Okay, so I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier lately, and one of my go-to places for a quick and tasty meal has always been Zoe’s Kitchen. I just love their Mediterranean flavors! But eating out all the time gets expensive, so I thought, why not try making some of their stuff at home? That’s how I started this little adventure of trying out Zoe’s Kitchen recipes.
First, I grabbed my phone and started looking around online for some recipes. There were tons of them claiming to be “copycat” versions of Zoe’s dishes. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest. I decided to focus on a few of their things that I order most often.
My Target Dishes
- Hummus: I mean, who doesn’t love hummus? Zoe’s has a really good one, so I figured that would be a good starting point.
- Steak Kabobs: These are so flavorful and always cooked just right. I wanted to see if I could get that same flavor at home.
- Braised White Beans: I know, it sounds a little boring, but these are seriously addictive. They’re creamy and seasoned perfectly.
So, I went through a bunch of different recipes for each dish. Some were super complicated, with ingredients I’d never even heard of. Others seemed too simple, like they wouldn’t really taste like Zoe’s. I finally settled on a few that seemed like a good middle ground. They had ingredients that I could easily find at my regular grocery store, and the instructions didn’t seem too crazy.
Next, it was time to go shopping. I made a list of everything I needed and headed to the store. I managed to find almost everything, except for maybe one or two spices that I had to substitute with something similar. No big deal, I’m used to improvising a little in the kitchen.
Then came the fun part – cooking! I started with the hummus because it seemed like the easiest. I threw all the ingredients in my food processor, blended it up, and gave it a taste. It was pretty good, but not quite there yet. I added a little more lemon juice and some extra garlic, and that seemed to do the trick. It wasn’t exactly like Zoe’s, but it was still really tasty.
The steak kabobs were a little more challenging. I marinated the steak for a few hours, then threaded them onto skewers with some veggies. I grilled them, trying to get that nice char on the outside. They turned out pretty good! The marinade was really close to Zoe’s, and the steak was tender. Definitely will make them again.
Finally, I tackled the braised white beans. This one took the longest because of the braising time, but it was mostly hands-off cooking. I just sauteed some onions and garlic, added the beans and some broth, and let it simmer away on the stove for a while. The result was amazing! They were just as creamy and flavorful as the ones at Zoe’s. I was so proud of myself!
Overall, my Zoe’s Kitchen recipe experiment was a success. I learned how to make some of my favorite dishes at home, and I saved some money in the process. It wasn’t always perfect, but it was a fun experience, and I’m definitely going to keep trying more of their recipes in the future. If you’re a fan of Zoe’s, I highly recommend giving it a try!
