Hiyajiru / steamed barley rice with cold sesame-miso soup with cucumber and grilled fish

Literally called "cold soup," this soupy rice dish is a quick meal for hot days in southern Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture. When I first learned about this dish, the description sounded reminiscent of neko manma [lit. cat rice], where you pour miso soup over steamed rice and shovel it in, and at first I was doubtful: Would this actually taste good? Well, there was nothing to do but to try to figure that out. The mixture of miso and sesame paste is first toasted for a deep rich taste, while cucumber, shiso leaves and ginger contribute to a refreshing aftertaste. When the soup is prepared in the cool of the morning, the rest is quite easy and fast. While cucumber is available all year around nowadays, in oriental medicine it is known for cooling down your body -- a very appropriate vegetable for the dog days of summer.
This is another great choice when having little appetite on hot days!

1/2 of recipe, served with 120 g steamed barley rice:
370 calories; 26.8 g protein; 8.8 g fat; 45.2 g carbohydrate; 40.9 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 4.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe, soup only:
209 calories; 24.0 g protein; 8.3 g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 7.0 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Kyuri to kinshitamago no osuimono / clear soup with Japanese cucumber and julienned egg crepe

A pleasant soup with julienned cucumber and egg crepe that goes well with somewhat heavy, substantial dishes. Kinshitamago below is made by microwaving for easy preparation. Once the cucumber and egg crepe are cut, this soup can be made very fast. Sound good? For the best outcome, make sure to have other dishes nearly ready when you start making this soup so that it can be served hot with vivid green cucumber.

1/2 of recipe:
54 calories; 4.3 g protein; 2.7 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 2.2 g net carbs; 253 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Kyuri to kosai no nanpura-ae / cucumber and cilantro in nam pla dressing

A spicy and refreshing relish-like dish. Let the sugar work for you to reduce the amount of salty nam pla...

1/2 of recipe:
16 calories; 1.0 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 4.1 g carbohydrate; 3.2 g net carbs; 78 mg sodium (with 2/3 tsp nam pla; 116 mg sodium with 1 tsp nam pla); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 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

Hotate no midorizu-ae / sea scallops with cucumber vinegar dressing

A crisp and juicy summer vegetable is transformed into a fresh and mild green dressing. This cucumber dressing works great with various ingredients -- most typically seafood and vegetables, and less commonly meat. Below is an example with sauteed scallops. The soft, burnt aroma of soy sauce and sesame oil adds an interesting layer to this refreshing little dish.

1/2 of recipe:
84 calories; 11.4 g protein; 1.1 g fat; 6.1 g carbohydrate; 5.8 g net carbs; 128 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 157 mg with regular soy sauce); 20 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

Kyuri to kani no shoga-amazu-ae / Japanese cucumber and crab in ginger-flavored sweetened vinegar

Wonderfully light and pleasant on a hot day. This is a different take on an old standby, cucumber sunomono (rice vinegar dressing dish), and takes advantage of softly salty and sweet Dungeness crab in season. It's very easy to make -- just remember to let it sit for a while after mixing everything, as this has a quick pickling effect on cucumber and prevents the dish from tasting bland.

1/2 of recipe:
46 calories; 5.1 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.8 g carbohydrate; 4.9 g net carbs; 113 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Kyuri to nagaimo no shoga-amazu-ae / Japanese cucumber and Chinese yam in ginger-flavored sweetened vinegar

A small, refreshing, pickle-like dish. Ginger gives a spicy punch to the sweetened vinegar dressing.

1/2 of recipe:
25 calories; 0.8 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 4.8 g carbohydrate; 4.2 g net carbs; 21 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.6 g fiber

Nasu to kyuri, myoga no sunomono / Japanese eggplant, cucumber and ginger bud in rice vinegar dressing

A refreshing summer trio! The zesty aroma of a Japanese myoga ginger bud adds a great accent to this sunomono.

Kyuri to hanaho no sunomono / Japanese cucumber and perilla flowers in sweetened rice vinegar

The softly refreshing taste and aroma of pink shiso flowers add a pleasant touch to this standard kyuri dish.

Kyuri to benibana no sunomono / Japanese cucumber and safflower in sweetened rice vinegar

A typical cucumber dish comes to life with the addition of bright safflower petals.

Uzaku / grilled eel and cucumber in light broth with sweetened vinegar

Rich unagi no kabayaki grilled eel becomes a light dish accompanied by cucumber slices. The combination of warm eel and cool cucumber lets you enjoy the rich mouth feel of eel and refreshing cucumber at the same time.

Kyuri to gyuniku no sarada / Japanese cucumber and beef salad

Sweet and spicy, a light salad with beef.

Kyuri no umeae / Japanese cucumber with umeboshi pickled plum

Crisp and juicy cucumbers accentuated with pickled plum.

Temakizushi / hand-rolled sushi

A great, fun party food!
Our typical temakizushi has California roll fillings.

Kyuri no shiomomi, shiso iri / Japanese cucumber instant pickle, with green perilla leaf

A quick, simple cucumber dish.

Kyuri to atsuage no pirikaraae / Japanese cucumber and deep-fried tofu with ginger and spicy soy sauce

Juicy, crispy, and substantial. Ginger stimulates the appetite in hot weather.

109 calories (1/2 of recipe); 7.6 g protein; 7.3 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 1.6 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 235 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Jabara kyuri no pirikarazuke / Japanese cucumber with tobanjan dressing

Fresh and juicy cucumber accentuated with spicy dressing.