Now that spring has officially arrived, there’s no better time to breathe new life into your weekly meal routine. I would like to introduce you to best-selling cookbook author Cathy Yoder, EmpoweredCooks.com & FabulesslyFrugal.com CEO, is here with six fresh, foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipes that celebrate the season—think vibrant sides, no-fuss mains, and crowd-pleasing desserts that are as easy as they are delicious.
Whether you’re planning weeknight dinners or Sunny weekend gatherings, Cathy’s recipes bring big flavor with minimal effort. Easter is right around the corner and my sister is on a Gluten-Free Diet and can’t eat Red Meat. I may make Parmesan Crusted Salmon (Air Fryer) for he for dinner alongside my families meal. Would you like to join my sister for Parmesan Crusted Salmon?
6 Super Easy Spring Recipes (Mains, Sides, and Desserts)
If you’d like to throw a twist on your deviled eggs this year, try this avocado version! It’s still healthy and the avocado adds some new flavor to this classic Easter dish.
Prep Time: 15minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15minutes minutes
Total Time: 30minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs
2 large avocados
1 lime or lemon or essential oil
¼ cup cilantro
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Hard boil your eggs. See the post for a secret for getting these perfect every time. Let eggs cool.
Cut eggs in half length wise and remove the egg yolk and set aside.
Mash together egg yolks only with all other ingredients. I like to use my immersion blender to get it really smooth.
Scoop mixture into egg whites and serve.
If you prefer a side salad that’s a bit more filling, this pea salad is a great choice. It’s packed with cauliflower, broccoli, celery, bacon, and peas, and the dressing is simple yet delicious.
Prep Time: 2hours hours
Total Time: 2hours hours
Servings: 10
Ingredients
Salad
2-3 heads broccoli finely chopped (about 6 cups)
¼ cup red onion finely diced
½ cup celery finely chopped
12-15 ounce package frozen peas thawed
1 pound bacon cooked crisp and finely chopped
½ cup shredded cheese optional
Dressing
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Chop all of the vegetables and cooked bacon into pieces that are pea-sized or slightly smaller. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. Pour dressing over salad. Gently fold the dressing into the salad until evenly coated.
Let salad chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
For best results, make this salad a day ahead to allow flavors to fully develop.
You can substitute Greek yogurt for half the mayonnaise for a lighter version.
Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes (Air Fryer)
Roasted tomatoes topped with parmesan, mozzarella, and basil are the best summer side dish or appetizer but can be enjoyed anytime!
Prep Time: 5minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3minutes minutes
Total Time: 8minutes minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
1-2 tomatoes you can use any of your favorite tomatoes besides cherry or grape tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese to taste
mozzarella cheese to taste
fresh basil leaves to taste
olive oil or avocado oil just a little to spray tops of tomato
Instructions
Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and place into a light greased air fryer basket.
Top the tomatoes with salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
Air fry at 400 °F for 3 minutes.
Top with fresh basil and enjoy.
Notes
Oven Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450F/230C.
Prepare the tomatoes as previously explained.
Place tomatoes on a baking sheet or dish. Roast in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until they are cooked to your liking.
Grill Instructions
Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
Prepare the tomatoes as previously explained.
Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the grill for about 4 minutes. Flip and grill the other side for an additional 2-4 minutes, or until roasted to your liking.
How long are roasted tomatoes good for?
The roasted tomatoes will best if served fresh out of the air fryer. But, like most foods, will last for 3 to 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze cooked tomatoes for up to a year in the freezer.
Parmesan Crusted Salmon (Air Fryer)
Easy recipe for Air Fryer cooking for busy days. This easy recipe for Air Fryer salmon is ready in just 13 minutes. Enjoy the taste of oven-baked salmon, with the convenience of Air Fryer cooking.
Prep Time: 5minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8minutes minutes
Total Time: 13minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp herb and garlic seasoning
- shredded parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 400˚F/204˚C for 5 minutes.
- Mix together the mayonnaise with the herb and garlic seasoning in a small bowl.
- Pat dry the salmon fillets with a paper towel and place the salmon in a lightly sprayed air fryer basket or on top of a foil sling in an air fryer basket.
- Spread the herb mayonnaise mixture on the top of the salmon filets. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Cook in the air fryer at 350˚F/175˚C for 8 minutes, or until the salmon registers at 145°F/62.7°C with an instant read thermometer.
Carrot Cake Roll
This dessert recipe is picture-perfect for Easter. And it’s simpler to make than you may think! Still, your family will surely be impressed when you bring it out to the table and tell them you made it yourself. It’s gorgeous.
Prep Time: 30minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40minutes minutes
Total Time: 1hour hour 10minutes minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients
Cake
3 eggs
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ cup flour
2 cups shredded carrots about 2-3 medium carrots
¼ cup powdered sugar for rolling
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Lightly grease the bottom of a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan. Cut parchment or foil to fit the bottom of the pan, then grease the paper or foil and the sides of the pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs at high speed for about 5 minutes. Then beat in the sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- In a small or medium bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, just until blended. Then stir in the carrots. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Edges should be set and the center of the cake should spring back when you lightly press on it.
- While the cake is baking, lay a clean kitchen towel out on a work surface. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup powdered sugar onto the towel covering an area about the size of the cake. As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, turn it out onto the prepared towel. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the foil or parchment.
- On one of the short ends, fold the edge of the towel over the cake, then roll the cake and the towel up all the way. Let cool for at least 1 hour.
- Once the cake is cooled, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the melted butter and vanilla. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- 4. Gently unroll the cake. Spread the filling evenly over the cake and carefully re-roll the cake tightly. You can use the towel to help keep your fingers from sticking to the cake.
- Chill cake until filling is set, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.
It’s hard not to love cheesecake, but a lot of people NEED their carrot cake on Easter. Well, now you can have the best of both worlds…and let me tell you, it’s super yummy.
Prep Time: 25minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1hour hour 10minutes minutes
Total Time: 1hour hour 35minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Cheesecake:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 2, 8 ounce packages
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
Carrot Cake:
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
½ pound finely grated carrots about 1 cup
Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
2 tablespoons butter softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sour cream
Instructions
- For the cheesecake, in a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended.
- Set aside.
- For the carrot cake, in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until the mixture is light creamy and light.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until just combined.
- Mix in the carrots.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Spread half of the carrot cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Dollop half of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake layer in spoonfuls.
- Don’t spread or swirl together.
- Dollop the rest of the carrot cake batter on and around the spoonfuls of cheesecake batter.
- Don’t spread it together.
- Spoon on the last half of the cheesecake batter on top of all the layers and spread with an offset spatula into an even layer.
- Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes (check earlier if using a 10-inch springform pan; it won’t bake as long as a 9-inch pan), tenting the top of the cheesecake with foil the last 20 -30 minutes of baking if it is browning too quickly.
- The cheesecake will puff a great deal in the oven thanks to the leavening in the carrot cake and it might even crack.
- Take care not to overbake the cheesecake or the carrot cake bottom and sides will be dry.
- The top center part of the cheesecake (just about a 2- or 3-inch diameter circle) should still be slightly soft and jiggly when you take it out.
- Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by whipping together the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time until the frosting is well-combined with no lumps.
- Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
- When the cheesecake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
- Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.
Widely regarded as the “Queen of Air Fryers,” Cathy Yoder—a mother of eight—wanted to prove that air fryers could do more than reheat frozen foods and leftovers. So, she documented her journey on YouTube. Today she boasts over 742,000 YouTube followers and yet more across other socials, over 6 million video views and tens of thousands of cookbooks sold.
At Yoder’s EmpoweredCooks.com multimedia platform, users have access to numerous resources: her “Air Fryer Recipes” cookbook filled with over 150 recipes; an array of specialized digital download air fryer recipe e-cookbooks; an air fryer cooking catalog with over 300 video recipes; cooking accessories; a transformative video course; and interactive “Cooking with Cathy” class sessions that happen live, in real time.
Yoder also offers a curated selection of budget-friendly tools and resources through her online store, PineandPepper.co that provides an array of video instruction and other resources specific to the joy of air fryer cooking. Her FabulesslyFrugal.com platform is rife with recipes and tips on how to live a healthy, wealthy, wise life full of independence and confidence.
Thank yoou,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
