300-Calorie Asian-Inspired Recipes

A bright and tangy Asian cucumber salad makes a crisp compliment to quick sauteed shrimp. Gently smashing fresh cucumber slices helps them absorb more vinaigrette, almost as if they've been marinating overnight. It’s a popular technique in many parts of Asia because cucumbers take on sweet, sour, and spicy flavors so well.

While a lot of curry paste makes a fantastic marinade, just a little can make a light, fragrant poaching liquid for delicate cod fillets. A crunchy, colorful slaw makes this a refreshing summer main.

This just might become one of your go-to weeknight mains. It’s incredibly easy to make, near foolproof, and a guaranteed family pleaser. It works especially well with sustainable farmed salmon, which is oilier than wild salmon. The sweet-nutty-salty sauce is a perfect match for the rich fish and tames any sort of fishy flavors the salmon might have. Be sure to top the fillets with any remaining sauce in the baking dish—you don’t want any of that goodness to go to waste. Serve with steamed green beans and brown rice or quinoa for an easy, well-rounded meal.

If ground turkey is a staple protein in your kitchen, try ground chicken—the blend of light breast and rich thigh meat is just as flavorful and quick-cooking. A cast-iron skillet helps with browning, but any large skillet will do. True to most stir-frying techniques, we separate the tough stems of the bok choy from the tender leaves and cook them first so that everything has just the right doneness. One large bok choy can stand in for the baby ones; be sure to trim off the wide, fibrous ends and cut the stems into thin slices. Serve with Scallion-and-Cilantro Barley to make a hearty grain bowl.

Think of this refreshing salad as a deconstructed spring roll: cool rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and a sweet-and-spicy vinaigrette instead of a dipping sauce. Top it all off with savory stir-fried pork. Look for brown rice noodles on the Asian foods aisle of your supermarket or in your local Asian market. We love that they offer up whole-grain goodness, and, once cooked, they’re pretty much indistinguishable from white rice noodles. If you're unfamiliar with fish sauce, you'll find it on the Asian foods aisle, too. We find it to be indispensable in the kitchen, lending savory depth to all kinds of dishes; try a splash in meatloaf or burgers; guacamole; meat or chicken marinades; or spaghetti sauce.

Chinese restaurants serve mu shu pork with Mandarin pancakes. On a busy weeknight, whole-wheat tortillas are an easy sub. Look for trimmed boneless pork shoulder. If all you see are large cuts, ask your butcher to cut off a 1-pound portion.

“Just like takeout, but healthier (and much less expensive)!” —CARACOOK

Serve this slightly spicy dish over wide rice noodles to catch all the garlic- and ginger-laced sauce.

Layer the vegetables in the pan rather than stirring them in so they steam to the right doneness. Add red pepper for extra kick.

To Freeze: Cool potato mixture to room temperature; seal in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag and lay flat in freezer. Freeze up to 2 months.
To Thaw: Microwave in bag at MEDIUM (50% power) for 4 minutes or until pliable.
To Reheat: Pour stew into a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated (about 15 minutes). Stir in basil. Top with yogurt, and serve with lime wedges.

The name of this dish is galaam oop, which tells the cooking method (oop) used for cooking the cabbage (galaam). The "oop" method of cooking, found in Northern Thailand and among the Shan people in Myanmar, involves a slow simmer, under a tightly sealed lid, of ingredients that have been combined with very little water and little or no oil. There's depth of flavor from a little ground beef that gives extra succulence.

The tandoor, India’s wood-fired clay oven, turns out fantastic barbecued chicken. An ordinary outdoor grill with a tight-fitting lid and prepared for indirect heat mimics the gentle heat of the authentic clay ovens. Tandoori chicken originated in the Punjab region of northern India and Pakistan and get its traditional red color from ground chiles.  

A combination of fresh herbs—mint, cilantro, and basil—impart delicious fresh flavor. This salad would also be delicious with grilled chicken or lamb.

Lettuce wraps make for a fresh burst of crunch and flavor, or spoon the stir-fry over rice. Look for fish sauce in your grocery store's Asian foods section.

Take a twist on traditional Mexican tacos by filling them with succulent flank steak, marinated in a soy sauce and chile paste marinade. Serve with cooked rice tossed with a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.

This dish has the starch built in, and because the recipe includes lots of fresh veggies, it qualifies as a one-dish meal.

Try this Curried Coconut Mussels recipe if you love shellfish and crave big, bold flavors. Most mussels are now farm-raised, so they're easier to clean. You should still take time to rinse them under cold running water, and be sure to remove any beards.

This Thai-style curry is free of coconut milk and shines with late-summer produce.

For a quick dinner that's full of distinctive Thai flavor, offer this delicious, comforting soup. You can use kale or spinach in place of bok choy.

We turned up the the flavor with this Chinese-style barbecue dish of Grilled Eggplant and Tofu Steaks with Sticky Hoisin Glaze. This vegetarian dish captures the essence of great barbecue without relying on meat.