Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread Pudding

To me, nothing says Spring like fresh Rhubarb and strawberries tell me summer is just around the corner!

Although many people enjoy the two in pies, and other sweet treats, this bread pudding is sure to please everyone! And don't worry about calories when enjoying this dessert; it's made up of many healthy ingredients!

4 large egg whites
4 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
4 cups of whole-grain bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6-8 slices or 8 oz.)
2 cups of roughly broken Ginger-Snap cookies
2 cups of quartered strawberries
1 cup of diced rhubarb
1/4 chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, lightly toasted.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter an 11" x 7" glass baking dish or a 2 quart casserole or you can spray lightly with a non-stick cooking spray.

To prepare the custard: Whisk together the egg whites, eggs and milk. Add sugar, vanilla & orange zest. Whisk to combine.

In another large bowl, toss together the bread, Gingersnaps, strawberries, rhubarb and nuts.

Add the custard mixture and toss to coat everything well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact it. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the custard has set. About 40-45 minutes.

While that's baking, throw together this quick streusel topping: Mix together 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup oats, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of canola oil.

After the bread pudding has baked for 40-45 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly across the top of the bread pudding. Return to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes until the pudding has puffed and is golden on top.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving! This is great served warm, or at room temperature! Enjoy this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!