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

Gomoku ankake udon / wheat noodles with thickened soup and assorted ingredients

Udon often is mentioned as a good choice when feeling unwell. When made with hot, thickened soup, it warms your body from inside. Noodles and warm soup alone is the basic foundation. Ginger -- either grated, finely julienned or only the squeezed juice -- intensifies the warming effect while adding a zesty note and aroma to your soup. Select and cook goodies according to your appetite and condition. While everything is simmered in broth starting with the toughest item below, goodies can be grilled or fried and added to the soup for those who want more texture. This is also a nice dish for chilly days.

The broth's sodium content is on the low end (0.7%), and partly because of the amount of vegetables and mushrooms, it might be too weak for those who have not been on a reduced sodium diet. Adjust the taste to your preferred level at the end.

1/2 of recipe (with virtually sodium-free homemade udon noodles):
480 calories; 22.0 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 87.0 g carbohydrate; 82.9 g net carbs; 651 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium regular soy sauce and shiokoji salted rice malt); 72 mg cholesterol; 4.1 g fiber

Ebi to kabu no misoshiru / miso soup with shrimp and Japanese turnip

This very gentle yet full-flavored miso soup features our local coon shrimp -- baby-size botan ebi spot shrimp -- and kabu turnip. Sweet Saikyo white miso is used for maximum tenderness, which is countered by the nostril-clearing sensation of karashi mustard.

1/2 of recipe:
73 calories; 8.2 g protein; 1.0 g fat; 4.8 g carbohydrate; 3.5 g net carbs; 338 mg sodium; 46 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber; 287 mg potassium

Yakinasu, atsuage to ebi no raisunuudoru sarada / rice noodles with grilled eggplant, deep-fried tofu and shrimp salad

The sweet and sour flavor of a spicy dressing or dipping sauce is a big appeal in warm or hot weather. While grilled eggplant, atsuage deep-fried tofu and shrimp make a great salad individually or in combination, pairing them with rice noodles makes a quick, filling meal. Grill eggplant and atsuage until slightly burnt for a stronger aroma! This is something similar to what I used to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, years ago.

1/2 of recipe:
473 calories; 21.8 g protein; 15.2 g fat; 62.5 g carbohydrate; 57.3 g net carbs; 439 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 5.2 g fiber; 636 mg potassium

Dressing only (including shami dried shrimp solids; 1/2 of recipe):
25 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0 (0.08) g fat; 4.5 g carbohydrate; 4.2 g net carbs; 375 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber; 49 mg potassium

Renkon no ebi-hasami-yaki, gin-an-gake / sauteed lotus root with shrimp, with pale thickened dashi sauce

Plump shrimp sandwiched between somewhat crunchy lotus root slices, served with slightly salty thickened dashi sauce. Making the shrimp filling (chopping shrimp, mixing with potato starch and egg white) and putting it between lotus root slices may seem complicated at first, but it is easy when you actually try it. The assembled pieces can be kept in the fridge until ready to cook, and sauteing them does not take much time. Below, the pale thickened dashi sauce is made in the microwave for quick preparation as well.

This dish provides soothing comfort on cooler days. As summer approaches here in the Pacific Northwest it is getting a bit too warm for this dish, but we may still have a few nights cool enough to enjoy it ...

1/2 of recipe:
76 calories; 6.9 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 9.4 g carbohydrate; 8.4 g net carbs; 85 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 45 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 289 mg potassium

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

Mineoka-dofu / Mineoka-tofu / milk kudzu pudding

Often made today with cream and sugar as a dessert, this milk pudding originally was improvised as a quasi-tofu dish about 300 years ago when the Shogun, during a visit to the pastures of Mineoka, simply mentioned his desire to eat tofu. Upon hearing the Shogun's words, a cook accompanying the Shogun made the pudding using cow's milk and kudzu found at the pastures. Traditionally, milk is the only dairy ingredient that goes into the pudding; I mixed it with additive-free tonyu soy milk to cut back on sodium in the recipe below. This pudding contains no sweetener, but its milky taste and creamy texture are quite gratifying.      

1 serving (1/4 of Mineoka-dofu recipe, 1/2 of sauce recipe, shrimp & arugula):
113 calories; 5.7 g protein; 5.3 g fat; 10.8 g carbohydrate; 9.9 g net carbs; 105 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Whole recipe of Mineoka-dofu only:
388 calories; 14.4 g protein; 20.6 g fat; 37.8 g carbohydrate; 10.8 g net carbs; 85 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 2.4 g fiber

Ebi no nikogori suigyoza / shrimp shui jiao dumplings

Delightful and tasty dumplings featuring shrimp. I used to use coconut oil as a pork fat substitute, but I could not fully get used to its clingy taste. Other oil or fat seemed to lack something. Then I realized that juiciness does not have to come from fat or oil. For example, with xiao long bao steamed soup buns/dumplings, the juiciness of the filling comes from the soup. Below I applied the technique of making nikogori jelly with the water used to rehydrate dried scallops, and mixed it in with the shrimp filling.

1/2 recipe (dumplings only; yu choy sum on top and dipping sauce not included):
251 calories; 15.0 g protein; 2.1 g fat; 40.3 g carbohydrate; 38.2 g net carbs; 149 mg sodium; 80 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Satsumaimo to ebi no tai reddo karee / Thai red curry noodles with sweet potatoes and shrimp

Once ingredients are prepped or chopped, it takes less than 30 minutes to cook this tasty, warm and filling dish served with noodles of your choice. Shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt and kurozu brown rice vinegar work their magic yet again here to minimize the amount of nampla as well as sodium-loaded red curry paste.

1/2 recipe (curry only, noodles are excluded):
311 calories; 16.2 g protein; 14.7 g fat; 30.0 g carbohydrate; 24.3 g net carbs; 622 mg sodium (with shoyukoji made of 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 99 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber

Tomuyamukun / tom yum goong

Here is the tom yum goong I longed for. I finally was able to make this simple soup that indeed reminds me of what I routinely had from a locally popular Isan restaurant near my apartment in Bangkok. There is no secret. As with any cuisine, all you need is good ingredients. What I learned from my trials and errors over the years is not to add too much of aromatic ingredients and make a good stock.

1/4 of recipe:
111 calories; 14.9 g protein; 2.0 g fat; 10.3 g carbohydrate; 8.1 g net carbs; 427 mg sodium; 93 mg cholesterol; 2.3 g fiber

Fuki to ebi no ohitashi / Japanese butterbur and shrimp marinated in light broth

Colorful coon shrimp (small spot shrimp), a local specialty, paired with fuki Japanese butterbur from our garden. Cooked coon shrimp we bought the other day happened to be inexcusably salty. After wondering if we should just throw them away, I decided to do an experiment, marinating them in lightly seasoned dashi to get rid of excess sodium while flavoring at the same time, a technique that works like magic with smoked salmon. And yes, the rescue effort was a delicious success.

32 calories (1/2 of recipe); 4.8 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 2.0 g carbohydrate; 1.5 g net carbs; 145 mg sodium; 38 mg cholesterol; 0.5 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

Abokado to meshida, ebi no sarada, tonyu no yooguruto-fu doresshingu / avocado, Western lady fern and shrimp salad with soy milk yogurt-style dressing

Juicy, succulent lady fern fiddleheads lighten up the golden combination of avocado and shrimp, with everything held together by a softly spicy and creamy dressing made of soy milk.
Drawing out enough water from soy milk after mixing with apple cider vinegar takes a bit of time, so strain the mixture of soy milk and apple cider vinegar ahead of time -- the rest goes pretty quickly.

Salad with dressing (1/2 of recipe):
148 calories; 8.8 g protein; 10.4 g fat; 6.3 g carbohydrate; 2.3 g net carbs; 55 mg sodium; 38 mg cholesterol; 4.1 g fiber

Dressing only (1/2 of recipe):
46 calories; 2.0 g protein; 3.1 g fat; 1.9 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g net carbs; 14 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber

Mekyabetsu to koebi no kisshu / quiche with brussels sprouts and bay shrimp

A simple quiche with brussels sprouts and bay shrimp. Brussels spouts are sauteed until lightly golden to caramelize them slightly, which highlights their natural sweetness. A gentle and rich combination in a personal-size savory tart.

1/2 of recipe with okara soybean pulp tart crust:
515 calories; 21.1 g protein; 39.4 g fat; 20.0 g carbohydrate; 9.6 g net carbs; 209 mg sodium; 253 mg cholesterol; 10.4 g fiber

Ebi to okura, myoga no kakiage / mixed tempura with shrimp, okra and myoga ginger buds

A summery marriage of salty sweet shrimp, green okra and refreshing myoga ginger buds! Squeeze lemon over for a light, zesty finish. As deep-frying softens the sharp tang of myoga, this can be a good introductory dish for those who have hesitated to try the spicy little vegetable.

1/2 of recipe:
170 calories; 8.2 g protein; 10.5 g fat; 9.3 g carbohydrate; 7.8 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

Fuki to ebi no itamemono / stir-fried Japanese butterbur and shrimp

A light fuki dish with shrimp that tastes gently salty and sweet. A recent hit among dishes I made for bento.

1/2 of recipe:
64 calories; 7.8 g protein; 2.1 g fat; 1.9 g carbohydrate; 1.1 g net carbs; 140 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 179 mg with regular soy sauce); 62 mg cholesterol; 0.8 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

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

Shiifuudo to daizu moyashi no kankoku mushi / haemul jjim / steamed seafood and soybean sprouts Korean style

This is a seafood dish, but with lots and lots and LOTS of soybean sprouts! Despite the red look, it is quite mild. Enjoy this medley of seafood and soybean sprouts together with distinctive greens in season! 

1/4 of recipe:
206 calories; 27.0 g protein; 3.6 g fat; 14.3 g carbohydrate; 6.4 g net carbs; 363 mg sodium (when using shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 172 mg cholesterol; 7.9 g fiber

Caldo de camarones / Mexican shrimp soup

A shrimp soup I enjoyed repeatedly whenever available during a road trip in Mexico years ago. Soupy but very aromatic and satisfying, thanks to the rich broth and numerous dried chili peppers that go into it.

1/2 of recipe:
257 calories; 23.8 g protein; 1.8 g fat; 30.8 g carbohydrate; 23.8 g net carbs; 552 mg sodium; 141 mg cholesterol; 7.0 g fiber