Biitsu beeguru / beet bagels

Confectionery sweet, according to my family in Japan. Pureed baked beet is added to the dough for a colorful hue. When made into bagels, the pureed beet has no earthy overtone that some people are not very fond of. Orange peel bits give a fruity note, which pairs well with beets. As with kale and walnut bagels, these reddish bagels also are on the smallish side and have much less sodium than regular commercial versions.

1 bagel (1/8 recipe; 75 g baked):
203 calories; 6.3 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 41.5 g carbohydrate; 38.1 g net carbs; 99 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.4 g fiber

Daikon to ika no misoni / daikon radish and calamari simmered in miso-flavored broth

The humble daikon takes on the flavor of calamari, becoming something gentle yet deeply aromatic. This is my mom's kind of dish, which I grow to like as I get older. While miso paste typically is the only main seasoning, modifying the dish to reduce sodium content by partially replacing miso with sakekasu sake lees, kurozu brown rice vinegar and shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt successfully results in a pleasantly mild flavor that lets you unwind after a busy day. If a bit of extra flavor is wanted, add grated ginger for a zesty punch or taka no tsume red chili pepper for picante heat.

1/2 of recipe:
125 calories; 12.2 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 11.4 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 163 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber