Labor Day was created as an annual celebration of workers and their achievements. In the past, Labor Day was seen as a kind of “workingmen’s holiday,” and the first Monday in September was designated for its celebration. Today, Labor Day is seen as the last long weekend of summer and friends and families gather at picnic grounds or in their backyards to bid farewell to the season.

Here are some recipes to help you celebrate.

BBQ Ribs

4 servings

Rub Mixture Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 2 teaspoons dried onion
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  

Ribs

• 2 St. Louis-cut or spare rib racks, about 2 lbs
• Peach BBQ sauce, heated, see recipe link

Directions

Mix all the rub ingredients together and coat the ribs all over with the mixture. Place the ribs in a baking dish, cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Place the foil covered baking dish with the ribs in the oven and roast for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender but not falling off the bone.

Finish the ribs on a charcoal or gas grill.

Ten minutes before the ribs are done baking, heat the grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the BBQ sauce and turning occasionally, until they begin to char, 5 to 6 minutes.

Cut into pieces and serve with additional sauce for dipping.

Old Fashioned Baked Beans

See the link here for the recipe that was on my blog a few weeks ago.

Creamy Coleslaw

I prefer to shred cabbage for this recipe rather than use a package of coleslaw mix. Those packages never taste very fresh to me. Pick out a deep green cabbage without blemishes at your market and use it for this recipe. Shredding half a cabbage doesn’t take more than 5 minutes with a good sharp knife.

Coleslaw is one of those recipes that I am never really satisfied with and I keep tinkering with the recipe to try to get it to taste the way I think it should taste. Needs more salt? Needs more sweetness? I may have found the right balance for us with the ingredients in my recipe below. See what you think.

For best flavor this coleslaw should be made one day ahead.

Serves 6

Salad Ingredients

• Half of a head of green cabbage that weighs about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup finely minced sweet onions
• 1/4 cup diced sweet bread and butter pickles
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Shred the cabbage and the carrots and place them in a mixing bowl. You should yield about 8 cups of shredded cabbage and one cup of shredded carrots from the amounts listed above.

Add the salt, sugar and vinegar; toss them together and set aside for an hour.

In a serving bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.

After an hour squeeze the cabbage to get as much liquid as possible out of the mix and place in the bowl with the dressing. Mix them well to blend and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Almond Flour Shortcake

This is a wonderful dessert to have on hand. Simple enough for a snack or dress it up for company with fruit, whipped cream or a frosting. I usually make an extra one to keep in the freezer.

8 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
  
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• Vegetable oil for the pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8″ round cake pan with oil. Swirl the oil in the pan and make sure it goes up the sides.

Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of the sugar listed in the ingredients onto the bottom of the pan.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Slowly beat in 1/4 cup sugar. Scrape the beaten egg whites into another bowl and set aside.

In the mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the almond extract until smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder and salt — and add to the egg yolk mixture. Stir together to form a thick dough.

Fold in the egg whites, 1/2 cup at a time, incorporating them fully between each addition. The final addition should result in a smooth, fluffy batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides, then turn the cake out onto a serving plate.

Allow the cake to cool fully before topping with sliced fresh fruit and whipped cream or powdered sugar.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in barbecue, Beans, cake, Coleslaw, Desserts, Fruit, Grilling, Healthy Italian Cooking, Pork, Sauces, sponge cake, strawberries Tags: BBQ for Labor Day