Tomato to asupara, tamago no itamemono, XO-jan soosu gake / fried tomato, asparagus and egg with XO sauce

This is one of the asparagus dishes that comes to mind when I see the vegetable start to appear at grocery stores in spring. An easy Chinese-style dish that pleases both your eye and palate.

1/2 of recipe:
122 calories; 5.7 g protein; 8.2 g fat; 7.9 g carbohydrate; 6.2 g net carbs; 153 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Nagaimo no mentai poteto sarada / Chinese yam salad with spicy salted pollock roe

Rich mayonnaise turns mashed nagaimo wonderfully creamy while mentaiko adds a soft spiciness.

1/2 of recipe:
130 calories; 4.2 g protein; 5.3 g fat; 16.4 g carbohydrate; 15.0 g net carbs; 79 mg sodium; 36 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers

A light nitsuke simmered dish with a Chinese twist. Sichuan peppercorns impart a gentle, tingling sensation. As fish by itself is a bit lonesome, a couple of vegetables and mushrooms are added to complement each other. 

1/2 of recipe:
114 calories; 17.1 g protein; 0.7 g fat; 10.5 g carbohydrate; 7.3 g net carbs; 196 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 235 mg with regular soy sauce); 46 mg cholesterol; 3.2 g fiber

Sake to hijiki no itameni / salmon saute with hijiki seaweed

A rich dish that combines the deep flavors of salmon and hijiki. A small amount is very satisfying due to the strong flavoring and sauteed salmon. Great with rice and drinks. Also makes a delicious bento item.

1/3 of recipe:
134 calories; 15.3 g protein; 4.0 g fat; 5.6 g carbohydrate; 4.9 g net carbs; 208 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 284 mg with regular soy sauce); 37 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber

Nagaimo-dango to horenso no osumashi / clear soup with Chinese yam dumplings and spinach

The slightly chewy texture of fluffy nagaimo dumplings is just plain fun to eat. Nagaimo and spinach make a great flavor match, which is highlighted by the clear taste of dashi and usukuchi soy sauce.

1/2 of recipe:
72 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 13.7 g carbohydrate; 12.4 g net carbs; 258 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Atsuage, moyashi, saishin no nibitashi / deep-fried tofu, mung bean sprouts and yu choy sum simmered in light broth

When moyashi alone is paired with atsuage, the dish tends to be somewhat bland. Yu choy sum works as a great go-between by adding a cheerful green taste and soft texture, resulting in a dish that has layers of interesting flavors.

1/2 of recipe:
106 calories; 12 g protein; 4.7 g fat; 16.5 g carbohydrate; 15.4 g net carbs;  222 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce, 348 mg with regular soy sauce); 0.6 mg cholesterol; 1.1 g fiber

Gobo to shungiku no misoshiru / miso soup with burdock root and garland chrysanthemum

The distinctive nutty taste of shungiku together with its hint of bitterness and refreshing note match the deep flavor and aroma of gobo burdock root amazingly well. A very satisfying miso soup.

1/2 of recipe:
28 calories; 2.5 g protein; 0.6g fat; 6.2 g carbohydrate; 3.8 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso, 310 mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.4g  fiber

Fu to kobashira no guratan / wheat gluten cake gratin with bay scallops (bechamel sauce version)

A light gratin featuring fluffy fu gluten cakes.

1/2 of recipe (with bechamel sauce made with milk; no additional salt)
326 calories; 20.3 g protein; 15.5 g fat; 26.1 g carbohydrate; 22.9 g net carbs; 286 mg sodium (251 mg sodium when rehydrating fu with soy milk); 62.2 mg cholesterol (52.2 mg sodium when rehydrating fu with soy milk); 3.2 g fiber

1/2 of recipe (with bechamel sauce made with tonyu soy milk, no additional salt)
312 calories; 21.2g  protein; 14.0 g fat; 24.9 g carbohydrate; 20.7 g net carbs; 246 mg sodium (211 mg sodium when rehydrating fu with soy milk); 49.2 mg cholesterol (39.2 mg sodium when rehydrating fu with soy milk); 4.2 g fiber

Koebi to tofu no mabo harusame / mapo bean vermicelli with bay shrimp and tofu (milder version)

This is a reduced-sodium version of the original koebi to tofu no mabo harusame recipe of October 2011. By cutting back on soy sauce, partially replacing tobanjan chili bean paste with taka no tsume red chili peppers and using Shaoxing wine and kurozu brown rice vinegar, this is milder and lighter while still being aromatic and clearly spicy. Some simple techniques are involved to bring out the most of the seasonings below.

1/2 of recipe:
298 calories; 17.7 g protein; 11.6 g fat; 28.1 g carbohydrate; 26.8 g net carbs; 430 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 697 mg with regular soy sauce); 75 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Kani to mibuna no mazegohan / steamed rice with crab and mibuna mustard greens

A common winter-season duo of crab and mibuna mustard greens is mixed in steamed rice. The hidden flavor of a piece of kombu kelp and sake, which are added when cooking rice, tops off the overall combination.

1/3 of recipe:
197 calories per serving; 7.1 g protein; 0.6 g fat; 37.9 g carbohydrate; 37.3 g net carbs; 137 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 0.6 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
295 calories per serving; 10.7 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 56.9 g carbohydrate; 56.0 g net carbs; 205 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Hijiki no irini, chikuwa-iri / saute-simmered hijiki seaweed with chikuwa fishcakes

A small side dish with mineral-rich hijiki seaweed. This is relatively sweet and strongly flavored without being overly salty.

1/3 of recipe:
49 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 6.7 g carbohydrate; 4.7 g net carbs; 134 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 185 mg with regular soy sauce); 5 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Mushiyasai no karashi-gomazu-dare / steamed vegetables with mustard sesame vinegar sauce

This spicy and nutty sauce is great with any vegetable. Tom likes to use it in a number of ways, including as a condiment for sausages and as a replacement for Western mustard on sandwiches.

1/4 of recipe  (sauce only): 
18 calories; 0.7 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 0.9 g carbohydrate; 0.7 g net carbs; 41 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 80 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 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

Kiriboshi-daikon to saishin no misoshiru / miso soup with dried julienned daikon radish and yu choy sum

Kiriboshi-daikon is another ingredient packed with umami. It instantly adds a soft and deep taste to miso soup. Niboshi dashi--stock made with young dried sardines—provides the punch to counter kiriboshi-daikon's sweet note. Below I used iriko (tiny niboshi), as I was out of regular niboshi.

1/2 of recipe:
37 calories; 2.2 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 6.3 g carbohydrate; 3.8 g net carbs; 235 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 351 mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

Kani to horenso no tomato kuriimu pasuta / pasta with crab and spinach tomato cream sauce

Vodka and lemon zest and juice really perk up this quick tomato cream sauce! Adapted from Pike Place Market Cookbook, it tastes especially good with flat pasta.

1/2 of recipe:
481 calories; 24.0 g protein; 14.0 g fat; 61.2 g carbohydrate; 56.8 g net carbs; 361 mg sodium (approx. 100 mg less if pasta is boiled without salt); 61 mg cholesterol; 4.6 g fiber

Daigaku-imo / candied Japanese sweet potato

My introduction to daigaku-imo was school lunch at elementary school. Although the name daigaku-imo literally means "university potato," this candied sweet potato is popular with students of all ages, and is also a popular deli item with both youngsters and grownups. The sweet and slightly salty coating makes you come back for more of this snack-like dish. Traditionally, satsumaimo sweet potato is first deep-fried and dipped in the candy coating prepared separately. What follows is a simplified method of sauteing satsumaimo with a somewhat large amount of oil in a frying pan and adding the candy coating ingredients to the same pan.

1/2 of recipe:
234 calories; 1.7g protein; 4.3g fat; 47.0g carbohydrate; 82mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 158-176mg with regular soy sauce); 0mg cholesterol; 3.0g fiber

Yakiimo / roasted Japanese sweet potato

A much-beloved snack in fall and early winter. When I was a child, a vendor pushing a cart filled with blackened rocks and reddish-purple sweet potatoes would come around the neighborhood, chanting, "Roasted sweet potatoes! Rock-roasted sweet potatoes!" in a slow, time-honored cadence. If you started to get ready (asking parents to pitch in some cash) when you first heard the chant, the vendor would be near your house by the time you dashed out the front door. The man at the cart would dig through the rocks and find some big, beautiful sweet potatoes, wrap them in newspaper and hand them to his young customer. The warmth and the mellow smell were so rewarding, and needless to say the sweet taste was a big hit after running back to the house. Later the cart became a small truck and the chant was replaced with a recorded voice on a loudspeaker, but the melody was still the same. I wonder if those vendors are still coming around the neighborhood. Yakiimo is also a favorite when family or friends gather to clean up the yard and burn fallen leaves, providing a perfect place to roast these fall treats.

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

Kobashira-iri omuraisu / tomato rice with bay scallops in egg crepe

Omuraisu, or "omelet rice," has been my favorite food since childhood. It was symbolic of Westernized food and found at a modern restaurant on the top floor of a department store in a large city where my family went on weekend outings. In college, I frequently went to eat omuraisu for lunch at a cafe near campus. The combination of ketchup-flavored chicken pilaf and fluffy crepe-like omelet tasted heavenly. I also enjoyed omuraisu at more upscale restaurants later, but my preference has always been for the simple kind, meaning no demiglace or cream sauce. At restaurants, it is often more of an omelet using multiple eggs per portion. Since one egg per day is my preference, our omuraisu is wrapped with egg crepe. Fresh ripe tomatoes for the rice and the addition of dashi and rice vinegar to the ketchup topping sauce—added to reduce the amount of sodium-loaded ketchup--bring a nice, refined touch.

1/2 of recipe:
445 calories; 19.5 g protein; 11.4 g fat; 63.0 g carbohydrate; 59.4 g net carbs; 340 mg sodium; 234 mg cholesterol; 3.6 g fiber

Shishito to shantoreru no shiokoji kinpira / kinpira saute of shishito peppers and chanterelle mushrooms with salted rice malt

A quick, spicy saute. Shiokoji salted rice malt brings out the soft bitterness of shishito peppers and a bit fruity, woodsy scent of chanterelle mushrooms.

1/2 of recipe:
32 calories; 0.2 g protein; 2.0 g fat; 1.9 g carbohydrate; 1.1 g net carbs; 30 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber