A peek into my weekly meal planning

The past couple of weeks have been exceptionally busy and I feel like I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. As a result, I’ve had considerably less time to research and test out new recipes to share here. So it’s been a story of old favorites! Since I’m very much in a to-do list/get s**** done mentality, this week I’m sharing how I plan out my meals every week.

It all happens on none other than my iPhone Notes app. Throughout the course of the week, I jot down recipes in an ongoing note; recipes that I read about in newsletters, are shared with me by friends or family, or I remember as an old favorite. This note is also where I store a list of my favorite recipes, as a recipe library of sorts. When the weekend comes around, I map out which specific meals I want to cook on each day, and make the shopping list. Here’s what last week’s meal planning looked like on my Notes app:

Hopefully, you recognize some of these tried-and-true favorites, as they’re all recipes I’ve shared here on IZK. Should any catch your eye, I’ve reshared the 411, my tips, and the taste-to-time ratio for each of the recipes below. Happy eating!

Soy Scallion Tofu Bowls

The 411: I love the way Chris Morocco’s technique for preparing this tofu, grating, creates crumbly bits of tofu that you can easily crisp up and brown—no small feat with water-laden tofu. The soy sauce/butter/maple syrup (or mirin) mixture that goes on the crisped tofu acts as a glaze rather than a sauce, and is a surprising yet delicious flavor combination.

Zoe’s Technique Tips: The recipe calls for either mirin or maple syrup, I always use maple syrup. Cut up bite-sized veg of your choosing (my go-to is broccoli) and brown them in a frying pan with some soy sauce to serve alongside the tofu and rice.

Taste-to-Time Ratio¹: 9:8

Cauliflower Shawarma With Spicy Tahini

The 411: In Melissa Clark’s recipe, large chunks of roasted cauliflower and red onion get piled atop warm pita, followed by a layer of crisp cucumbers and zingy tomatoes, and finished with a garlicky, spicy tahini sauce. If you don’t have a NYTimes Cooking subscription, you can access a video of the recipe here.

Zoe’s Tips: I read once that there’s “no such thing” as over-roasting your cauliflower. And while, of course, this is a slight exaggeration, the essence of it is true. Cauliflower can take a lot of heat, and you’re probably under-roasting it. Give it time and let it really brown.

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 8:7

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut & Turmeric

The 411: Another Alison Roman cozy stew masterpiece. In this recipe, chickpeas are spiced with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric, then simmered in a coconut milk broth. The stew gets bursts of green from wilted spinach and a mint garnish.

Zoe’s Tips: Save yourself a measuring cup and fill one of your empty coconut milk cans three-quarters of the way to the top with broth (my recommendation: water + ~1 tbs bouillon). And despite having made this recipe many times myself, I’ve never achieved much success in getting crispy chickpeas in step 2. Pay close attention to the cue of the chickpeas breaking down, and know that the final product will still be delicious even if they don’t crisp up.

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 8:8

Penne Alla Vodka

The 411: Ina Garten’s recipe for vodka sauce is very hands-off, makes your house smell amazing, and is overall just a very cozy meal. Onions are sautéed with garlic and oregano, the vodka is added and reduced, and then two cans of quality tomatoes are added to bake for 90 minutes. Once the tomatoes become jammy and abundant with flavor, they’re pureed and cream is added.

Zoe’s Tips: Save yourself a few minutes of chopping onions and put your food processor to work by pulsing large chunks of onion until they’re roughly chopped.

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 9:7 (but know that this is a very hands-off recipe)

1. The Taste-to-Time Ratio is a ratio that evaluates flavor on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest) with time on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the fastest). For example, our family favorite mac and cheese that requires 2 types of cheese, toasted baguette breadcrumbs, approximately all your kitchen pans, and 2 hours of baking is a 10:3 - insanely delicious, but not a quick weeknight meal.