Hijiki no irini, chikuwa-iri / saute-simmered hijiki seaweed with chikuwa fishcakes

A small side dish with mineral-rich hijiki seaweed. This is relatively sweet and strongly flavored without being overly salty.

1/3 of recipe:
49 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 6.7 g carbohydrate; 4.7 g net carbs; 134 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 185 mg with regular soy sauce); 5 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Nerimono no shionuki / desalinating fishcakes

Desalinating fishcakes? What???
I did not know you can desalinate fishcakes until I read Karushio Reshipi [Lightly Salted Recipes], an eye-opening cookbook by the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.
Fishcakes generally contain a high amount of sodium, and I had simply thought that we should limit consumption or avoid them all together.

A simple process of boiling fishcakes for 1-2 minutes and letting them sit in the same water for some time can eliminate most of their sodium.

Tomyo to chikuwa no nibitashi / pea shoots and chikuwa fishcake simmered in light broth

A very quick, warm side dish. The stems of tomyo pea shoots stay crisp even when cooked and make this little dish stand tall. Their texture contrasts well with soft fishcake, which adds a mellow salty taste as you bite in.

Oden / fishcake, tofu and daikon radish stew

With its steam and heavenly aroma wafting up from a large, softly bubbling pot, this dish envelops you in a comforting warmth, and is a mainstay of cold winter months. It is available at specialty restaurants, street stalls and even convenience stores -- and, of course, at home. This is my standard oden as passed down by my mom, with the addition of some techniques adopted from her friend's oden restaurant.

Chikuwa to kinoko no nibitashi / chikuwa fishcakes and mushrooms in broth

An easy dish with a complex, deep flavor from assorted mushrooms.