Tom cooks 19. Tenshinhan (crab omlette over rice) & miso soup

Tom officially has a new addition to his crab repertoire.

This was the second time Tom made tenshinhan (crabmeat egg foo young with steamed rice). Mastering a couple of Asian dishes that involve multiple tasks as well as preparing a few dishes simultaneously on a number of occasions have given him the confidence to try more recipes. 

When Tom made tenshinhan the first time, it naturally took longer and some processes were confusing. The second time, his focus was to finish up crabmeat in the fridge, and he basically forgot about preliminary prep such as rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms or using dried julienned daikon radish (substitute for takenoko bamboo shoots). But once these problems were solved (by me), his cooking seemed to go well --  at least I did not hear him screaming in the kitchen.

Horenso no shami-ae / spinach with dried shrimp dressing

A light spinach side dish with a Chinese twist. Make sure to soak shami -- little salted dried shrimp -- long enough in water to get maximum flavor for the dressing.

1/2 of recipe: 25 calories; 2.4 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 2.4 g carbohydrate; 0.4 g net carbs; 75 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 8 mg cholesterol; 2.0 g fiber

Shimeji to shantoreru no momiji-oroshi-ae / grilled shimeji and chanterelle mushrooms dressed with citrus-flavored soy sauce, grated turnip and carrot

A dish featuring the colors of autumn and mushrooms in season. Fresh and sweet kabu turnip and carrot are grated to create an orange blanket for the mushrooms, which are grilled to intensify their taste and aroma. This mild dish is a great companion with something heavy or strong-flavored dishes.

1/2 of recipe: 22 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 4.9 g carbohydrate; 2.4 g net carbs; 43 mg sodium (with homemade ponzujoyu using 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 77 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.2 g fiber

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

Hakkuruberii no taruto / huckleberry tart

Here is another delicious tart packed with little huckleberries! Paired with the ubiquitous crème d'amonde or almond cream, it's a foolproof recipe featuring an easy okara soybean pulp & almond flour crust. The tart tastes somewhat fluffy on Day 1, and becomes subtly moist on Day 2 forward.

Whole tart:
1,072 calories; 20.6 g protein; 82.1 g fat; 68.7 g carbohydrate; 52.3 g net carbs; 78 mg sodium; 260 mg cholesterol; 10.9 g fiber

1/8 slice:
134 calories; 2.6 g protein; 10.3 g fat; 8.6 g carbohydrate; 6.5 g net carbs; 10 mg sodium; 32.5 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

Hakkuruberii no makaron taruto / huckleberry macaron tart

A light tart filled with in-season huckleberries and topped with macaron -- meringue with almond flour. The macaron is crunchy on the surface on Day 1, and turns to the texture of sponge cake from the next day.

Whole tart:
850 calories; 24.2 g protein; 52.2 g fat; 79.8 g carbohydrate; 61.6 g net carbs; 121 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 12.7 g fiber

1/8 slice:
106 calories; 3.0 g protein; 6.5 g fat; 10.0 g carbohydrate; 7.7 g net carbs; 15 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

Kabugohan / steamed rice with Japanese turnip

This is a simple steamed rice, but it reminds me of the warming and soothing rice porridge you would eat when not feeling well -- meaning, it offers that much tenderness. Kabu turnip is grated, and the pooled juice is used as part of cooking liquid in order to make the most of the vegetable's sweet taste. Very pleasant.

1/3 of recipe: 199 calories; 3.8 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 42.1 g carbohydrate; 40.7 g net carbs; 75 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

1/2 of recipe: 298 calories; 5.7 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 63.2 g carbohydrate; 61.1 g net carbs; 113 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber