Seared Steaks & Mashed Potato

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; quarter lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Peel and large dice the potato. Grate the cheese on the large side of a box grater. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. In a bowl, whisk together the soy glaze, vinegar, molasses, ketchup, and ¼ cup of water.

Place the carrots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single layer. Roast 15 to 17 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the carrots roast, add the potato to the pot of boiling water and cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the cheese and butter. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

While the potato cooks, pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

While the steaks rest, add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions to the pan of reserved fond. (If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the steak sauce (be careful, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened and heated through. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested steaks; thinly slice crosswise against the grain. Divide the mashed potato, roasted carrots, and sliced steaks between 2 dishes. Top the steaks with the finished steak sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!