ribs, barley pilaf and spiced red cabbage

tonight we had yummy dinner. i thought i'd share.

OVEN-BARBECUED RIBS
this is a recipe i got out of a book my mother-in-law gave me when we got married. i haven't tried this recipe before. i've had better sauce, but this was still tasty enough. p.s. don't actually eat the lemon, it's just for added flavor.

3-4 lbs spare ribs in pieces
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced

salt ribs; place in shallow roasting pan, meaty side up. roast @ 450 about 30 min. Drain excess fat. top each piece of ribs with a slice of lemon and onion.

basting sauce

1 C ketchup
1/3 C wor. sauce
1 tsp salt
2 dashes tabasco sauce
1 1/2 C water

bring sauce to a boil and pour over ribs. lower temp to 350 and bake til well done, basting every 15 min, about 1 1/2 hours.

BARLEY MUSHROOM PILAF
i got this recipe from barleyfoods.org i added some pieces of steamed asparagus--i thought steamed spinach would have been good, too--and some great northern beans as well. hearty. i might experiment with it next time to spice it up a bit, but it was still yummy. p.s. i would saute the green onions on their own and add them after the barley is cooked.

1/2 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in saucepan; add mushrooms and sauté until limp. Add barley, broth, green onion and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pilaf and serve. Makes 4 servings.

SPICED RED CABBAGE
this is from rachel ray. i really like this recipe. i've mixed it up in the past by also adding a bit of brown sugar and some golden raisins. it's good either way.

1 small or 1/2 large head red cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/4 cup grainy mustard

Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add cabbage, caraway, paprika, salt and pepper, cook stirring occasionally 2 to 5 minutes, until tender. Stir the apple cider or juice together with mustard and pour over red cabbage. Stir to combine 1 minute then turn off heat.

what did YOU have for dinner?