On this week's episode of my new show "Dylan Dishes: Cooking with Cal," it's Taco Tuesday! I'm revisiting three of my favorite festive recipes including steak tacos and easy, cheesy quesadillas.
Planning meals for an entire week can be challenging and stressful. One of my tricks for simplifying meal prep is to give each night its own theme. When you have a theme, it's easy to program dishes to match that menu while still keeping mealtime interesting and flavorful. Some simple ideas include a Meatless Monday or a One-Pot Wonder Wednesday.
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I usually turn to my food processor for our Mexican-themed dinners because it makes fresh, homemade salsas and marinades super simple, like in my mouthwatering recipe for steak tacos. If I have some extra veggies in my fridge, such as zucchini, mushrooms or bell peppers, I find that throwing them into a quesadilla is a great way to use them up. But really any type of veggie or hearty green tastes delicious when sauteed and melted in with cheese!
Now, a taco dinner wouldn't be complete without salsa. So we're also sharing a bonus recipe: my zesty mango salad. I love it because it's great served on top fish or chicken and it's also a great alternative to traditional salsa. It can also be made mild or spicy, depending on how you (or the kids) like it.
We just really love the skirt steak in this taco recipe, which is adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe where the meat tenderizes in a garlicky, citrusy and subtly spicy marinade. This dish goes a long way, which is great because the leftover steak is perfect on top of salad or a grain bowl.
I don't want to say I'm hiding veggies in this dish, but I certainly do squeeze in as many as I can. Once there's melted cheese on anything, Calvin is happy. These are great for a quick dinner or lunch, and they're an excellent way to use up leftover vegetables or any other proteins you have on hand. I like using ground turkey or chicken.
This mango salad adds a sweet, refreshing flair to any kind of chicken, fish or shrimp dish. My boys love mango, so they just enjoy eating this on its own. I leave out the jalapeño when I make it for them, but a hot pepper adds a nice spice to the cold, sweetness of the salad.
“Dylan Dishes: Cooking with Cal” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 am EST on TODAY.com/AllDay.
