Mexican Fiesta Meal Planning to Rev up your Week

Did I have you at Mexican Fiesta? 🌮🎉

I know!  If you’re like me, it’s hard to walk away from the flavors, spices and heat of southwestern cooking.

Now, picture this: You've had one of those exhausting days where you get to the end of it, and open your refrigerator door only to find it is empty, with no promise for inspiring dinner plans. 

What do most of us do in that dire situation? Reach for the takeout menu or make dinner choices that are not satisfying or healthy. 

But, fear not! There's a solution that doesn't involve culinary acrobatics or sorcery.  It's a simple trifecta of time, thought, and planning - otherwise known as meal prep. 

SOOOO many of my clients struggle with this - and it's not hard to understand why.  Most of us lead pretty busy, jam-packed lives.  It’s also easy to get lazy.  

When all those things come together, we end up blankly looking into our refrigerator door at the end of the day.  

Like most things in life that we accomplish and feel good about … it takes some time, intention and a bit of work.  

So, let's get strategic.

I like to cozy up with my weekly planner on Sundays and map out the week ahead. Not just meetings and appointments, but also, what culinary masterpieces I plan to whip up for dinner.

Once I've got that game plan, it's all about the prep work. Shopping, chopping, and maybe even some defrosting action. 

It's a no-brainer, but it does require a smidge of commitment. And it's definitely a habit worth cultivating. 

The result? Your week flows smoothly, and you get to devour scrumptious, wholesome meals. Win-win!

So back to the Mexican Fiesta.  I really went to town a couple weeks ago, preparing a lot of food over the weekend. The recipes were simple and delicious, and I had some nice leftovers for the whole week.  

The magic was in the variety …

- A couple delicious proteins (Fish Tacos and Carne Asada)

- A couple hearty salads that defy wilting and hold up in the fridge (Cilantro Cole Slaw and a Shaved Brussel Sprouts salad I had already prepared, plus some Arugula to play around with too)

- Sauces/toppings that bring it to a whole new level (Chipotle Crema, Pineapple Salsa, Avocado Salsa)

- Other prepared condiments like pickled jalapeños, salsa, pickled onions, feta and/or cojita cheese

I was basically indulging in these leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days. It was a feeling of pure culinary victory! 🏆

It was worth that feeling.

That feeling … of knowing that when your day ends, the hardest thing you need to do is to decide which leftover dishes you need to pull out and assemble.  And you’re excited … because they are really good leftovers.

I put carne asada alongside my eggs in the morning.  I put the fish on top of an arugula salad with pineapple salsa … and so on.  No option that you will come up with is a bad one. 

So, are you starting to salivate yet? If you're ready to embark on a culinary adventure, I've got the recipes below. 

Here’s one of the meals I made with the variety of fixings I had in the fridge. It made for a few days of delicious eating, without the cooking! Win Win!

Buen Provecho! 🍽️