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

Taiwan-fu tamago kureepu / dan bing / Taiwanese egg crepes

Found both on the street and at specialty takeout & eat-in eateries, egg crepes with various fillings are one of the many breakfast choices in Taiwan. Dan bing with ham was my usual choice at an eatery near my work. The crepes presented here are adapted from a Japanese translation of a Taiwanese cookbook by Zhou Qingyuan (周清源). To lower sodium content, I skip the salt and use cold milk instead of cold water. Below is my current favorite combination with alderwood smoked salmon, a Pacific Northwest specialty, and Thai basil with a note of anise.

Whole recipe (2 dan bing egg crepes with fillings, without dipping sauce):
533 calories; 22.9 g protein; 20.4 g fat; 59.7 g carbohydrate; 56.9 g net carbs; 269 mg sodium; 427 mg cholesterol; 2.8 g fiber

Tofu no hoshi-ebi itame / stir-fried tofu with shami dried shrimp

An easy tofu stir-fry where extra minutes spent sauteing ensure a pleasantly tender outcome. To match and maximize tofu's silky texture, garlic, ginger and shami dried shrimp are slowly sauteed for a gentler aroma, and tofu is allowed to absorb their flavor along with other seasonings. Tasty and comforting.

1/2 of recipe:
73 calories; 7.4 g protein; 3.4 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 2.2 g net carbs; 122 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 20 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Ebi no nikogori suigyoza / shrimp shui jiao dumplings

Delightful and tasty dumplings featuring shrimp. I used to use coconut oil as a pork fat substitute, but I could not fully get used to its clingy taste. Other oil or fat seemed to lack something. Then I realized that juiciness does not have to come from fat or oil. For example, with xiao long bao steamed soup buns/dumplings, the juiciness of the filling comes from the soup. Below I applied the technique of making nikogori jelly with the water used to rehydrate dried scallops, and mixed it in with the shrimp filling.

1/2 recipe (dumplings only; yu choy sum on top and dipping sauce not included):
251 calories; 15.0 g protein; 2.1 g fat; 40.3 g carbohydrate; 38.2 g net carbs; 149 mg sodium; 80 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Shirunashi tantan men / dan dan mian noodles

Yummy dan dan noodles featuring okara-konnyaku bits and Chinese-flavored green olives. The numbing spiciness of hua jiao Sichuan peppercorns is intriguing in this dish. One of the big hits in our kitchen this year.
Use fewer noodles if adding more vegetables or other unflavored goodies, as the amount of sauce is on the low end below.

1/2 of recipe:
523 calories; 14.2 g protein; 16.2 g fat; 81.6 g carbohydrate; 75.6 g net carbs; 497 mg sodium (with lower sodium seasonings); 0.2 mg cholesterol; 6.0 g fiber

1/2 of recipe without noodles:
177 calories; 4.2 g protein; 14.2 g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 5.6 g net carbs; 439 mg sodium (with lower sodium seasonings); 0.2 mg cholesterol; 4.0 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.

Tosho chaamen / dao xiao chao mian / fried hand-shaven noodles

A cheater version of hand-shaven noodles made with a peeler, and stir fried with an assortment of goodies. Noodle dough is basically the same as teuchi udon handmade wheat noodles but uses less water, which makes the dough prep a bit more time consuming (dry and wet ingredients need to rest together longer before kneading). Less water in turn ensures easy shaving and cooking at the end. While any goodie works great in this noodle dish, dried shiitake mushrooms with their deep flavor and aroma function like underlying seasoning to bind everything together. Very tasty and satisfying.

1/2 recipe: 
596 calories; 26.6 g protein; 15.0 g fat; 85.8 g carbohydrate; 73.1 g net carbs; 595 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce and shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 226 mg cholesterol; 6.1 g fiber

Zukkiini no shami-itameni / braized zucchini with dried shrimp

Very aromatic and flavorful, shami dried shrimp instantly transform a simple saute. Soaking shami in water ahead of time as below ensures that zucchini is softly and thoroughly seasoned. If you don't have time to soak or want to enjoy the contrast between tender zucchini and crunchy shami, they can simply be chopped and sauteed. The dish is equally tasty either way. Great with plain steamed rice, and can be served as one of starter dishes with drinks.

1/2 of recipe:
34 calories; 3.7 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 2.7 g carbohydrate; 1.6 g net carbs; 132 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 24 mg cholesterol; 1.1 g fiber

Horenso no shami-ae / spinach with dried shrimp dressing

A light spinach side dish with a Chinese twist. Make sure to soak shami -- little salted dried shrimp -- long enough in water to get maximum flavor for the dressing.

1/2 of recipe: 25 calories; 2.4 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 2.4 g carbohydrate; 0.4 g net carbs; 75 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 8 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Asupara no kani-ankake / asparagus with thickened crab sauce

Another dish that appears at our table when asparagus season rolls around. The sweet note of juicy asparagus is a natural match with Dungeness crab. This quick, easy and delicious Chinese-style ankake (dish with thickened sauce) is a surefire hit.

79 calories (1/2 of recipe); 8.0 g protein; 2.5 g fat; 6.3 g carbohydrate; 4.6 g net carbs; 189 mg sodium; 20 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Koebi no mabodofu / mapo tofu with bay shrimp

Very tasty. One of my favorite Chinese dishes from our kitchen, now made to be sodium savvy by tweaking seasoning in the original recipe -- replacing sake with Shaoxing wine, black bean paste with black beans themselves, partially replacing soy sauce with shoyukoji as well as tobanjan with red chili pepper, and adding kurozu brown rice vinegar. While this features bay shrimp, it is also good with ground or finely chopped pork or a combination of pork and beef.

1/4 of recipe:
174 calories; 12.8 g protein; 7.3 g fat; 12.6 g carbohydrate; 11.6 g net carbs; 351 mg sodium (when using 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce and shoyukoji made of reduced-sodium soy sauce); 44 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Ebi to kyuri no itamemono / stir-fried shrimp and Japanese cucumber

Tasty and light. The plump shrimp in this quick stir-fry are a big plus. Great as part of a meal and bento, or with drinks. Cook cucumber on high heat for a crispy finish!

1/2 of recipe:
102 calories; 10.7 g protein; 3.3 g fat; 6.3 g carbohydrate; 5.5 g net carbs; 188 mg sodium (when using shoyukoji made of 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 78 mg cholesterol; 0.8 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

Tomato to asupara, tamago no itamemono, XO-jan soosu gake / fried tomato, asparagus and egg with XO sauce

This is one of the asparagus dishes that comes to mind when I see the vegetable start to appear at grocery stores in spring. An easy Chinese-style dish that pleases both your eye and palate.

1/2 of recipe:
122 calories; 5.7 g protein; 8.2 g fat; 7.9 g carbohydrate; 6.2 g net carbs; 153 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers

A light nitsuke simmered dish with a Chinese twist. Sichuan peppercorns impart a gentle, tingling sensation. As fish by itself is a bit lonesome, a couple of vegetables and mushrooms are added to complement each other. 

1/2 of recipe:
114 calories; 17.1 g protein; 0.7 g fat; 10.5 g carbohydrate; 7.3 g net carbs; 196 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 235 mg with regular soy sauce); 46 mg cholesterol; 3.2 g fiber

Ebi to harusame no itamemono / stir-fried prawns and mung bean vermicelli

A tasty and filling stir fry for a hungry stomach. The flavor is light yet satisfying, making this a great companion for plain rice or drinks. The amount below is a bit too much for two, so there is plenty left over for a perfect bento item the next day.

1/3 of recipe:
193 calories; 11.1 g protein; 17.3 g fat; 18.7 g carbohydrate; 17.8 g net carbs; 280 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 331 mg with regular soy sauce); 131 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Koebi to tofu no mabo harusame / mapo bean vermicelli with bay shrimp and tofu (milder version)

This is a reduced-sodium version of the original koebi to tofu no mabo harusame recipe of October 2011. By cutting back on soy sauce, partially replacing tobanjan chili bean paste with taka no tsume red chili peppers and using Shaoxing wine and kurozu brown rice vinegar, this is milder and lighter while still being aromatic and clearly spicy. Some simple techniques are involved to bring out the most of the seasonings below.

1/2 of recipe:
298 calories; 17.7 g protein; 11.6 g fat; 28.1 g carbohydrate; 26.8 g net carbs; 430 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 697 mg with regular soy sauce); 75 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Negi to shoga no ae-men / oyster sauce flavored Chinese noodles with green onions and ginger

So simple and tasty! The combination of green onions and ginger is pungent and fresh, and provides a great contrast to the deep taste of oyster sauce. The sauce can be made with oyster sauce and water only; in the recipe below, I used chicken stock and a few other ingredients to control the sodium and give extra umami. One of my favorite lunch noodles.

Whole recipe:
303 calories; 11.5 g protein; 6.0 g fat; 50.9 g carbohydrate; 47.8 g net carbs; 556 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber

Harusame to chingensai no itameni / saute-simmered mung bean vermicelli and baby bok choy

This is a reduced-sodium version of harusame to komatsuna no itameni (saute-simmered mung bean vermicelli and komatsuna) with a different vegetable. While I cut back on both oyster sauce and tobanjan chili bean paste, I added taka no tsume red chili pepper, Shaoxing wine and a small amount of shiokoji salted rice malt to achieve the right spiciness, saltiness and umami. It’s as tasty as the original recipe!

1/3 of recipe:
95 calories; 1.7 g protein; 1.7 g fat; 17.9 g carbohydrate; 15.4 g net carbs; 329 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber