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Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Tuesday, February 14, 2012

So #1 Son has a favorite salad at a near-by restaurant. He was home the other day and asked me if I wanted to split a lunch with him from this particular place. "You buyin'?", I asked. When he said he was, I told him I would be happy to share lunch with him. This salad is one of the things he ordered. I'm not a big lover of blue cheese but I don't mind a little bit. The salad we ordered was very good so I figured I'd try to make it at home and make #1 son happy at the same time. I adapted The Pioneer Woman's technique for onion rings, but I think I pulled the whole thing off without a hitch. Well...there was one hitch. Number One son was nowhere to be found so he missed out on my version of this yummy salad. Oh well...more for IT Guy and me!

Black and Blue Salad



1 pound flank steak or flat iron steak
1 bag romaine lettuce
4 ounces blue cheese
1 large onion
2 – 3 cups flour
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups whole milk
Oil for frying

Slice onion very thin and place in shallow dish. Pour milk over the onions and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or so.

Heat oil to medium in a large saucepan.

Place flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a large zip top bag. Working in batches, transfer about 1/3 of the sliced onions at a time to the flour in the bag and shake until the onions are well coated.

Fry in batches in heated oil. Transfer to a cookie sheet that’s been lined with paper towels. Keep warm in a 300 degree oven until all onions are cooked.

Season the steak with your favorite seasoning. I use Lawry’s Seasoning Salt.

Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness. (Or grill on an outdoor grill.)

Slice steaks against the grain then across into bite sized pieces.

Place desired amount of lettuce on a plate and top with sliced steak, cooked onions and crumbled blue cheese.

Top with blue cheese or ranch dressing.


Here's the stuff for the salad and the onion rings.


Slice the onions on the thin side.


Cover them with milk and let them 
hang out in there for an hour or so.


Mix the flour, salt and cayenne.


Working in batches, put some of the rings in the flour mixture....


..then fry 'em up until they're nice and golden. 
Keep them warm on a cookie sheet in the oven.


Season the steaks then grill them to whatever doneness 
appeals to you. We like ours medium to medium well.


Yum! And really, you can use any steak you like. 
Rib-eye would be delish!


Then plate it up!