After a month of gorging ourselves during the Christmas season, many of us might feel our clothes tightening. Please don't have any regrets. Eating and drinking are natural companions of socialising and cele-brating. Of course few of us can consistently consume so much without it showing in the mirror!

New Year's resolutions have probably been made: "I'm going on a diet." "I will live on lettuce and carrots for the next six months." "I will never eat Christmas pudding again!"

The overwhelming feeling of fullness might even be getting you down a little, so I have come up with a great solution that won't have you sacrificing nutrients or the tasty deliciousness of a satisfying meal.

Excellent flavours

An Internet search has shown that diet plays a strong part in the health of Japanese people and their longevity. They consume a lot of fish, soy, rice, noodles and vegetables. Wabash, a good quality soy sauce, ginger and fresh produce, all have excellent flavours. Therefore dishes can be kept simple without being boring.

I have added a little western twist to some of the recipes, using cottage cheese for my Wabash fish dip, cello instead of spinach, and smoked salmon and marlin instead of the kinds straight out of the sea. It's difficult to always come by the latter, and I like to fuse Jamaican ingredients into most of my cooking anyway!

I haven't given you the recipe for making makizushi rolls because every packet of sushi rice and seaweed has clear instructions on how to prepare them. Fillings such as thin omelettes, vegetables and fish, raw or cooked, can all be used.

If you don't have a special bamboo mat for rolling them up, simply use cling wrap. If you're not brave enough to make them yourselves, I'm taking orders anytime!

Emma's Healthy Japanese Menu.

Emma@sharpactionfood.com.

Wasabi and Honey Sautéed Tofu with Callaloo

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp wasabi paste

3 tbsps Hall's home-grown honey (honeyhalls@gmail.com)

2 tbsps rice wine vinegar

¹/² lb firm tofu, cubed

¹/² onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small bunch of callaloo, chopped

Salt and black pepper

A little water

METHOD

1. Mix the wasabi, honey and rice wine vinegar in a bowl.

2. Add the tofu and onion and toss well. Leave to marinate for a few hours.

3. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the tofu mixture until piping hot.

4. Add the callaloo and a little water. Cover and cook for a few minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

Teriyaki Vegetables with Soba Noodles:

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1¹/² tbs finely chopped ginger

10 white mushrooms

2 tsp wasabi paste

2 tbsps rice wine vinegar

3 tbsps low sodium soy sauce

¹/⁴ cauliflower head, broken into small florets

¹/⁴ broccoli head, broken into small florets

1 pack soba noodles

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the soba noodles according to instructions on the packet.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large wok, add the onion and ginger and cook for a few minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.

4. Mix in the wasabi, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Cook for another minute.

5. Add the cauliflower, broccoli and a little water if the sauce is running dry. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and add the noodles to the wok of vegetables.

Wasabi Smoked Marlin Dip

Makizushi (rolls): Smoked Marlin and Cucumber, Smoked Salmon and Cucumber, Spicy Salmon

Okra, Mushroom and Omelette Chirashizushi (sushi rice topped with an assortment of ingredients)

Teriyaki Vegetables with Soba Noodles

Wasabi and Honey Sautéed Tofu with Callaloo

INGREDIENTS

2 oz cottage cheese

2 oz smoked marlin, chopped

¹/² onion, finely chopped

1tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsps fresh lime juice (to taste)

1-2 tsps wasabi paste (to taste)

Black pepper

METHOD

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz until smooth.

2. Serve with crackers

Okra, mushroom and omelette chirashizushi.

Wasabi smoked marlin dip with crackers.