Add fresh fruit to meals with these strawberry recipes

smcclanahan

This week we have a column full of recipe sharing. We are nearing the end of strawberry season, but strawberry recipes came flowing in this week. So, in the interest of space, let's get right to those great recipes.

Jo Leadbetter of Cape Girardeau shares several of her favorites with us. She worked for county extension for more than 30 years and has thousands of recipes collected in her files and enjoys cooking. Jo shares strawberry favorites with us this week.

Strawberry Cake

1 package white cake mix

1 small package strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup oil

3 eggs

Pinch salt

1 cup mashed strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, gelatin, water and oil.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt. Add strawberries. Mix for 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 9-by-13-inch-baking pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting with strawberry icing.

Strawberry Icing

1 stick margarine, softened

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

1/2 cup mashed strawberries

Cream together the margarine and the sugar. Add strawberries. Mix well.

Spread onto cooled cake.

The Altenburg, Mo., cooks have sent in a favorite strawberry cake recipe that is similar, but making changes from the above recipe as follows: Use 1 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk in place of the water, add 1 cup pecans and 1 cup coconut. Mix the cake, gelatin, oil and milk. Add eggs and fold in remaining ingredients. Bake in a 9-by-13 greased and floured pan for 25 minutes. For their icing, they had a exact same recipe as above, but added 1 cup chopped pecans. Ice the cooled cake with this icing.

Strawberry Preserves

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup water

2 cups strawberries, divided

Cook 1 cup sugar and the 1/2 cup water together until it spins a thread. Add 1 cup of the strawberries and cook 5 minutes. Add another cup of strawberries and 1 cup sugar. Cook for 10 minutes. Let cool and put into jars. This makes about 1 pint and makes a good topping for ice cream.

Jo's Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

1 recipe your favorite homemade ice cream

1 can strawberry soda

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Strawberries, mashed, to your liking

Milk, to fill the freezer according to manufacturer's instructions

Prepare your favorite recipe for homemade ice cream adding the soda, sweetened condensed milk, and the amount of strawberries to your taste. Fill the canister according to your instructions and freeze.

Strawberry Angel Dessert

1 angel food cake, prepared

1 small package vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup milk

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 cup pecan pieces

1 small package strawberry gelatin

2 packages frozen strawberries, or equivalent of fresh, mashed

Whipped cream

Break up ready-made angel food cake in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix pudding with 1 cup milk, add 1 pint ice cream until soft. Pour over cake. Add 1 cup pecan pieces, sprinkling over. Put in refrigerator to set. Mix 1 cup hot water with the gelatin. Add strawberries and stir. Pour mixture over cake layer and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Top with whipped cream. If you make this the day ahead, add the gelatin and strawberry layer the day of serving, adding to the already prepared cake layer.

Strawberry Parfait Pie

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 9-inch baked pie shell, cooled

Dissolve gelatin in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Add ice cream by spoonfuls; stir until melted. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from spoon. Gently fold in sliced strawberries. Turn into pastry shell. Chill until firm. If desired, garnish with whipped topping and extra strawberries.

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Delia Lampley of Cape Girardeau has a crunchy Chinese lettuce salad recipe to share with you. She has made this for many years and it is always a hit. She is answering the recent request from a reader for a salad like this type.

Crunchy Lettuce Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

Green onions, chopped

Green pepper, chopped

Celery, chopped

1 package beef Ramen noodles, crunch in package by hand

1 small package sliced almonds

1 small package sunflower seeds

Put lettuce, cabbage, onion, pepper and celery in bowl. Add sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and noodles. Sprinkle flavoring package from the package of noodles over lettuce mixture.

Meanwhile have the following dressing ingredients measured, ready to heat and pour over lettuce mixture just before eating:

1/2 cup oil

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat in microwave just until warm. Pour over lettuce mixture and stir well.

Serve immediately.

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JHMW of Cape Girardeau answers the recent request for the popular oriental salad that you see at so many dinner tables now. She has a couple of different varieties to share, as there are so very many different recipes, as you can see from the one above and this one. The combinations are endless as to what you can add or change. Be creative and enjoy. Use cabbage, lettuce or a combination of the two.

Cabbage Salad

1 head cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 package Ramen noodles, broken, either chicken or pork flavor

1/2 cup oil

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 package sliced almonds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/3 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare salad dressing by combining oil, sugar, vinegar and flavoring packet from the Ramen noodles. Combine all other ingredients. Mix well. Pour dressing over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Serve immediately. Serves 10 to 12.

Crunchy Salad

1 package slaw mix, or 1 pound cabbage shredded or a lettuce blend mix

1/2 cup green onions

1/4 cup margarine

2 packages Ramen noodles

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup oil

Mix margarine, noodles that have been crushed into small pieces, sunflower seeds and almonds together and toast on a flat pan in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or in a skillet over low to medium heat. Stir frequently to brown evenly. When cooled, combine with slaw or lettuce blend in a serving bowl. Mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and oil together and blend well. Add to salad just before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Sumi Salad

1/2 to 1 head cabbage, chopped

Green onions, including tops, sliced

8 tablespoons slivered almonds

1 (6 ounce) package rice noodles, China Bay

8 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

3/4 teaspoon oil

8 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar or red wine vinegar

Mix cabbage and onions in a large bowl. Brown almonds in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. If using regular sesame seeds, you need to brown them with almonds. This step can be done ahead of time. Just before serving, add sesame seeds and almonds to cabbage and toss with dressing. Add rice noodles at the last minute, using about half the package or to taste. Combine the dressing ingredients of sugar, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar together mixing well to dissolve sugar. Add the dressing at the last minute.

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The Altenburg, Mo., ladies have shared a couple of recipes for you to try.

Both sound very good.

Osage Pie

2/3 cup white sugar or 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white

1 egg

Pinch salt

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup pecans

Beat sugar and eggs. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to egg mixture.

Turn into greased 8-inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Marbled Chocolate Bars

1 package German chocolate cake mix

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Pour into greased 9-by-13-inch-baking pan. Stir cream cheese and sugar in small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on batter. Cut through batter to swirl cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. You may wish to drizzle a chocolate icing over the top. Makes about 3 dozen bars.

What a full and great week of recipe sharing. Keep those recipes coming! Have a wonderful week, and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.