Marcela Valladolid's 20 Top Recipes for Every Occassion

Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell
Prop Stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver
,Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell
Prop Stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Tangerine-Rosemary Vinaigrette

Bright flavors like tangerine and cranberries pair flawlessly with warm butternut squash and rosemary for a salad that could easily be the main focus of any meal.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©

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Warm Picnic Burritos

After the meat is marinated overnight, it's packed with flavor and ideal for standing up to the rest of the strong flavors in this hand-held dish. The best part is that all of the ingredients go into the filling, so building the burritos is a cinch.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©

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Chilled Avocado Soup

Avocados are already creamy and delicious, but they're on another level in this soup. The onions, serrano chiles and lemon juice bring out the flavors of the avocado, while cilantro adds a punch of freshness.

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Mexican Frittata

Frittatas can be made with almost anything you've got on hand, but Marcela likes to pack hers with cheese, green onions and Mexican crema for a smooth texture. Plus, it can be breakfast for the whole family in 25 minutes.

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Zucchini and Corn Pirate Boats

Talk about fun finger foods — these zucchini boats are the ultimate in getting kids to eat their veggies. With an easy filling that includes bacon for a dose of hearty flavor, they're both good-looking and delicious.

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Marcela Valladolid's Easy Mexican Chocolate Souffle for Taco Tuesday as seen on Food Network's Mexican Made Easy

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Easy Mexican Chocolate Souffle

Marcela's Mexican chocolate version of a classic souffle is foolproof. Perfect for a fancy dessert or just a weeknight treat, it's ready in under 40 minutes.

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Shredded Pork Tacos

Tons of citrus and some achiote paste — a Mexican seasoning blend — make this pork fall apart with incredible flavor. While it's slow-cooking, you'll have time to make pickled habaneros and red onions to serve alongside.

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Photo: Tara Donne

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Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie

With a four-ingredient crust, this isn't nearly as hard to tackle as it looks. The filling gets most of its flavor from store-bought dulce de leche and sliced bananas, so you can spend more time enjoying the result.

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Photo: Tara Donne ©

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Ground Walnut Cookies

Sometimes recipes with the fewest ingredients end up being the most delicious, and this one is no exception. The cookies are made from a simple mixture with ground walnuts, which gives them their deep nutty flavor.

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Chicken Tostadas

With help from refried beans and fully cooked chicken, this recipe couldn't get much easier. Just pile on all of the ingredients and top with your freshly blended salsa for a quick weeknight dinner.

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Beer-Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak

A steak needs only a few ingredients to make it the perfect piece of meat, and Marcela proves that with her skirt steak. It takes flavor from just a few simple additions: beer, orange, onion, garlic and soy sauce. And it's versatile — use it alone or as a taco filling.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©

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Tres Leches Cake

This is a hard one to pass up for entertaining. It's sweet, smooth and covered in whipped cream, so it's an instant favorite. Make it in advance, pop it in the fridge and spread on the topping right before you serve.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream; Marcela Valladolid

Photo: Tara Donne

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Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream

As far as fall comfort foods go, this 5-star recipe that's been reviewed over 100 times is definitely up there in popularity. Marcela takes it one step further by adding in homemade chipotle cream at the end.

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Baja Style Fish Tacos: Marcela Valladolid

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Baja-Style Fish Tacos

Mexican beer makes the batter on the fish extra light and crispy, while a citrus-packed cream sauce cools everything down. Make the filling and prepare the toppings while everyone creates their own taco.

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Classic Tortilla Soup Recipe

With just a few ingredients and some simmering, this soup becomes a must-have for cold weather. Make your own tortilla strips in no time to put on top for a crunchy finish.

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A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 9, 2014.
Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals
Â©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.,A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 9, 2014.
Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals
©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.,A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 9, 2014.
Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals
Ã Â©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

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Aztec Fruit Bars

Why pay for granola bars when you can make your own? These Aztec Fruit Bars — made with apricots, cranberries and dried figs — are packed with all the energy you'll need to get through the rest of the workday.

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Chile-Rubbed Chicken Breast with Kale, Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad

A meal filled with lean chicken and green vegetables is always an easy figure-friendly option, but it can get boring after a while. Try spicing things up with a chile-rubbed version including a powerhouse combo of kale, quinoa and Brussels sprouts on the side.

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Strawberry Meringue Cake

If you can use an electric mixer and a knife, you can make Marcela's meringue cake, or Mostachon. Plus, there's nothing strawberry-specific about the cake itself, so you can choose whichever fruit you'd like to put on top.

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Roasted-Tomato Salsa

Everybody should have a go-to salsa recipe, and this one could easily get the top spot on your list after a taste. With roasted tomatoes, shallots and serranos, it's got deep flavor that you don't always get with raw salsas.

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Shredded Spicy Chicken Tostadas

With a crunchy tostada on the bottom and tender shredded chicken on top, what's not to love? Tomatillos, pureed chipotle and Mexican spices give it unforgettable flavor in under an hour.

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