Japanese Beef & Rice Bowl

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; halve  lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Halve and peel the onion. Thinly slice one half. Medium dice the remaining half. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Place the peppers in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. In a bowl, combine the soy glaze, soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sliced white bottoms of the scallions, and 1/3 cup of water. 

Place the carrot pieces on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer on one side of the sheet pan. Roast 11 minutes. Leaving the oven on, remove from oven. Add the seasoned peppers to the other side of the sheet pan of partially roasted carrots; carefully arrange in an even layer. Roast 9 to 11 minutes, or until the vegetables are browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 1/4 cups of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); stir to combine. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 15 to 17 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork. Cover to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, separate the beef; pat dry with paper towels. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch; toss to thoroughly coat. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough that a pinch of cornstarch sizzles immediately when added, add the coated beef in an even layer (discarding any excess cornstarch). Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the sliced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the beef is coated and just cooked through. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

Serve the cooked rice topped with the roasted vegetables and cooked beef (including any sauce from the pan). Garnish with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!