Recipes for Your Spring Table

• Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
• Mixed Berry Spinach Salad With Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• Broccoli Salad
• Spring Arugula and Pea Shoot Salad
• Angel Strawberry Dessert
• Salsa Fresca
• Strawberry Feta Salad
• Kheer – a Pakistani dessert

Angel Strawberry Dessert

Submitted by LaJauna Ellis, Dean’s Office

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups sugar 
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin 
• 2 cups water 
• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, divided 
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (4-1/2 cups) 
• 1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes 

DIRECTIONS

For glaze, in a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and gelatin; stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil. Cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; cool completely. Cut half the strawberries into quarters; fold into glaze. 

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in condensed milk until blended. Fold in whipped topping. 

In a 4-qt. clear glass bowl, layer half the cake cubes, glaze and cream mixture. Repeat layers. Cut remaining strawberries in half and arrange over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Salsa Fresca

Submitted by Erin Adams, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Most stores offer pre-cut veggies, but I find that dicing them yourself makes for a better end result.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small serrano chili (or jalapeno) – stemmed, seeded & chopped
• ¼  ounce chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup Rose’s sweetened lime juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 – 11 oz diced tomatoes, not too ripe. 
• 1 small (or most of a medium size or 75% of large) diced red onions
• ¼ finely diced banana pepper
• 2 small (or most of a medium sized) green bell pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine salt and Rose’s lime juice. Stir/shake until salt dissolves fully.

Combine salted lime juice with prepared vegetables. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to serving.

Strawberry Feta Salad

Submitted by Shalonda Williams, Electrical and Computer Engineering

SALAD INGREDIENTS

• Lettuce – Any leafy green will work such as romaine, spring mix,
  arugula, spinach, kale, etc.
• Fresh Strawberries
• Walnuts
• Dried cranberries
• Feta Cheese

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon
• Honey
• Dijon
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Add salad components to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Combine dressing ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl. Whisk while slowly drizzling in olive oil until creamy. Refrigerate dressing until ready to serve.

Before serving, crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle on salad. Toss with dressing.

Kheer – a Pakistani dessert

Submitted by Gul Shah, Biomedical Engineering

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup rice, soaked
• 1 liter whole milk
• 5-6 cardamom pods
• 10 table spoon sugar
• ¼ – ½ cup cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Keep the rice soaked in water for an hour and then boil the rice until it is mushy – this is at least 10-15 minutes of active boiling.
2. While that happens use a wide bottomed steel pot (NOT NON STICK) to bring your milk to a simmer.
3. Add the cardamom pods to the milk, and keep the stove on a low temperature.
4. Once the rice is mushy, drain the water and then mash it up thoroughly on a plate with a fork.
5. Add to the milk mixture along with the sugar. Mix well.
6. Cook on low – a gentle simmer for an hour. The milk will scald at the bottom of the pan but should not burn. Stir frequently so that it does not burn.
7. The kheer will thicken and condense quite a bit in this time, add ¼ cup of the cream you are using to the kheer.
8. Pour the kheer in a dish and keep in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.
9. You can use almonds or pistachios to garnish it.