You can only live on Vegetable Pasta Salad for so long; eventually you have to make something else for dinner.  I took a quick survey of ingredients on hand: shredded carrots in the refrigerator,  shelled edamame in the freezer, and Japanese Roasted Sesame Oil in the cabinet.  Using a recipe for Carrot Kinpara as inspiration, I threw together this dish.

‘Bento’ is a Japanese term which refers to a lunch box with sections for different foods.  I don’t know whether you would really find a recipe like this in a section of a bento box, but let’s pretend.  It’s spicy and flavorful, and could easily accompany a rice based dish.  Although this satisfied my craving for dinner, I still think I need to head to a Japanese restaurant soon.

Bento Carrots and Edamame

1 T sesame oil
2 c. shredded carrots
Dash cayenne pepper
1 T soy sauce
1 c. shelled edamame, cooked and drained
1 T sesame seeds

Heat sesame oil in a small frying pan.  Add carrots, and saute for 5-10 minutes.  Add cayenne and stir.  Add soy sauce and edamame and cook for 1-2 minutes more.  Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

-Inspired by Makiki Itoh’s recipe on Just Bento

• Salads