Daikon to ika no misoni / daikon radish and calamari simmered in miso-flavored broth

The humble daikon takes on the flavor of calamari, becoming something gentle yet deeply aromatic. This is my mom's kind of dish, which I grow to like as I get older. While miso paste typically is the only main seasoning, modifying the dish to reduce sodium content by partially replacing miso with sakekasu sake lees, kurozu brown rice vinegar and shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt successfully results in a pleasantly mild flavor that lets you unwind after a busy day. If a bit of extra flavor is wanted, add grated ginger for a zesty punch or taka no tsume red chili pepper for picante heat.

1/2 of recipe:
125 calories; 12.2 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 11.4 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 163 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Seiyo meshida to ebi no tosazu-oroshi-ae / lady fern fiddleheads and shrimp in bonito flake infused vinegar dressing with grated daikon radish

Grated daikon radish adds a slightly spicy, refreshing note to the dressing. Aside from taste, since daikon's digestive enzymes work best when uncooked, adding grated daikon makes the dish a nice companion for something cooked with oil.

1/2 of recipe: 
54 calories; 8.8 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 3.9 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 150 mg sodium (with usukuchi pale soy sauce with standard sodium content and 50% reduced-sodium koikuchi regular soy sauce); 65 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber; 215 mg potassium

Furofuki daikon / soft simmered daikon radish with sweet miso sauce

One of the standard cold-season daikon dishes that is very simple to make -- simmering is all it needs. Daikon is simmered until it is very soft, soft enough that one chopstick sinks to the center as you cut with the other. Typically served with aromatic miso-based sauce for a delightful experience. Below is an example served with yuzu miso citrus sauce.

1/2 of recipe:
35 calories; 0.9 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 7.2 g carbohydrate; 5.4 g net carbs; 111 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber

Suigyoza no chige-fu nabe / jjigae-style hotpot with shui jiao dumplings

A spicy red hotpot for chilly days, very filling yet gentle on your stomach. Have lots of fresh lemon wedges ready -- they will work some amazing magic at the end.
As with any nabe hotpot, any ingredients in the fridge or on the kitchen counter can go in. Explore with what you have, and find your favorite combinations.

1/2 of recipe (when taking a few sips of broth): 
436 calories; 25.8 g protein; 10.2 g fat; 58.2 g carbohydrate; 47.2 g net carbs; 366 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 38 mg cholesterol; 11.0 g fiber

Kinkan namasu / daikon radish and kumquat pickled in sweetened vinegar

This contrasting combination of sweet, faintly bitter kumquat and spicy daikon radish makes a juicy, refreshing side dish that goes well with any dish of any cuisine! Just one thing to remember: It tastes bland immediately after putting everything together, so prepare it several hours ahead of time or a day in advance.

23 calories (1/3 of recipe); 0.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 7.7 g carbohydrate; 3.7 g net carbs; 58 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

17 calories (1/4 of recipe); 0.3 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 5.8 g carbohydrate; 2.8 g net carbs; 44 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Karifurawaa to satoimo, daikon, seri no surinagashi / cauliflower, baby taro root and daikon radish white miso potage soup with water dropwort

A soothing Japanese-style potage soup featuring in-season white vegetables. Seri's soft bitterness and refreshing aroma provide a contrasting accent.

50 calories (1/2 of recipe); 2.9 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 9.0 g carbohydrate; 6.7 g net carbs; 194 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.3 g fiber

Oden (genen) / fishcake, tofu and root vegetable stew (reduced-sodium version)

An unbeatable comfort food in cold seasons! The original version had the major drawback of being loaded with sodium, but the dish is finally ready to be re-introduced at our table. Major differences are making the dashi stronger by additionally using niboshi young dried sardines for a powerful base, reducing the amount of sake, desalinating fishcakes, using reduced-sodium soy sauce, and partially replacing soy sauce with rice vinegar as well as substituting shiokoji salted rice malt for some salt. Each change may be minor, but the outcome is surprisingly low in sodium and of course very tasty!

535 calories (1/4 of recipe); 34.4 g protein; 28.7 g fat; 38.9g carbohydrate; 31.4 g net carbs; 282 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 286 mg cholesterol; 7.5 g fiber

Shungiku to ringo no mizore-ae / garland chrysanthemum and apple with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar

The slightly bitter taste of shungiku garland chrysanthemum compliments sweet and juicy apple. Grated daikon with sweetened vinegar provides a refreshing blanket. The pleasant aftertaste really stands out when paired with dishes prepared with oil.

1/2 of recipe:
39 calories; 0.6 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 9.5 g carbohydrate; 8.0 g net carbs; 41 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

Daikon no shiso-amazu-ae / daikon radish with sweetened perilla-infused vinegar

Very light and pleasant. This dish takes full advantage of the pretty color and refreshing taste and aroma of perilla-infused vinegar, making it a nice refresher between strong-flavored food. Allow enough time to draw out excess water from daikon slices and again for the slices to sufficiently take on the taste of dressing after mixing.

1/2 of recipe: 
24 calories; 0.6 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 5.4 g carbohydrate; 3.9 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

1/3 of recipe: 
16 calories; 0.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 3.6 g carbohydrate; 2.6 g net carbs; 29 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Kuzukiri to daikon, kani no sarada / kudzu arrowroot starch noodle, daikon radish and crabmeat salad, with citrus-flavored soy sauce dressing

Cold, clear kudzu noodles have a pleasant slippery and chewy texture. The soft spiciness of fresh julienned daikon radish adds a refreshing punch, while local Dungeness crab works as an accent in the dish. Versatile citrus-flavored soy sauce dressing ties everything together.

1/2 of recipe:
100 calories; 5.6 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 15.8 g carbohydrate; 15.5 g net carbs; 198 mg sodium (with ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 20 mg cholesterol; 0.5 g fiber

Tomato no amazu oroshi-ae / tomato with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar

Refreshing and pleasant for both eye and palette. Select a ripe tomato for the best results. Great when paired with a grilled or fried dish.

1/2 of recipe:
23 calories; 0.5 g protein; 0 g fat; 5.2 g carbohydrate; 4.2 g net carbs; 33 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber 

Itokoni / root vegetables and azuki beans simmered in broth

While itokoni is not very different from my usual root vegetables miso soup, it does offer something new -- azuki beans. Itokoni made with root vegetables, konnyaku yam cake and usuage thin deep-fried tofu or atsuage deep-fried tofu is a regional dish from Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata prefectures. My aunt who lives in Namerikawa in Toyama brought us a pot of itokoni one day in late fall, and that was when I first discovered the magic of azuki beans, which make an ordinary soup slightly starchy and subtly mellow. As a young child, I did not really like soy sauce- or miso-tinted brownish simmered dishes; they all looked so unappealing and almost discouraging to eat, but Auntie Namerikawa's itokoni really grabbed my heart, and I begged her to bring us itokoni again and again. The recipe below tastes just like her itokoni.

1/2 of recipe:
141 calories; 7.7 g protein; 2.7 g fat; 21.6 g carbohydrate; 12.9 g net carbs; 238 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 300+ mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 8.7 g fiber

Daikon no shiso soosu-ae / daikon radish salad with green perilla dressing

A quick salad with fresh daikon radish. Pink perilla flowers pleasantly accentuate the taste and aroma.

1/2 of recipe:
23 calories; 0.4 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 2.5 g carbohydrate; 1.7 g net carbs; 48 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Warabi to ebi no kakiage / mixed tempura with bracken and shrimp

As with any ingredient in season, bracken makes great tempura. Here is a wonderful combination with shrimp.

2 kakiage + tentsuyu*: 
218 calories; 4.8 g protein; 17.4 g fat; 9.2 g carbohydrate; 8.2 g net carbs; 108 mg sodium (tentsuyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 184mg with regular soy sauce); 341 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber
*When 1 tbsp is consumed.

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

Konsai no sakekasu misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and sake lees

Hearty, satisfying and warming – and all you have to do is add sakekasu to your everyday miso soup. Aromatic and flavorful, sakekasu also lets you use even less miso than my recent low-sodium recipe for miso soup with yogurt.

1/2 of recipe:
50 calories; 2.3 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 9.0 g carbohydrate; 6.4 g net carbs; 189 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 234 mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Ebi-shinjo to yasai ribon no nabe / hot pot with prawn-fish dumplings and vegetable ribbons

Vegetable ribbons and fluffy prawn-fish dumplings turn regular nabe hot pot into something special. Put prawn-fish dumplings in the nabe first, as they taste richer as they cook with other ingredients.

1/2 of recipe:
525 calories; 32.5 g protein; 14.8 g fat; 61.5 g carbohydrate; 59.9 g net carbs; 502 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce for both broth and ponzujoyu; 743 mg with regular soy sauce); 179 mg cholesterol; 7.6 g fiber

Daikon, ninjin, age no itameni / daikon radish, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu saute simmered in broth (reduced-sodium version)

Featuring daikon radish, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu, this is a reduced-sodium version of my kind of everyday dish. As making less is one way to cut back on sodium, the recipe below is for half of the original amount, which makes it ideal as a small side dish at the table or as a good portion for bento boxes. Rice vinegar does the trick of leaving a sharp tingling sensation, helping you to forget about there being little salty seasoning.

1/2 of recipe:
57 calories per serving; 1.8 g protein; 2.2 g fat; 6.1 g carbohydrate; 4.5 g net carbs; 98 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 174 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

Hanaho to kobashira no kakiage / mixed tempura with perilla flower spikes and bay scallops

Shiso flower spikes are pretty and tasty! Paired with mildly sweet bay scallops for a delicious duo.

1/2 of recipe:
603 calories; 12.0 g protein; 50.4 g fat; 19.8 g carbohydrate; 18.9 g net carbs; 228 mg sodium (when using tentsuyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 375-411 mg with tentsuyu with regular soy sauce); 35 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Shiozake no oroshi donburi / grilled salted salmon and grated daikon radish on steamed rice

Grated daikon makes everything light and refreshing, and salted salmon is no exception. An easy, very satisfying rice dish. This is originally from a Seattle friend's friend who owns a sushi restaurant.