New Year's Day breakfast 2020

We started 2020 with a quiet New Year's Day meal.

As with other years, we had ozoni soup with rice cakes, kuromame black soybeans, datemaki seafood omelet, tataki gobo burdock root in sesame vinegar dressing, shrimp, lotus root in sweetened vinegar, grilled saikyo-zuke black cod, and so on. It was simpler than usual, mainly because the meal was meant to be for us only. No guests were involved this year, since my father passed away last fall.

Biitsu beeguru / beet bagels

Confectionery sweet, according to my family in Japan. Pureed baked beet is added to the dough for a colorful hue. When made into bagels, the pureed beet has no earthy overtone that some people are not very fond of. Orange peel bits give a fruity note, which pairs well with beets. As with kale and walnut bagels, these reddish bagels also are on the smallish side and have much less sodium than regular commercial versions.

1 bagel (1/8 recipe; 75 g baked):
203 calories; 6.3 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 41.5 g carbohydrate; 38.1 g net carbs; 99 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.4 g fiber

Daikon to ika no misoni / daikon radish and calamari simmered in miso-flavored broth

The humble daikon takes on the flavor of calamari, becoming something gentle yet deeply aromatic. This is my mom's kind of dish, which I grow to like as I get older. While miso paste typically is the only main seasoning, modifying the dish to reduce sodium content by partially replacing miso with sakekasu sake lees, kurozu brown rice vinegar and shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt successfully results in a pleasantly mild flavor that lets you unwind after a busy day. If a bit of extra flavor is wanted, add grated ginger for a zesty punch or taka no tsume red chili pepper for picante heat.

1/2 of recipe:
125 calories; 12.2 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 11.4 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 163 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Nagaimo no acharazuke / Chinese yam pickled in spicy sweetened vinegar

By simply adding taka no tsume red chili pepper to sweetened vinegar, you have another standard marinade for pickles. Fresh nagaimo Chinese yam stays relatively crisp in the marinade, and by Day 2 it becomes a bit milder although still offering some crunch and piquant sensation. As the pickle name's origin -- achar -- suggests, it pairs very well with a number of cuisines beyond Japanese dishes.

Whole recipe (nagaimo only):
60 calories; 2.0 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 12.9 g carbohydrate; 12.0 g net carbs; 2.8 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

1/4 of recipe (nagaimo only):
15 calories; 0.5 g protein; 0.07 g fat; 3.2 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 0.7 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber

Marinade whole recipe (with shiokoji, erythritol and stevia):
32 calories; 0.2 g protein; 0.02 g fat; 5.3 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 98 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.02 g fiber

Tsusuna to atsuage no oisutaasoosu itame / stir-fried New Zealand spinach and deep-fried tofu with oyster sauce

A quick stir-fry with tsuruna New Zealand spinach that takes advantage of aromatic oyster sauce to mask the vegetable's slightly earthy taste. Atsuage deep-fried tofu makes this dish somewhat substantial.

1/2 of recipe:
109 calories; 8.3 g protein; 7.0 g fat; 3.1 g carbohydrate; 1.3 g net carbs; 102 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0.04 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber; 256 mg potassium

Mabbuha / matbucha / stewed bell pepper and tomato salad

A bit fruity, sweet, sour and picante with a creamy texture. While it goes with many kinds of dishes, I like pairing it with an eggplant omelet for breakfast.
This is a recent WOW dish for me, and something I make repeatedly to have on hand. Adapted from a recipe by Ta-im, an Israeli restaurant in Tokyo, published in Ryori Tsushin [The Cuisine Press] May 2018 issue.

Whole recipe:
309 calories; 6.4 g protein; 25.0 g fat; 34.5 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 287 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 10.7 g fiber

1/6 recipe:
52 calories; 1.1 g protein; 4.2 g fat; 6.1 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 48 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber

1/8 recipe:
39 calories; 0.8 g protein; 3.1 g fat; 4.6 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 36 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Kabu no shinodamaki / Japanese turnip rolled in thin deep-fried tofu, simmered in broth

Usuage thin deep-fried tofu wrappers absorb the flavor of dashi-based broth and kabu turnip, and each bite fills your mouth with the tasty broth along with the almost creamy texture of kabu. The oil content of usuage, although reduced almost 30% in the prep process, gives this simple combination more than enough richness.

1/4 of recipe (without grilled shishito): 
29 calories; 1.4 g protein; 1.1 g fat; 3.1 g carbohydrate; 2.4 g net carbs; 142 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber 

Dinner, August 29, 2019

My first real meal after saying goodbye to a wisdom tooth three days ago.
Still nothing crunchy or tough to chew, but it had enough variation compared to my recent diet of somen noodles or rice and bean curry soup (all easy to eat with half a mouth).

• Gohan / steamed rice
• Shishito no ebi-tsume tenpura, nira no hana no tenpura / shrimp-stuffed shishito pepper tempura, garlic chive flower tempura
• Yakinasu no surinagashi / grilled eggplant soup with myoga ginger bud, shiso perilla leaves and cucumber flower
• Nagaimo no achara-zuke / pickled Chinese yam in spicy sweetened vinegar
• Kabu no shinodamaki / Japanese turnip and thin deep-fried tofu rolls in broth
• Karashina to mini tomato no ohitashi / mustard greens and grape tomatoes in light broth
  

Petoraaru karei no yuanyaki / grilled yuan-marinated petrale sole

This is one of my favorite ways to eat white-fleshed fresh fish. The marinade is a simple mixture of soy sauce, mirin and sake in equal parts, which gives the fish a slightly salty sweet note. It is very good with somewhat fatty or sweet fish as well as sea scallops.

1/2 of recipe (fish only, no condiment included):
112 calories; 19.6 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 7.3 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g net carbs; 210 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 44 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber; 177 mg potassium

Karashina no karashi-bitashi / mustard greens in mustard-flavored light dashi

A simple variation of a standard ohitashi, cooked vegetables marinated in light dashi. Among basic seasonings (soy sauce, salt, sake, mirin) for dashi for ohitashi, only soy sauce is chosen for this recipe to heighten the pungent aroma of karashi mustard.

1/4 of recipe:
16 calories; 1.6 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 1.0 g net carbs; 66 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber; 124 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe:
31 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 133 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber; 249 mg potassium

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

Keeru to kurumi no beeguru / kale and walnut bagels

One of our bagels takes advantage of kale for a deeper flavor, which is especially noticeable when toasted, while toasting also intensifies the crunch of walnuts.

This is a variation based on a plain version I adapted from ChefSteps (Amazing Chewy Bagels From Scratch). In my adaptation, shiokoji salted rice malt to lower sodium content also conditions the dough, making it softer and triggering a Maillard reaction due to its enzymes. For this reason, I do not use diastatic malt powder, which the original recipe lists as a key ingredient, but I do use non-diastatic malt powder for flavoring. Yet considering kale's effect of making the dough taste slightly "earthy and green," non-diastatic malt powder may not be needed at all in the recipe below. Until I experiment further, this is what appears at our table. These are smallish bagels packed with flavor.

1 bagel (1/8 recipe; 74 g baked):
219 calories; 6.8 g protein; 4.3 g fat; 37.7 g carbohydrate; 34.8 g net carbs; 93 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.9 g fiber

Taiwan-fu tamago kureepu / dan bing / Taiwanese egg crepes

Found both on the street and at specialty takeout & eat-in eateries, egg crepes with various fillings are one of the many breakfast choices in Taiwan. Dan bing with ham was my usual choice at an eatery near my work. The crepes presented here are adapted from a Japanese translation of a Taiwanese cookbook by Zhou Qingyuan (周清源). To lower sodium content, I skip the salt and use cold milk instead of cold water. Below is my current favorite combination with alderwood smoked salmon, a Pacific Northwest specialty, and Thai basil with a note of anise.

Whole recipe (2 dan bing egg crepes with fillings, without dipping sauce):
533 calories; 22.9 g protein; 20.4 g fat; 59.7 g carbohydrate; 56.9 g net carbs; 269 mg sodium; 427 mg cholesterol; 2.8 g fiber

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

Kurumi daifuku / soft rice cake with sweetened azuki bean paste and walnuts

Toasted walnuts add a rich taste and crunch to a standard everyday daifuku rice cake. Turbinado in soft gyuhi mochi goes really well with walnuts and tsubuan crumbly azuki bean paste inside. Best on Day 1 for contrasting texture with walnuts, especially while still warm.

1 daifuku cake (1/4 of recipe):
130 calories; 2.8 g protein; 3.0 g fat; 23.4 g carbohydrate; 21.6 g net carbs; 1 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.8 g fiber; 145 mg potassium

Koyadofu no ageyaki to renkon no horenso-an / fried freeze-dried tofu and lotus root with spinach dashi sauce

Rehydrating and frying koyadofu freeze-dried tofu results in a chewy and juicy texture, making a good contrast with crunchy lotus root. A blanket of flavorful dashi sauce brings the two ingredients together while adding a green touch of spinach. Ginger provides a zesty counter-punch to the rich taste from oil used in preparation. A nice side dish for cool days and nights.

1/2 of recipe:
160 calories; 5.2 g protein; 11.9 g fat; 7.3 g carbohydrate; 6.3 g net carbs; 100 mg sodium; 0.1 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 267 mg potassium

Osechi New Year's Day breakfast, 2019

Once again this year, a smallish, basic lineup of osechi perfect for a breakfast for two.

Finding good fish is always a challenge in our town despite its location on the seacoast. Yet this year it was a case where a series of problems can lead to an amazing solution. Earlier in December following several days of power outage, we made grilled kasuzuke salmon out of defrosted salted salmon fillets, and it struck me that the taste of the fish, which was a bit dry due to my mistakenly grilling it slightly too long, would probably go really well in ozoni soup. Tom agreed that the taste would be a great match, and we bought a fillet of sockeye salmon for the ozoni. As it was previously frozen, I salted the fillet to extract excess moisture from the flesh and marinated it in sakekasu sake lees for two nights while preparing our ozoni to the semi-final flavoring stage. On December 30th, grilled kasuzuke salmon was added to the soup, which was simmered to blend the flavors, chilled overnight, and simmered again with the last flavor adjustment on the 31st. And after all that, we were rewarded with one of our most successful ozoni ever on the January 1st.

Dinner, November 28, 2018

When I happened to come across information on an exhibition of lacquerware made in Joboji, Iwate Prefecture, it was clear that dinner that day would feature their bowls. Joboji urushi ware was one of the first lacquer tableware I bought for myself back in Tokyo more than 20 years ago.

• Gohan / steamed rice
• Gobo to shimeji, menuke no misoshiru / miso soup with burdock root, shimeji mushrooms and grilled rockfish
• Koyadofu no ageyaki to ebi no horenso-an-kake / fried freeze-dried tofu and shrimp with light dashi sauce with spinach
• Hijiki no itameni / braised hijiki seaweed
• Tomato no amazu oroshi-ae / tomato with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar
  

Dinner, November 11, 2018

Last month, I took the opportunity of an unexpected opening in my work schedule to visit my parents. My parents are in their late 70s and early 80s and have some health issues, and I wanted to see how they are managing their everyday routines. Recently, conversations over the phone often have some blank spots or do not really make sense, requiring some effort and imagination to figure out the real story. Seeing them in person was the fastest way to understand the situation.

Kurumafu no katsudon / gluten cake cutlet rice bowl

While normal katsudon features pork cutlets as the main ingredient, this features cutlets made with gluten cakes. As gluten cake cutlets soak up the broth, they become very juicy and take on the texture of fatty meat, but without the actual fat of pork. This dish is filling even when served with a smaller portion of steamed rice, yet it does not overwhelm your stomach and leaves plenty of room to comfortably enjoy other dishes.

It is quick to prepare, if all ingredients are ready, so have other accompanying dishes or soup almost ready before starting to make katsudon, to ensure the optimal serving temperature.

1/2 of recipe (without steamed rice):
302 calories; 13.7 g protein; 17.0 g fat; 20.6 g carbohydrate; 15.1 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.5 g fiber; 413 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 110 g steamed rice [made with 1/3 180-cc cup dry rice]):
386 calories; 15.0 g protein; 17.1 g fat; 39.1 g carbohydrate; 33.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 428 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 170 g steamed rice [made with 1/2 180-cc cup dry rice]):
428 calories; 15.5 g protein; 17.2 g fat; 48.1 g carbohydrate; 42.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 435 mg potassium