Thursday, April 7, 2022

Avocado Salmon Salad


This Avocado Salmon Salad is light and fresh and full of flavor. It would be a lovely salad to serve in the summer when fresh dill can be added to the top. I am typically not a huge lemon fan but this salad was a definite keeper for our family.

To slice the veggies, I used my mandoline for a quick and uniform slice in no time at all. I have the older model of this de Buyer mandoline which I love. The blades are SUPER sharp so beware. It comes with interchangeable blades to slice, crinkle, julienne 4mm and 10mm, and waffle cut. It also has an integrated cube system. One side of the blade is serrated for waffle cuts; the other side has a micro-serrated edge for cutting fruits and vegetables. The newer model pusher is a nice upgrade to protect your fingers.


Just be careful when washing it! I’ve had other mandolines in the past that I always had to replace because they didn’t work well. This mandoline does everything you need and more!

Substitutions/Additions made by Cooking After Class for Avocado Salmon Salad:

  • used dried dill instead of fresh
  • used a regular cucumber instead of an English cucumber

Tips from Cooking After Class for making Avocado Salmon Salad:

  • bake salmon in an air fryer instead of pan frying to avoid the extra oil
  • be sure to slice the radishes as thin as possible so they do not overpower the salad

RECIPE: Avocado Salmon Salad Recipe

Rating: 4 out of 5

Effort: Quick & Easy

Time: 30 minutes

Kids Comments: Surprisingly good 🙂

Make it Again: Yes…nice fresh, salad…salmon is a great addition

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Pistachio Muffins



These Pistachio Muffins were delicious! They were savory with a touch of sweet. An absolute treat to enjoy for breakfast or brunch.

I was a little worried about how they would turn out since the batter was so thick but they turned out wonderfully…once they finally finished cooking. That was partially my fault since I chose to bake them as jumbo muffins (trying to complete with the Costco muffins my kids LOVE) but even if they were in a regular muffin pan, I believe they would have likely taken a bit longer to bake. Well worth it though…so yummy.

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Spicy Shrimp Tacos
These Spicy Shrimp Tacos have a little kick to them with a bit of lime to balance the flavor nicely. They are easy to throw together with just a few ingredients. They were tasty in a corn tortilla but just as yummy in a lettuce wrap.

Monday, April 4, 2022

Mexican Meatball Soup

Mexican Meatball Soup
This Mexican Meatball Soup recipe is better known as “Grandma’s Special Soup” by Rafael, one of my third grade students. He asked if I liked soup and when I told him YES, he brought in Grandma’s Special Soup recipe so that I could try to make it myself.

This soup was AMAZING! I loved how all the flavors came together. Rafael’s family sent in some dried spearmint leaves for me to use when making the meatball. So glad they had some extra to share as it really added to the mix of flavors in the meatballs (and also gave me ideas for drying some of my herbs this summer/fall…definitely something I need to explore further).

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Spicy Turkey Stir Fry

Spicy Turkey Stir Fry
I find myself making stir fry frequently. There are so many variations that you can make that are all full of new flavors. Most are also fairly healthy which make them a go to for me. This Spicy Turkey Stir Fry does not disappoint.

I have made this recipe several times in the past. I have used ground turkey, as the recipe calls for, but this time, I used ground venison instead. The flavors are wonderful with both meat choices.

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Bacon and Egg Spaghetti

Bacon and Egg Spaghetti
In our house, this Bacon and Egg Spaghetti is also known as Magazine Pasta. This meal was pictured on the cover of a Food Network magazine I received. Kenxie saw the picture and begged me to make it. Since then, it has been a regularly requested meal in our house. Easy and delicious…can’t beat that!

Friday, April 1, 2022

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

For Kenxie’s 12th birthday, she requested an Oreo Ice Cream Cake. I wasn’t able to find a recipe that I wanted to try without added whipped cream (ugh…I don’t like anything fluffy and cooking with it makes me nauseous) so I improvised and made it up as I went.

I started with a springform pan to make the crust. I used a 10 inch pan. I wanted a thicker crust since I LOVE oreo crusts. I used 35 oreos and ground them up to very fine crumbs using a food processor. Combine the crumbs with 5 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Crock Pot Italian Sausage Dinner

Italian Sausage Dinner
My kids are not crazy about crock pot meals but let’s face it, sometimes they are a necessity. This Italian Sausage dinner is an easy option because not only can it be prepared in a matter of minutes in the morning, there is nothing that has to be done in the evening to get it ready to serve. As soon as you’re ready to eat, you spoon out some green beans, grab a sausage link or two, and add a few potatoes to your plate and dinner is served.

Monday, March 14, 2022

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Beef Stew
This recipe was the first soup I made that my kids would actually eat. I kept telling them that it wasn’t soup, it was Beef Stew. They finally gave it a try and LOVED it. For years following that day, whenever I made soup, I referred to it as a stew so they would eat it 🙂 I always serve this Beef Stew with homemade bread. Delicious!

This recipe is one of Kenxie’s favorites so I made it the week of her birthday. I got home later than anticipated the night it was on the menu so I had to figure out how to get this on the table as quickly as possible.

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Easy Lasagna Soup

Easy Lasagna Soup
This recipe was recommended by a friend (thanks for sharing Megan). She has made this Easy Lasagna Soup for her family numerous times and always receives rave reviews. Since I’m a big soup lover and my kids love pasta, I thought this recipe would be a great compromise for us 🙂

When it was time to serve, they wondered whether they should eat it with a spoon or fork. They got an eye roll from me and a reminder that it was called lasagna SOUP. Needless to say, once they took their first bite using a SPOON, they were all pleasantly surprised. They really enjoyed this soup…and so did I. It’s a keeper for our family.