8/15/2012

Steak salad

Filed under: — Aprille @ 6:55 pm

I totally forget to make the caramelized onions tonight.  Just imagine I made them.  I blame the afternoon I spent at the Coral Ridge Mall for damaging my brain.  You could totally do this on the grill, too.  I bet it would be good.

Steak Salad with Bleu Cheese and Caramelized Onions

Lay out a bed of greens (tonight I used baby romaine) and whatever else you want on your salad (tonight I used halved little tomatoes from the garden).  Set aside.

Take a flank steak and cut in half if necessary for it to fit in a cast-iron pan.  Pre-heat the oven to 425F.  Heat up your cast iron pan on the stovetop until it’s really hot.  Make sure your steak is very dry, then season it with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Add a tiny bit of oil to the pan, then throw in the steaks.  Let them sizzle there for several minutes, or until they get a nice crust.  Flip, then let them sit for another minute or two.  Without moving them, put the cast iron pan in the oven until they’re as done as you want them.  I use a remote oven thermometer and leave them in until it reads 135F, which is pretty much medium rare.

When they’re done, take them out of the oven place on a cutting board.  Tent with foil and let them rest for a few minutes.  Return the pan to the burner (medium heat this time) and throw in one yellow onion, thinly sliced.  It may release enough moisture for you to deglaze the pan.  If not, toss in a little wine or whatever.  Deglaze and cook for a few minutes until the onions are tender and a little browned.

Note:  these are not truly caramelized onions.  But this is a weeknight dinner, people.  They’re still good.

Mix up some bleu cheese with mayonnaise and milk until you like the consistency.  This is all just to taste.  Throw in a little salt if it needs it.

Slice the steak thinly against the grain after it’s rested for a few minutes.  Add dressing to the greens, then fan out steak slices and arrange some onions on top.

Serve with crusty bread and butter unless you’re one of those weirdos who doesn’t eat carbs.

 

Pancake night

Filed under: — Aprille @ 6:46 pm

Pancake night is popular around our house.  I make oven-roasted bacon to go with it, and I can barely griddle them up before they’re gone.  It’s also handy because they’re made of things I almost always have around.  I’m going to write the recipe here, because my only copy is getting kind of grody from having things spilled on it.

Pancakes

(makes about 10 6-inch pancakes)

1.25 cups AP flour
2 heaping tsp baking powder
1 heaping Tbsp sugar
.5 tsp salt (or 1 tsp kosher salt)
1.5 cups milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Combine above until mostly uniform, but don’t over-mix.  A few lumps are fine.  Pre-heat a griddle to medium (or about 350F).  Lightly oil it.  Cook pancakes, turning once when bubbles emerge in the middle and the cooked surface is golden brown.

 

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