Tanpopo no shiraae / dandelions with tofu dressing

The bitter greens of dandelions paired with the faint sweetness of tofu dressing. Tanpopo dandelions may be your enemy when it comes to lawns, but could become an endless supply of leafy greens ... well, maybe not. Still, let's enjoy the stimulating bitterness of spring and get our share of burgeoning energy.

As the leaves are quite bitter, they are soaked in water for 1-2 hours after boiling for 1-2 minutes, and then coated with oil before mixing with the tofu dressing below.

1/2 of recipe:
84 calories; 4.3 g protein; 5.1 g fat; 6.2 g carbohydrate; 3.7 g net carbs; 90 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber; 183 mg potassium

Satsumaimo no taruto / sweet potato tart

A very easy and delicious tart with satsumaimo sweet potato. One of our favorites for fall, it tastes like a rich sweet potato pudding.

Whole tart:
1,114 calories; 12.6 g protein; 66.4 g fat; 96.2 g carbohydrate; 80.7 g net carbs; 47 mg sodium; 131 mg cholesterol; 10.0 g fiber

1/8 slice:
139 calories; 1.6 g protein; 8.3 g fat; 12.0 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 6 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Ebi to zukkiini no ebimayo-fu / shrimp and zucchini in ebimayo-style sauce

A delightful dish inspired by a popular Chinese-influenced recipe, ebimayo or deep-fried shrimp in mayonnaise sauce. This takes full advantage of light soy milk curd made with apple cider vinegar, softly rich tamago no moto egg yolk emulsion, and fresh tomato. Zucchini and shrimp are sauteed for a quick fix, and mixed with the sauce. Yes, making the soy milk curd and egg yolk emulsion takes extra time, and so does cleaning shrimp with potato starch, but you will not regret it with the pleasant result.

212 calories (1/2 of recipe); 18.0 g protein; 11.9 g fat; 6.7 g carbohydrate; 5.6 g net carbs; 206 mg sodium; 148 mg cholesterol; 1.1 g fiber

Tamago no moto / egg yolk emulsion

This simple mixture of egg yolk and oil is often used to give fluffy texture and impart subtle richness. It also works as a moderate binder. For successful, creamy emulsification, add a small amount of oil to egg yolk at a time and whisk well. Otherwise, the two ingredients end up separating unhappily.

390 calories (whole recipe); 2.5 g protein; 41.0 g fat; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g net carbs; 7 mg sodium; 211 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber

111 calories (1 tbsp); 0.7 g protein; 11.7 g fat; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g net carbs; 2 mg sodium; 60 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber