Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Peel and mince or grate ginger. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until tender, 20-25 minutes.

Once roasted, carefully toss with sesame seeds.

While carrots roast, heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in rice, ¾ cup water (1¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat pork* dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until pork is about ½-inch thick.

Place panko, garlic powder, salt (we used 1 tsp; 2 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper in a gallon-size zip-close bag.

Place sour cream in a medium bowl; add pork and turn to evenly coat.

Add coated pork to bag with seasoned panko and seal to close. Shake until pork is evenly coated. TIP: You may need to move around pork chops in bag, pressing with your hands, to spread out panko and make it stick.

Swap in chicken* for pork. TIP: If your cutlets are already ½ inch thick, you can skip the pounding.

Heat a ¼-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add coated pork (discard any remaining panko in bag).

Cook until panko is golden brown and pork is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. (For 4 servings, cook in batches.)

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Cook coated chicken as instructed until cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.

Place katsu sauce in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until warmed through, 30 seconds.

Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and season with salt and pepper.

Divide rice, pork, and carrots between plates. Drizzle pork with katsu sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.