Kuzushi-dofu no yakumi sarada / tofu salad with condiments

An easy tofu salad featuring the standard toppings for hiyayakko chilled tofu. This is a very quick dish, except for the time to let out the excess moisture from tofu. If you cannot wait, place large chunks of tofu between your palms and gently press.

I used to make this with tonburi, the boiled seeds of hokigi [Bassia scoparia or Kochia scoparia], in Japan. Since it is not available where we live, I use chia seeds below, but they are optional.

1/2 of recipe:
72 calories; 4.9 g protein; 4.2 g fat; 3.6 g carbohydrate; 2.1 g net carbs; 91 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber; 171 mg potassium

Nasu to myoga no misoshiru / miso soup with eggplant and Japanese ginger buds

A summery pairing of eggplant and myoga ginger buds! Eggplant goes really well with miso. In this soup, fresh myoga gives a zesty punch. Eggplant skin tends to become dull when cooked in soup; add eggplant while dashi is vigorously boiling to retain its beautiful purple tone.

1/2 of recipe: 
30 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 3.4 g net carbs; 248 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 1 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Umeboshi (anzuboshi) / pickled plums (pickled apricots)

Salty and sour umeboshi pickled plums are the standard pickles that often sit in the center of plain steamed rice in bento or in the middle of onigiri rice balls. It is, or once was, one of the staples that each family made itself, especially in the countryside. For us, it was one of many things my grandmother made. My mom eventually started to make her own, and at some point she also started to use ripe apricots (but we continued to call them umeboshi). By the time I was graduating high school, our umeboshi were all apricots. Many years later, I learned that the apricot idea came from our piano teacher, who had a lovely garden filled with all sorts of ornamental and edible plants.

Anzuboshi pickled apricots are fruitier than umeboshi, but they basically taste the same, and people wouldn't notice the difference unless you tell them.

The amount of salt used as the first step varies from 10% and 20% of fruit weight, which assures years of storage at room temperature or cooler. Using less salt is possible when refrigerated during pickling and storage. Salt content of the recipe below is 8% of apricot/plum weight, an easy starting point for a reduced-sodium version. Alcohol (vodka) and rice vinegar are added as extra protection against mold.


1 anzuboshi (16 g with seed, 12 g without seed):
189 mg sodium/12 g flesh

Shinjo no shiso-hasami-yaki / fried fishcake in perilla leaves

Shinjo or fluffy fishcakes sandwiched by perilla leaves are fried for a crispy outer crust and creamy inside texture.  Both shiso perilla and egoma perilla leaves work great.

1/2 of recipe:  137 calories; 10.0 g protein; 4.3 g fat; 12.1 g carbohydrate; 11.1 g net carbs; 232 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber

Tomorokoshi gohan / steamed rice with corn

Sweet kernels of corn instantly make ordinary rice a summer dish. Julienned green shiso perilla leaves offer a nice counter punch, preventing the rice from becoming too mellow.

1/3 of recipe:
209 calories; 4.0 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 43.5 g carbohydrate; 42.5 g net carbs; 79 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
313 calories; 6.0 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 65.3 g carbohydrate; 63.8 g net carbs; 101 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

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

Fubaagu no shisomaki / small gluten cake burgers wrapped with perilla leaves

Tasty small burgers made with fu gluten cakes, an important source of protein in temple vegan dishes for more than a century! Gobo burdock root and eringi king oyster mushroom add a nice depth to the taste and some crunchiness to the texture, helping to create a mild and light yet quite substantial dish. Make extra or save some for bento lunch the next day. 

1/2 of recipe:
181 calories; 11.6 g protein; 5.9 g fat; 19.6g carbohydrate; 16.5 g net carbs; 204 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 321 mg with regular soy sauce); 107 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber

1/3 of recipe:
121 calories; 7.3 g protein; 3.9 g fat; 15.7 g carbohydrate; 13.6 g net carbs; 136 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 214 mg with regular soy sauce); 71 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Shisozu / perilla-infused vinegar

This bright red purple vinegar also takes on the refreshing aroma of akajiso purple perilla leaves. It imparts a soft pink color and soft shiso aroma when used as a replacement for regular vinegar.

Sodium content: 18 mg per 1 tablespoon

Shiso soosu / green perilla sauce

A wonderful pesto-like sauce that works as a condiment or dressing.

1 tbsp (12 g): 
39 calories; 0.3 g protein; 3.6 g fat; 1.2 g carbohydrate; 0.9 g net carbs; 113 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

Nasu no hisui somen / eggplant jade noodles

Pretty, light-green noodles with a refreshing jelly-like texture. Served with dipping sauce with tomato below for a summery marriage of flavors.

1/2 of recipe (nasu somen noodles with condiments):
69 calories; 1.2 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 16.5 g carbohydrate; 14.1 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 2.4 g fiber

When served with dipping sauce with tomato:
122 calories; 2.7 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 26.1 g carbohydrate; 21.9 g net carbs; 281 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 4.2 g fiber

Hiyayakko / chilled soft tofu with condiments

This simple tofu dish is a favorite of my father. For him, thinly sliced green onion and grated ginger are essential as condiments or toppings, and whatever is available in the garden -- including shiso perilla leaves and myoga Japanese ginger buds -- are sliced up and added in summer.

1/2 of recipe:
89 calories; 8.2 g protein; 4.9 g fat; 2.7 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 94 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 173 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Yakinasu-iri nyumen / warm somen noodles and grilled eggplant in broth

A gentle nyumen -- somen noodles in warm broth – with a creamy texture and the toasty aroma of grilled eggplant. When prepared with fewer somen thin wheat noodles, this can be served as a pleasant side soup (like miso soup that accompanies other dishes).

1/2 of recipe:
414 calories; 18.6 g protein; 2.1 g fat; 79.6 g carbohydrate; 74.7 g net carbs; 555 mg sodium; 43.0 mg cholesterol; 4.9 g fiber

Shiso no mi no shiozuke (aojiso) / salted green perilla fruits

Salted perilla fruits are a flavorful condiment. They are great to eat with steamed rice, onigiri rice balls, hiyayakko tofu, pickle-type vegetable salads, etc. The following is the two-step preparation process that preserves the green color.

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

Akajiso shiroppu, juusu & kakuteru / purple perilla leaf syrup, juice & cocktail

A ruby-colored summer tonic from the garden. Makes a tasty aperitif!

Akajiso no furikake / purple perilla leaf topping for steamed rice

Among a number of furikake toppings for steamed rice, purple perilla leaf furikake is definitely my favorite. It is widely available at stores, but you can make your own. One way is to shade-dry the purple perilla leaves that come with umeboshi pickled plums. My grandma's umeboshi had lots of purple perilla leaves in it, but this is not very common with store-bought umeboshi. The other way is to pickle fresh purple perilla leaves, and dry them in the shade. It takes several days, but you will get pretty red-purple powder & flakes with an intense aroma at the end.

Sakana no sotee, ume-shiso soosu / fish saute with plum-perilla sauce

Softly sour and refreshing umeboshi pickled plum sauce with shiso perilla leaves is a popular choice when the weather turns warm. It brightens the heavy taste of oil used in cooking while stimulating your appetite at those times you do not feel like eating because of heat or fatigue.

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.

Nukuyakko, hanaho to jako no irini-zoe / warm tofu topped with saute-simmered perilla flowers and young dried sardines in broth

Aromatic perilla leaves and flowers make a nice topping for tofu. Young dried sardines add some crunch.

Shirasu to shiso no mazegohan / steamed rice with young dried sardines and perilla leaves

Quick mixed rice with shiso, myoga Japanese ginger buds and toasted white sesame seeds often appeared at our table during summer in Japan. My myoga buds take forever to come up here; therefore, this is a two-ingredient version instead of the golden triple combination.

1/3 of recipe:
182 calories; 3.7 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 38.6 g carbohydrate; 38.3 g net carbs; 49 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
273 calories; 5.6 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 57.9 g carbohydrate; 57.4 g net carbs; 73 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 0.5 g fiber