Chawanmushi / steamed savory custard

Heavenly soft custard that quickly disappears on your tongue after releasing its umami-packed flavor. When serving only a small number of people, chawanmushi is easy to make in a regular pot or deeper pan with lid. Finishing with a smooth surface and no obvious holes is the sign of extra silky texture; for this, cook at low heat once water starts to bubble and the pot is filled with steam! While all solid ingredients can be immersed in the egg-dashi mixture, shrimp is placed after custard has basically solidified so that it stays on top along with mitsuba leaves and yuzu peel, the aromatic garnishes.

1/2 of recipe:
66 calories; 7.7 g protein; 2.7 g fat; 2.2 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g net carbs; 210 mg sodium; 125 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Horenso to kani, shiitake no shiraae / spinach, crab and shiitake in tofu dressing

A small handful of crabmeat is transformed into a pleasantly light yet complex side dish. Shiitake is slowly roasted to intensify its taste and aroma, while blanched spinach is flavored with a tiny amount of soy sauce and dashi to give just enough underlying taste to ensure its presence as part of the melody of flavors in creamy tofu dressing.

1/2 recipe:
78 calories; 10.3 g protein; 2.8 g fat; 3.8 g carbohydrate; 1.5 g net carbs; 180 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 2.3 g fiber

Shiraae dressing only (1/2 recipe):
33 calories; 2.3 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 2.5 g carbohydrate; 1.5 g net carbs; 75 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.7 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

Tsumire to retasu no nimono / fish dumplings and lettuce simmered in broth

This resembles a nabe hot pot but is cooked in a stronger broth. Soft and fluffy tsumire fish dumplings crumble in your mouth, while lettuce gives some crispiness. As with any item made with surimi ground fish paste, these dumplings by themselves contain a relatively high amount of sodium, but the sodium is released into the broth while simmering, and you can comfortably enjoy the gentle taste tsumire offers -- one of the great advantages of nimono simmered dishes, where the broth is often left behind in the pot or untouched in bowls.

196 calories (1/2 of recipe); 12.6 g protein; 8.2 g fat; 14.6 g carbohydrate; 13.0 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 79 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

Ebi-iri tanuki donburi / shrimp and tempura pearls over steamed rice

At our house, we call this "fake tendon." Tempura pearls perform the wonderful trick of transforming this sober combination into a rich, filling dish. Add the pearls right before the egg to enjoy some crunch in the final dish as below, or add them at the same time as shrimp for mellower results.

1/2 of recipe above when served with 150 g steamed rice:
379 calories; 15.1 g protein; 4.6 g fat; 65.0 g carbohydrate; 63.6 g net carbs; 301 mg sodium (with homemade tempura pearls and 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 497 mg with regular soy sauce); 157 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

Kinoko no sotee sarada / salad with sauteed mushrooms and citrus soy sauce

One of my typical baby leaf salads comes with sauteed mushrooms. Sauteed mushrooms work as a dressing, so cook them on lower heat to get the moisture out for mellower texture. Olive oil goes so well with citrus soy sauce, adding another fruity layer to the overall taste. See notes if you are out of ponzujoyu.

1/2 of recipe:
88 calories; 1.7 g protein; 6.1 g fat; 9.7 g carbohydrate; 125 mg sodium (when made with homemade ponzujoyu using 50% reduced sodium soy sauce; 350+ mg when made with store-bought ponzujoyu); 7 mg cholesterol; 5.6 g fiber

Kinoko to tofu no misoshiru / miso soup with mushrooms and tofu

When a light yet satisfying miso soup is desired, try the deep, aromatic taste of an assortment of mushrooms and awase miso, a mixture of red and white miso. Throw in some soft tofu to make the soup more substantial and a dash of shichimi pepper at the end to enhance the overall aroma.

1/2 of recipe:
67 calories; 6.4 g protein; 2.6 g fat; 7.1 g carbohydrate; 4.0 g net carbs; 242 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber  

Moyashi to satsumaage no itamemono / stir-fried bean sprouts and deep-fried fishcake

A light and satisfying stir-fry featuring crispy bean sprouts. Satsumaage fishcake adds a nice flavor and contrasting texture as do shiitake mushrooms, while nira garlic chives chime in with their punchy taste as egg mellows it down ... The recipe below features soybean sprouts, but mung bean sprouts work great, too. See notes for some tips when using mung bean sprouts.

1/2 of recipe:
120 calories; 9.5 g protein; 6.3 g fat; 6.7 g carbohydrate; 4.2 g net carbs; 152 mg sodium; 113 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

Shiitake to warabi no buriichiizu-yaki / shiitake and bracken with brie cheese

Wow! A great little appetizer that really is something different. Goes well with both Western and Asian dishes.

3 shiitake: 
54 calories; 3.0 g protein; 4.1 g fat; 1.6 g carbohydrate; 0.3 g net carbs; 74 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Shiokoji kinoko / assorted steamed mushrooms with salted rice malt

A handy mushroom topping for a number of dishes, ranging from simple hiyayakko tofu to sautéed fish. This can also be added to vegetable or meat stir-fry as a quick taste and aroma booster. Use several different kinds of mushrooms for the best outcome.

1/6 of recipe (sauteed fish excluded):
27 calories; 1.1 g protein; 2.2 g fat; 2.0 g carbohydrate; 0.7 g net carbs; 37 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 44 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Nira to koebi no chijimi / jijigmae Korean savory pancake with garlic chives and bay shrimp

This simple combination of nira garlic chives and little shrimp is unbeatable. Shiitake mushrooms provide an earthy note.

Whole recipe (when served with kobudashi-diluted dipping sauce made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce):
409 calories per serving; 25.7 g protein; 6.8 g fat; 58.8 g carbohydrate; 54.3 g net carbs; 25 8mg sodium; 309 mg cholesterol; 4.5 g fiber

Tonyu nabe / hot pot with soy milk broth

A somewhat rich hot pot with a very mild aftertaste.

1/2 of recipe:
413 calories; 46.5 g protein; 14.8 g fat; 21.8 g carbohydrate; 15.5 g net carbs; 707 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce for both broth and ponzujoyu; 980 mg with regular soy sauce); 74 mg cholesterol; 6.3 g fiber

Kiriboshi-daikon to itokon iri yasai yakisoba / vegetable fried noodles with julienned dried daikon radish and konnyaku noodles

Packaged yakisoba noodles with seasoning packs are loaded with sodium -- many products have over 1,000mg per serving. Avoiding them is one solution, but there are other things we can do, such as adding noodle-like ingredients to replace part of the noodles in the package and tweaking seasonings. Kiriboshi-daikon julienned dried daikon radish, one of the noodle substitutes here, has a chewy texture and is rich in fiber and full of umami, providing more than a few advantages. Another yakisoba noodle substitute, itokonnyaku noodles, make this dish low in calories.
One pack of noodles and one pack of seasoning make two servings.

1/2 of recipe:
248 calories; 7.3 g protein; 3.7 g fat; 47.8 g carbohydrate; 39.4 g net carbs; 488 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 8.4 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

Dyukuseru / duxelles / minced mushroom saute

Sauteed mushrooms with their concentrated flavor are handy as a filling for rolled meat dishes and a topping for grilled fish as well as an ingredient of omelets, croquettes, savory tarts, soups, and more.

Whole recipe:
145 calories; 7.7 g protein; 5.7 g fat; 17.7 g carbohydrate; 12.0 g net carbs; 15 mg sodium; 14 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber

Sakana to konsai no amazuan / fish and root vegetables with sweet and sour sauce

This is basically a fish version of sweet and sour subuta pork, without onion. As fish requires minimum prep flavoring, both calories and sodium are lower than the pork version, yet it is very filling and quite yummy.

1/2 of recipe:
250 calories; 21.9 g protein; 10.0 g fat; 16.2 g carbohydrate; 13.6 g net carbs; 372 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium soy sauce; 525 mg with regular soy sauce); 64 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Shiitake to tamanegi no misoshiru / miso soup with shiitake mushrooms and onion

The sweetness of onion is a good match for the earthy note of shiitake mushrooms. Another quick miso soup.

Yosenabe / hot pot with assorted ingredients

A very light yet satisfying nabe hot pot served with ponzujoyu citrus-flavored soy sauce. One of the first dishes that comes to our minds when finding fresh fish in winter. Add lots of vegetables to make the broth soft yet deep.

Chirimushi / steamed fish, tofu, vegetables and mushrooms, with citrus-flavored soy sauce

A very light main dish with white fish, tofu and vegetables served with ponzujoyu citrus-flavored soy sauce. Great when you want something gentle that has a refreshing taste.

Saishin to kani, shiitake, tamago no itamemono / yu choy sum, crabmeat, shiitake mushrooms and egg saute

A simple vegetable saute seasoned with salt, pepper and aromatic soy sauce. Shiitake adds an earthy note, the egg deepens the taste, and the crabmeat provides an extra boost.