Early Spring Ribs Dinner — Our True Life

It is finally spring. OK, Toronto spring. There are no flowers yet, but there is definitely some green on the ground and the willow trees start turning faint yellow. The willow trees are always the first sign of spring. Days are getting longer, birds are chirping, and squirrels (annoying creatures certainly) are digging up the nuts they buried last fall.

All the spring air makes us wanting some BBQ ribs…however it still feels too cold to barbecue. We settled with a recipe of slow cooking in the oven, and the ribs are extremely tender and falling off the bone. The ribs are served with the Samin Nosrat’s roasted vegetable and beans salad (you can find the recipe here), and our friend Nettie Cronish’s quinoa salad.

Slow cooking ribs in oven can’t be easier. Here is the recipe.

Slow Cooked Dry-rub Ribs

3 racks of pork side ribs

Salt

For the dry-rub

¼ cup (60 grams) sweet paprika

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh grinded black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne

Remove the membrane. This is optional. It doesn’t make much difference for very slow cooked ribs.

Generously season both sides of ribs with sea salt the day before cooking. Cover the salted ribs with aluminum foil in the fridge. It is very important to leave enough time for the salt to do its magic to tenderise the ribs.

Take the ribs out from the fridge an hour before cooking for the ribs to warm up to room temperature. Cover both sides of the ribs with dry rub. Wrap the ribs tight with aluminum foil.

Heat the oven to 275F and bake the ribs for 3 to 4 hours, or until they are tender.

If you want a more crispy texture, you can broil (or grill on a BBQ) the ribs for a few minutes.

Our friend, renowned vegetarian chef Nettie Cronish has a fantastic quinoa salad recipe that we have cooked very often and have gotten so many compliments. Everyone enjoys this quinoa salad. The terrific crunch from the nuts and seeds gives the dish texture, the peppery flavour from the radishes adds a spicy note, and the sweetness of dried fruit balances the acid in the dressing. It also tastes great as leftovers and a perfect dish as weekday lunches.

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

⅓ cup sunflower seeds

⅓ cup pumpkin seeds

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1-½tsp salt - divided

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup lemon juice

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup cilantro, chopped

½ cup chives, thinly sliced

⅓ cup radish, diced

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium sized carrot, grated

½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375⁰F. Spread the seeds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour them into the bowl and set aside to cool.

Rinse the quinoa with cold water until the foam is cleared. This process gets rid of the strong flavor of quinoa. In a saucepan over high heat, bring stock or water and ½ tsp of salt to a boil. Add the quinoa. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the lime and lemon juice, oil, cilantro, chives, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk well. Pour on top of quinoa. Stir. The liquid may seem like a lot, but it will get absorbed by the quinoa.

Add the toasted seeds, radish, red pepper, carrots, and dried cranberries to the quinoa salad. Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed.

Now it is time to enjoy!