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

Petoraaru karei no yuanyaki / grilled yuan-marinated petrale sole

This is one of my favorite ways to eat white-fleshed fresh fish. The marinade is a simple mixture of soy sauce, mirin and sake in equal parts, which gives the fish a slightly salty sweet note. It is very good with somewhat fatty or sweet fish as well as sea scallops.

1/2 of recipe (fish only, no condiment included):
112 calories; 19.6 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 7.3 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 210 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 44 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber; 177 mg potassium

Karashina no karashi-bitashi / mustard greens in mustard-flavored light dashi

A simple variation of a standard ohitashi, cooked vegetables marinated in light dashi. Among basic seasonings (soy sauce, salt, sake, mirin) for dashi for ohitashi, only soy sauce is chosen for this recipe to heighten the pungent aroma of karashi mustard.

1/4 of recipe:
16 calories; 1.6 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 1.0 g net carbs; 66 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber; 124 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe:
31 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 133 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber; 249 mg potassium

Kurumafu no katsudon / gluten cake cutlet rice bowl

While normal katsudon features pork cutlets as the main ingredient, this features cutlets made with gluten cakes. As gluten cake cutlets soak up the broth, they become very juicy and take on the texture of fatty meat, but without the actual fat of pork. This dish is filling even when served with a smaller portion of steamed rice, yet it does not overwhelm your stomach and leaves plenty of room to comfortably enjoy other dishes.

It is quick to prepare, if all ingredients are ready, so have other accompanying dishes or soup almost ready before starting to make katsudon, to ensure the optimal serving temperature.

1/2 of recipe (without steamed rice):
302 calories; 13.7 g protein; 17.0 g fat; 20.6 g carbohydrate; 15.1 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.5 g fiber; 413 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 110 g steamed rice [made with 1/3 180-cc cup dry rice]):
386 calories; 15.0 g protein; 17.1 g fat; 39.1 g carbohydrate; 33.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 428 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 170 g steamed rice [made with 1/2 180-cc cup dry rice]):
428 calories; 15.5 g protein; 17.2 g fat; 48.1 g carbohydrate; 42.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 435 mg potassium

Shishito to eringi, myoga no miso-itame / stir-fried shishito peppers, king oyster mushroom and Japanese ginger buds with miso sauce

Crispy shishito and myoga stand out in this small side dish, which offers the punch of red miso against the soft and chewy texture of eringi mushroom. To ensure crispiness of shishito and myoga, cook eringi on relatively high heat to prevent it from letting out moisture and making everything soggy.

1/2 of recipe:
36 calories; 2.0 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 5.7 g carbohydrate; 3.1 g net carbs; 81 mg sodium (with shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber; 252 mg potassium

Kuzushi-dofu no yakumi sarada / tofu salad with condiments

An easy tofu salad featuring the standard toppings for hiyayakko chilled tofu. This is a very quick dish, except for the time to let out the excess moisture from tofu. If you cannot wait, place large chunks of tofu between your palms and gently press.

I used to make this with tonburi, the boiled seeds of hokigi [Bassia scoparia or Kochia scoparia], in Japan. Since it is not available where we live, I use chia seeds below, but they are optional.

1/2 of recipe:
72 calories; 4.9 g protein; 4.2 g fat; 3.6 g carbohydrate; 2.1 g net carbs; 91 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber; 171 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

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

Arugura to biitsu, kurumi no sarada, zakuro doresshingu / arugula, beet and walnut salad, with pomegranate dressing

Nutty arugula paired with toasty walnuts, earthy sweet and juicy baked beets, and sweet yet punchy kumquats. A simple dressing made with pomegranate molasses binds these elements amazingly well.

1/2 of recipe:
162 calories; 3.7 g protein; 12.6 g fat; 14.0 g carbohydrate; 10.0 g net carbs; 66 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.0 g fiber; 497 mg potassium

Abokado to tomato no sotee / sauteed avocado and tomato

When one more filling yet not too heavy dish is wanted, this quick saute with avocado and tomato is a great addition that also offers an invigorating punch thanks to ground black pepper and lemon juice. Better yet, this is virtually sodium free. Select a ripe avocado and a ripe yet still firm tomato for the best contrast in texture.
Adapted from Chinami Hamauchi's ”Enbun 1/2 demo Konna ni Oishii! [Delicious at Half Sodium Content]," in which only avocado is used.

1/2 of recipe:
117 calories; 1.6 g protein; 11.2 g fat; 5.0 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g net carbs; 5 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.2 g fiber; 458 mg potassium

Sakuraba-yaki / grilled fish in cherry leaves

A grilled fish dish for spring. The fish is wrapped with salted cherry leaves for some time before grilling, so that it takes on an aroma that reminds of the season. That said, this would seem awkward outside the cherry blossom season if served as part of Japanese cuisine.

As with many other grilled fish dishes in old-style Japanese cooking, preparation does not use oil, and this works best with very fresh, somewhat fatty white-fleshed fish. Below is an example with lingcod. Lean fish tends to be too dry with this method, but if that is the only kind available, serving with gin-an thickened dashi sauce can be a tasty solution.

Ninjin no shirishiri / stir-fried shredded carrot with eggs

A tasty everyday dish from Okinawa that has been gaining popularity across Japan in recent years. Slowly sauteing carrots with a small amount of oil enhances the sweetness of the vegetable, and eggs add a gentle, rich taste. Among a number of variations, canned tuna is often mentioned as an addition. The recipe below features okara-konnyaku (soybean pulp yam cakes) to make the dish more filling as well as snow peas for color.

1/2 recipe:
115 calories; 6.1 g protein; 5.4 g fat; 11.2 g carbohydrate; 5.1 g net carbs; 128 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-soy sauce and shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 106 mg cholesterol; 6.1 g fiber

Renkon to ginnan no shiokoji kinpira / spicy lotus root and gingko nut saute

A quick saute of crunchy lotus root slices and chewy gingko nuts. While soy sauce is usually the main seasoning in salty, sweet and spicy kinpira saute, using salt or shiokoji salted rice malt helps to retain the color of ingredients and brings out the taste of ginkgo nuts.

1/2 recipe:
96 calories; 2.1 g protein; 2.5 g fat; 16.1 g carbohydrate; 14.2 g net carbs; 105 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber

Okara-konnyaku no nikumiso-fu soboro to iritamago no gohan / steamed rice topped with sweet & salty fried soybean pulp yam cakes and scrambled egg

Here is an example of how to use my meaty meatless okara-konnyaku bits. Just like other strong flavored items, these bits cooked with dried shiitake and gobo burdock root make a great topping for steamed rice. Oil-free scrambled egg with dashi offers a mild balance, with green onion slices accentuating the dish with a softly spicy note.

1/2 recipe without rice:
60 calories; 4.0 g protein; 3.5 g fat; 3.2 g carbohydrate; 1.6 g net carbs; 104 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

1/2 recipe with 110 g steamed rice (approx. 1/3 of steamed rice made with 180 cc/150 g dry rice):
239 calories; 7.0 g protein; 3.9 g fat; 42.0 g carbohydrate; 40.1 g net carbs; 104 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber

1/2 recipe with 165 g steamed rice (approx. 1/2 of steamed rice made with 180 cc/150 g dry rice):
328 calories; 8.5 g protein; 4.1 g fat; 61.4 g carbohydrate; 59.4 g net carbs; 104 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Murasaki tamanegi to renkon no amazuzuke / red onion and lotus root in sweetened vinegar

A handy small side dish or condiment to accompany other dishes or in a bento box. Its pleasant color and refreshing taste offer a nice change of pace. While red onion alone would become vivid purplish pink in the vinegar, adding another pale color ingredient -- lotus root in this case -- results in a much softer pink for both ingredients.

Whole recipe (solid ingredients):
111 calories; 2.7 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 29.3 g carbohydrate; 21.8 g net carbs; 46 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 3.9 g fiber

Mukago ginnan gohan / steamed rice with mountain yam aerial tubers and gingko nuts

A great combination of fall harvest -- mukago, small marble-size aerial tubers, and ginnan gingko nuts. Ginkgo nuts' slightly chewy texture and bittersweet taste perfectly compliment the somewhat creamy texture and subtle nutty taste of mukago. To bring out the best of both ingredients, the steamed rice below is flavored with salt (shiokoji salted rice malt). Mochigome sweet rice is also mixed in to enhance the aroma. 

1/2 of recipe:
281 calories; 4.8 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 59.1 g carbohydrate; 59.3 g net carbs; 104 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

1/3 of recipe:
187 calories; 3.2 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 39.4 g carbohydrate; 39.5 g net carbs; 69 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

Guriin oriibu no chuuka-aji / Chinese-flavored green olives

An experiment on simultaneous desalination and flavoring with a Chinese taste. Instead of adding salt to water to draw out the excess sodium of olives, I used shaoxing wine along with a couple of Chinese spices. As hoped, finished olives have very mild saltiness while imparting soft spiciness from Sichuan peppercorns and deep aroma of star anise. They work great as a Chinese pickle substitute.

Benishoga / red pickled ginger

Unlike the bright red of store-bought pickled ginger, benishoga takes on a pinkish hue when made at home in the traditional way. It is as easy as getting rid of the excess moisture of ginger by salting or drying it, and marinating in brine produced by plums during the umeboshi-making process.

Below, shinshoga [new crop ginger] is sun-dried and soaked in the brine of anzuboshi pickled apricots. The finished benishoga offers a combination of flavors: softly salty, sharp, spicy and even fruity.

Whole recipe (56 g solids)
27 calories; 0.8 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 5.9 g carbohydrate; 4.0 g net carbs; 231 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber

Tomato to myoga no ponzujoyu-ae / tomato and Japanese ginger buds in citrus soy sauce

A quick small salad for summer. Ingredients are flavorful reminders of the season and naturally go well together. This can be made rich, strong or light, depending on when and where oil is added.

1/2 of recipe:
21 calories; 0.7 g protein; 0.6 g fat; 4.0 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 14 mg sodium (with homemade ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Nasu to myoga no misoshiru / miso soup with eggplant and Japanese ginger buds

A summery pairing of eggplant and myoga ginger buds! Eggplant goes really well with miso. In this soup, fresh myoga gives a zesty punch. Eggplant skin tends to become dull when cooked in soup; add eggplant while dashi is vigorously boiling to retain its beautiful purple tone.

1/2 of recipe: 
30 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 3.4 g net carbs; 248 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 1 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber