With its colourful green pepper and carrot, this is quite a tasty little dish. Kinpira is the name of a Japanese cooking technique: Food is sautéed, then simmered in a minimal amount of liquid. Total calories in this simple kinpira are only about 200, thanks to the shirataki noodles. (All about shirataki: Do You Believe in Miracles?) Inspired by a popular post at Cookpad, a Japanese recipe-sharing site.

6 oz (175 g) white or brown shirataki, rinsed
1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil
1 each: small green bell pepper, small carrot, cut in matchsticks
1 tbsp (15 mL) each: mirin, low-sodium soy sauce
Sea salt to taste
Shichimi togarashi to taste
Toasted sesame seeds to taste

In small pan of boiling, salted water, boil shirataki on medium heat 1 minute. Drain. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Spread out shirataki to air-dry. Cut strands into manageable lengths.

Heat 10-inch (25 cm) skillet on medium 1 minute. Add oil. Add shirataki. Cook, stirring often, 1 minute, or until hot and well coated. Add green pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce and mirin. Cover and cook 1 minute, or until vegetables are tender-crisp and most of liquid evaporates. Uncover and shake pan to evaporate any excess liquid. Add salt.

Before serving, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and sesame seeds.

Makes 1 serving.

• The shirataki for this recipe are measured drained. Water amounts vary by package. About 10% to 20% may be water weight.

Oh No: Don’t overcook the veggies. They should still be crisp.

M is for Mirin: Japanese sweetened rice cooking wine is called mirin. Some supermarkets sell it.

S is for Shichimi Togarashi: This popular Japanese chili seasoning is sold in some supermarkets, usually in the sushi section. The spice blend includes chilies, orange peel, sesame seeds, pepper, seaweed and ginger.

CREDIT: SUSAN SAMPSON
TESTED IN IMPERIAL