Nagaimo no acharazuke / Chinese yam pickled in spicy sweetened vinegar

By simply adding taka no tsume red chili pepper to sweetened vinegar, you have another standard marinade for pickles. Fresh nagaimo Chinese yam stays relatively crisp in the marinade, and by Day 2 it becomes a bit milder although still offering some crunch and piquant sensation. As the pickle name's origin -- achar -- suggests, it pairs very well with a number of cuisines beyond Japanese dishes.

Whole recipe (nagaimo only):
60 calories; 2.0 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 12.9 g carbohydrate; 12.0 g net carbs; 2.8 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

1/4 of recipe (nagaimo only):
15 calories; 0.5 g protein; 0.07 g fat; 3.2 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 0.7 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber

Marinade whole recipe (with shiokoji, erythritol and stevia):
32 calories; 0.2 g protein; 0.02 g fat; 5.3 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 98 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.02 g fiber

Tsusuna to atsuage no oisutaasoosu itame / stir-fried New Zealand spinach and deep-fried tofu with oyster sauce

A quick stir-fry with tsuruna New Zealand spinach that takes advantage of aromatic oyster sauce to mask the vegetable's slightly earthy taste. Atsuage deep-fried tofu makes this dish somewhat substantial.

1/2 of recipe:
109 calories; 8.3 g protein; 7.0 g fat; 3.1 g carbohydrate; 1.3 g net carbs; 102 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0.04 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber; 256 mg potassium

Mabbuha / matbucha / stewed bell pepper and tomato salad

A bit fruity, sweet, sour and picante with a creamy texture. While it goes with many kinds of dishes, I like pairing it with an eggplant omelet for breakfast.
This is a recent WOW dish for me, and something I make repeatedly to have on hand. Adapted from a recipe by Ta-im, an Israeli restaurant in Tokyo, published in Ryori Tsushin [The Cuisine Press] May 2018 issue.

Whole recipe:
309 calories; 6.4 g protein; 25.0 g fat; 34.5 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 287 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 10.7 g fiber

1/6 recipe:
52 calories; 1.1 g protein; 4.2 g fat; 6.1 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 48 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber

1/8 recipe:
39 calories; 0.8 g protein; 3.1 g fat; 4.6 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 36 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Kabu no shinodamaki / Japanese turnip rolled in thin deep-fried tofu, simmered in broth

Usuage thin deep-fried tofu wrappers absorb the flavor of dashi-based broth and kabu turnip, and each bite fills your mouth with the tasty broth along with the almost creamy texture of kabu. The oil content of usuage, although reduced almost 30% in the prep process, gives this simple combination more than enough richness.

1/4 of recipe (without grilled shishito): 
29 calories; 1.4 g protein; 1.1 g fat; 3.1 g carbohydrate; 2.4 g net carbs; 142 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber