Colette, Karyn, Laura Dill Dip...2 Ranch-Style Baked Beans...2 Smoked 3-2-1 Baby Back Ribs...3 Pomegranate BBQ Sauce...4 Orange, Mint and Onion Salad...4 Chocolate Trifle...5 Strawberry Trifle...5
Dill Dip 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened 8 ounce carton dairy sour cream 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (1) 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill ½ teaspoon seasoned salt or regular salt In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, dill, and salt with a mixer on low speed until fluffy. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours. If dip is too thick after chilling, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. Makes about 2 cups of dip. Ranch-Style Baked Beans ½ pound ground chuck ½ cup chopped onion 1 ½ cups hickory-flavored barbecue sauce 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained 1 (15.5 ounce) can butter beans, drained 1 (16 ounce) can pork and beans, undrained 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook beef and onion in a Dutch over, stirring until meat crumbles; drain and place in a large bowl. Stir barbecue sauce and remaining ingredients into beef mixture. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 2 ½ quart baking dish. Bake the beans, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour, stirring once. Recipe can easily be doubled to accommodate a crowd. Other varieties of beans also work well in this recipe, such as cannellini or black. Servings: 8 Source: The Best of Mr. Food Quick and Easy Recipes 2000 2
Smoked 3-2-1 Baby Back Ribs 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 5 pounds total) 1/3 cup yellow mustard ½ cup apple or pomegranate juice more if needed 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Pork and poultry rub Costco sells a good one ½ cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup honey, warmed If the butcher has not already done so, remove the thin papery membrane from the boneside of the ribs. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, ¼ cup of the juice and the Worcestershire sauce. Spread thinly on both sides of the ribs; season with pork and poultry rub. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours. If using a smoker, heat it up for 5 minutes then set the dial on smoke and close the lid. If using a grill, use the indirect low-heat method prescribed by the grill manufacturer. You are aiming for a temperature of 180 degrees. The oven can also be used; double wrap the ribs with heavy duty aluminum foil and set the temperature at 200 degrees and bake for 3 hours low and slow. After 3 hours, transfer the ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and set your cooking device to a temperature of medium : 225F in the smoker, or 300 degrees in the oven. Tear off four long sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Top with a rack of ribs; pull up the sides to keep the liquid enclosed. Sprinkle half the brown sugar on the rack, then top with half the honey and half of the remaining juice. (You may use more juice, if you wish). Lay another piece of foil on top and tightly crimp the edges so there s no leakage. Repeat with the remaining rack of ribs. Return the foil ribs to the grill/oven and cook for approximately 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil from the ribs watch out for hot steam and brush the ribs on both sides with BBQ sauce. Discard the foil. Arrange the ribs directly on the grill grate and continue to grill until the sauce tightens 40 minutes to an hour. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes before serving. If using the oven, place a foil-lined baking pan on the rack below where the ribs are to be cooked and place the ribs directly on the upper rack allows for proper circulation and complete cooking. Serves 6. 3
Pomegranate BBQ Sauce 16 ounce bottle 100% pomegranate juice (may substitute with 1/3 cup red currant jelly and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar) 2/3 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced Bring pomegranate juice to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Boil until thickened and reduced to 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. For 5 lbs. of ribs Orange, Mint and Onion Salad 3 navel oranges ½ sweet yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn ¼ cup black olives, oil cured, pitted (I used Kalamata) Vinaigrette 1/3 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup canola oil For salad, cut top and bottom off each orange so it sits flat on cutting surface. Remove peel and pith (white part) by taking sharp knife and running it down sides of orange from top to bottom, following shape of each orange. Slice oranges into rounds. Arrange slices, overlapping each other slightly, on large platter. Scatter onion, mint and olives over oranges. 4
For vinaigrette, whisk vinegar with honey, mustard, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly, until well combined. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve immediately. Note: Leftover dressing can be stored, tightly covered, in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serves 6 Chocolate Trifle 1 package chocolate cake mix 2 packages chocolate instant pudding ¾ cup Kahlua 12 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed 6 Heath Bars or ½ package Heath Brickle or 2 large Sympany Almond Toffee bars Make cake. When cool, cut into small pieces. Mix pudding according to directions and blend in Kahlua. In a large bowl such as a trifle or punch bowl, place a layer of cake pieces, using about half the cake. Cover with half of the pudding mixture, followed by half of the Cool Whip. Sprinkle with 3 crushed Heath Bars. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight. Strawberry Trifle 1 large angel food cake, broken into bit size pieces 16 ounce container of Cool Whip, thawed (regular or lite). ****Note: Laura says this does NOT work with whipped cream. 2 large cans frozen strawberries, thawed In trifle bowl put on layer of cake, spread 1 can of strawberries (with juice), cover with layer of cool whip and then repeat layers ending with cool whip. Prepare 3 to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate. 5