Happy 1 year to IZK!

This coming Monday marks one year since the first newsletter of In Zoe’s Kitchen. What started out as a note on my phone—cut through the recipe clutter, vegetables, what to call it?—has since become a very fun creative outlet and opportunity for me to share some recipes I love. At this one-year mark, I’ve shared over 60 recipes, some musings around cheese, and a lot of opinions about food.

These days more than ever, I think it’s so important to step away from our phones, get our hands dirty, minds settled while chopping veg, and loved ones gathered around a table to share the joy of food. I hope that this next year brings abundant cooking inspiration from my kitchen to yours, I’m so grateful you’re here ❤️

Superhero Muffins

The 411: Over the past month or so, I have started to get Poppy involved in the kitchen in small ways. She’s become my weekend baking buddy, and we make a batch of Shalene Flanagan’s muffins (or, as she calls them, ma-poos) every weekend. I love that every ingredient in the muffins is nutritious and fuels your body in a positive way. The base is almond flour, and they’re amped up with shredded carrots (+ optional zucchini), oats, raisins (I sub chocolate chips), nuts, and maple syrup.

Zoe’s Tips: If you too have a small baking buddy that requires choking-hazard-free ma-poos, sub the nuts for hemp hearts. They’re fairly moist muffins, so store them in the fridge.

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 7:6¹

Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens

The 411: A few weeks ago, my friend asked me if I had tried Alexa Wiebel’s viral spicy tomato beans from NYTimes Cooking. I had not. But then I did! And they are delightful. The base is cheesy, creamy, tomato-y white beans. Then a mountain of arugula is piled atop, that’s made deliciously crunchy with toasted breadcrumbs, bright and zingy with lemon juice and zest, and salty with more parm. Make these beans!

Zoe’s Tips: We’re not a big spicy foods fam, so can confirm that these are just as tasty when you minimize the crushed red pepper. Otherwise, no notes!

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 9:8

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.