Memorial Day Backyard BBQ

BBQ ribs, potato salad and smoked sausage with creamy dill dip and a cream cheese strawberry short cake.



2 racks of beef back ribs
1 tablespoon each cumin, chili powder, turmeric, dry ranch powder
1 teaspoon each salt, black pepper and paprika.
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all of the spices together. Cut each rack of ribs in half and rub each side liberally. Stack two halves on top of each other and wrap with foil. Place them on a cooling rack over a 13x9 baking dish in a 220 degree oven for 3-4 hours. Until they reach an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees.

BBQ sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt, cumin and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Potato Salad
6 russet potatoes cubed
1 small bag sugar snap peas
1/4 yellow and orange bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half long ways

Dressing
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard or brown mustard
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon basil and black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Creamy Dill Dip
This recipe is with my Greek Style Chicken Pita recipe

Leave the skins on the potatoes if you want, place the cubed potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. While the potatoes are boiling mix the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl and add the pepper slices. When the potatoes are almost fork tender add the the sugar snap peas and let the potatoes finish cooking, about 5 minutes. Drain these and add them to the bowl with the peppers and the dressing add the tomato halves and toss together to coat in the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Smoked sausage
2 packages turkey smoked sausage cut into quarters then cut those prices in half. Grill until warmed through. Brush with barbecue sauce if desired.

Strawberry short cake

1 angle food cake (I like the sugar fee cake but get what you like)

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese brought to room temperature. 1 pint of strawberries sliced into thin pieces
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rose water (this can be found at any Asian market, and this is optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if desired.

Mix the cream cheese, rose water and sugar together with your hand mixer until well blended. Stir in the 1 cup of the strawberry pieces with a rubber spatula and set aside. Cut the cake into three layers. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture on each layer and stack the next on top. Spread the remainder of the mixture on the outside of the layered cake. Place the rest of the strawberries on the outside of the cake and sprinkle with the cinnamon and chill. Serve cold

Now that everything is ready take the ribs out of the oven and light the grill. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and grill until a nice crust forms on the outside of each half rack. Flip to caramelize both sides. Grill the smoked sausage and enjoy a wonderful holiday cook out with friends and family!!!