One of the spring vegetables I look forward to all winter is the cabbage. Cabbage, of course, is a ubiquitous vegetable that's available year-round, but the ones that come out in spring are special. Loosely wound and lightweight, the leaves are tender, slightly sweet and full of moisture; they're great in salads and coleslaws, as well as simply salted and combined with a little citrus peel for an instant pickle, not to mention quick stir-fries.

Sunny yellow eggs make me think of springtime, too. Tonpeiyaki is a much easier cousin of the okonomiyaki (griddle-cooked savory pancake). Instead of making a batter with flour and grated mountain yam as for okonomiyaki, a simple egg omelette is used to wrap a quickly stir-fried pork (the ton in tonpeiyaki means pork) and cabbage filling. Using egg has the added benefit of making the dish gluten-free and low-carb.

Typically, tonpeiyaki is smothered with sweet brown okonomiyaki sauce and lashings of mayonnaise, but you can make it lighter by simply drizzling it with a little soy sauce instead. I do think that adding lots of katsuobushi (skipjack tuna flakes), scallions and pickled ginger is a must in any case. This homey dish is a great drinking snack or makes a quick meal when paired with a bowl of rice. This version has bacon for even more flavor.