Ribs with BBQ sauce, sage roasted vegetables and apple tartlets

I thought I'd start Monday off with a food post (been a while I know). Baby back ribs with homemade BBQ sauce, sage roasted vegetables and apple tartlets. I hope everyone has a nice start to the week!

Baby back ribs with BBQ sauce

BBQ sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce/ketchup

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup brown sugar

• Dash cayenne pepper

• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder

• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Ribs

• 2 racks baby back ribs

• 5 cloves garlic

• Salt and pepper

BBQ sauce - Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Ribs - Preheat oven to 175˚C. Cut racks into single ribs. Arrange ribs in a roasting pan lined with baking paper - meaty sides up. Add garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake ribs in oven for 1 hour turning over half way through. Turn to meaty part again and brush half the BBQ sauce over the ribs. Cover with foil and reduce oven to 120˚C and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with roasted vegetables and extra BBQ sauce.

~ Serves 4

Sage roasted vegetables

• 14 baby potatoes, halved

• 3 carrots, peeled, thickly sliced

• 1 bulb garlic, broken into cloves

• Red wine vinegar

• Olive oil

• 50g butter, cubed

• Fresh sage, roughly torn

• 6-8 thin peels of lemon rind

Preheat oven to 190˚C. Rinse potatoes and bring to boil in salted water. Parboil for 6-7 minutes. Drain and spread potatoes in a single layer over a baking tray. Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and cook in oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and crush slightly with the back of a fork. Add olive oil, sage, garlic, a splash of red wine vinegar and lemon rind. Combine and put back in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden. Serve with ribs.

~ Serves 4

Apple tartlets

• 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into thin semi circles

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp caster sugar

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp apricot jam

• Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Combine caster sugar and ground cinnamon and set aside. Toss apples through lemon juice to stop from discolouring and set aside. Cut 4 rounds in the pastry sheet using a 7" plate. Flip the plate over and gently push into each pastry circle using the base of the plate to form an indent (approx. 4 inches). Lay apple slices in a circle pattern within indent on each circle of pastry and brush edges with egg-wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden. Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat until simmering and brush over pastries. Serve with ice-cream.

~ Makes 4