sarada / rice noodles with grilled eggplant, deep-fried tofu and shrimp salad

The sweet and sour flavor of a spicy dressing or dipping sauce is a big appeal in warm or hot weather. While grilled eggplant, atsuage deep-fried tofu and shrimp make a great salad individually or in combination, pairing them with rice noodles makes a quick, filling meal. Grill eggplant and atsuage until slightly burnt for a stronger aroma! This is something similar to what I used to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, years ago.

1/2 of recipe:
473 calories; 21.8 g protein; 15.2 g fat; 62.5 g carbohydrate; 57.3 g net carbs; 439 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 5.2 g fiber; 636 mg potassium

Dressing only (including shami dried shrimp solids; 1/2 of recipe):
25 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0 (0.08) g fat; 4.5 g carbohydrate; 4.2 g net carbs; 375 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber; 49 mg potassium

Furaido onion / onion chippu / fried oinion

A handy, toasty and crunchy topping or deep-tasting ingredient for lots of Southeast Asian dishes and more. While widely available at Asian grocery stores, it is very easy to make at home under the sun or in the oven using remaining heat after cooking other dishes. Being homemade translates into flexibility -- using minimum oil and no additional salt in this case. Shallots and garlic can be prepared in the same way.

Whole recipe (21 g):
97 calories; 2.1 g protein; 2.2 g fat; 18.7 g carbohydrate; 15.3 g net carbs; 4 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 3.4 g fiber; 318 mg potassium

Iri-kuromame gohan / steamed rice with toasted black soybeans

When something crunchy is wanted in steamed rice, how about toasted kuromame black soybeans? Kuromame's dark skin also adds nice color to the rice. Its deeper flavor than regular daizu soybeans is another benefit, ensuring tasty results without seasoning. I mix in some mochigome sweet rice, partly because the uruchimai regular rice I use is medium grain. If you use short-grain regular rice, which is more glutenous than medium-grain regular rice, adding mochigome is optional.

1/3 of recipe:
221 calories; 6.5 g protein; 2.3 g fat; 41.8 g carbohydrate; 39.9 g net carbs; 0 (0.4) mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber; 226 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe:
331 calories; 9.7 g protein; 3.4 g fat; 62.7 g carbohydrate; 59.9 g net carbs; 1 (0.6) mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.8 g fiber; 338 mg potassium

Fuki to satsumaage no nimono / Japanese butterbur and deep-fried fishcakes in broth

This is a reduced-sodium version of previously posted fuki to kamaboko no nimono (Japanese butterbur and fishcakes in broth). The process is pretty much the same, other than soaking fishcakes in boiling water to desalinate them in advance. Seasonings are tweaked a bit -- sweet elements (sake and mirin) and the salty ingredient (soy sauce) are both reduced while adding a tiny amount of rice vinegar. The result? It is just as tasty as the older version.

1/2 of recipe:
68 calories; 5.2 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 7.2 g carbohydrate; 6.6 g net carbs; 99 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 0.6 g fiber; 189 mg potassium

Sansai tanuki soba / buckwheat noodles with mountain vegetables and tempura pearls

As a noodle topping, sansai mountain vegetables alone give a refreshing taste but could be a bit too light. Tenkasu tempura pearls add a rich note but could lack texture. They soak up the soup, which could also mean you get more sodium than desired. Combining these two ingredients while reducing the volume of each is one delicious solution. Sliced young myoga stems offer a clean aroma and taste.

For the recipe below, usukuchi pale soy sauce and regular dark soy sauce, not reduced-sodium soy sauce, are used for the soup to achieve stronger umami. Dried enoki mushrooms are also added to enhance the umami effect. The strong soup means more satisfaction with a smaller amount compared to a weaker soup, and this naturally makes us refrain from taking extra sips, preventing excess sodium consumption. This works especially well with unflavored toppings or toppings that contain lots of moisture.

1/2 of recipe: 
425 calories; 17.7 g protein; 3.6 g fat; 78.6 g carbohydrate; 8.4 g net carbs; 479 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 7.2 g fiber; 371 mg potassium

Koyadofu to warabi no misoshiru / miso soup with freeze-dried tofu and bracken

Spongy rehydrated freeze-dried tofu absorbs the delicious flavor medley of the soup, which is released into your mouth as you bite or chew pieces of koyadofu. Its resilient texture contrasts well with succulent warabi bracken. Pale young stems of myoga are sliced for an invigorating garnish for this low-key miso soup.

1/2 of recipe:
64 calories; 5.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 2.9 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 181 mg potassium