Hey Reader!
In the 54th issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:
- Recipes for my Pizza Rolls and Cherry Garcia Protein Ice Cream!
- These Oreos are going viral (but don't judge a book by its cover)...
- Air fryer recipes that you can't mess up (and taste great!)...
- Save calories without sacrificing flavor using this underrated method...
Preheat your ovens…
Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️
Pizza Rolls
Growing up, pizza rolls were the definition of a toxic relationship!
You’d make them when you were starving, you wouldn’t let them cool and you’d burn the sh*t out of your mouth. BUT you’d still keep coming back!
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
Pizza Rolls.pdf
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Cherry Garcia Protein Ice Cream
Did you know that Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia is a top 3 flavor? I didn’t lol.
But I do know that the whole pint has 1030 calories (mine is just 353!).
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
Cherry Garcia Protein Ice Cream.pdf
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Recipe Recreations Of The Week 🤌
Macro-friendly Domino's Pizza!
Macros for the whole pizza:
580 Cals, 66g Carbs, 12g Fat, 52g Protein
Here's the recipe and video:
👉 YouTube video
Zach's Beats 🎧
Weird Food Fact 🤓
OREOs have poisonous flame-retardant ingredients?
There is this video going viral where this brand showcases their high-powered blow torch lighters against a bunch of OREOs.
They’ll do 0.5 seconds for one.
Then 5 seconds for another.
Then 30 seconds for the next.
And so on for longer times.
It’s an amazing way to keep you watching to see what happens lol.
But that's the punchline, nothing happens.
No matter how long they torch these OREOs, they all end up looking the same.
Just from seeing the thought that goes through my mind is:
If a lighter can't do anything to it, how can my body digest it?
And then you go to the comments section and see people all saying the same things!
We are not alone!
And this is when we now label a food we love as bad.
From one clickbait post to now OREOs are going to kill you.
But are OREO laced with flame-resistant chemicals that will kill you?
Or is this flame resistance the natural behavior of their normal ingredients?
Oreos consist of common ingredients like sugar, oil, and flour.
These ingredients react predictably to heat (creating the illusion of “flame resistance” without needing any mysterious chemicals).
- Sugar and Oils: When exposed to high heat, sugar melts and caramelizes while fats liquefy. Together, they create a barrier that chars rather than ignites.
- Low Moisture Content: Oreos are relatively dry (which makes them less flammable). Without moisture to vaporize and carry heat, foods tend to char before burning.
- Dense Structure: The compact combination of ingredients limits oxygen flow (which is essential for combustion). Without enough oxygen, fire simply can’t spread.
The term “chemical” sounds scary, but it’s important to remember that everything is a chemical (even water and air).
The video is dramatic and designed to shock but lacks any scientific backing.
The Oreos’ reaction to a blowtorch is a result of their ingredients (not artificial flame retardants).
Don’t let fear-mongering ruin your enjoyment of a beloved snack!
As with any calorically dense treat, moderation is key (aka the calories can add up quickly with these).
But most importantly, you can confidently leave the torch tests to the fear-mongering internet drama and keep indulging guilt-free!
One FAQ ❓
Question of the Week:
“Don’t judge me but I just got my first ever Air Fryer for Christmas! I am super excited because I have been drooling over all your Air Fryer recipes for FOREVER! Which ones do you think are the most beginner-friendly for me to try first? Thanks in advance Zach!”
Answer: First off, zero judgment.
Well actually… I'm judging you a little 🤣
This is like the party starting at 4pm and your slow behind gets there at 9:30pm!
Still love ya and glad you finally made it 😉
Welcome to the Air Fryer Party!
A party where you will be introduced to your first few life-changing recipes I am about to give you…
That’ll leave you utterly perplexed as to how you’ve survived up to this point without it!
It’s basically a low-calorie cooking cheat code that also actually cuts the cooking time in half as well.
So less calories AND less cooking time. WHAT A COMBO!
Trust me, it may seem like a complicated new kitchen gadget.
But the learning curve is tiny!
So here are my top 7 must-try first low-calorie air fryer recipes:
1.) French Fries
This is the consensus #1 on this list. The easiest way to get a quick win with your air fryer!
You can either just add frozen ones to the air fryer and cook till golden.
OR you can make them EASILY from scratch with crazy good macros with my recipe!
👉 Click here for the recipe
2.) The Juiciest Chicken Breast
Literally you can’t mess this up.
- Just pat dry and flatten your chicken breast.
- Season both sides.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 9 minutes.
No need to preheat the air fryer (I don’t really ever).
And then boom you have perfect juicy chicken breast!
Here’s my Buffalo Chicken Chalupa recipe where I show how I do this.
👉 Click here for the recipe
3.) Make some Chicken Nuggets!
These will teach you the breading technique I used in a lot of my videos.
Super duper easy!
And will lead to crispy and delicious chicken nuggets that are only 32 calories!
I have a bunch of different variations you should try but start with these spicy chicken nuggets first!
And just sub out the cayenne if you can’t handle spicy!
👉 Click here for the recipe
4.) Hot Pockets, Pop-Tarts, and Turnovers
These three concepts have endless combinations!
But I am going to share with you three of my favorites!
5.) Garlic Cheesy Bread
My favorite way to tackle a pizza or garlic cheesy bread craving in minutes!
This pizza dough recipe will be life-changing for you 🍕
Arguably my most popular recipe of all time.
👉 Click here for the recipe
Quick Bonus Pro Tips for Air Fryer Success:
- Just Air Fry it. Pre-programmed settings are a waste. Just use the air fry mode and follow the time and temp I recommend in my recipes.
- Don’t overcrowd the food. The food needs room to breathe (aka for that hot air to circulate around it for it to cook evenly).
- Shake the basket. Give your food a little toss halfway through for even crispiness.
- Reheating MVP. Reheating food in the air fryer is a game changer. 360°F and a splash of water = reheating wizardry. You’ll never microwave again.
- Get a meat thermometer. It is your kitchen crystal ball. No more dry chicken or guesswork (just perfect temps every time).
- Procrastinating on cleaning? Don’t. Two minutes of post-cook scrubbing beats chiseling off charred grease later.
- Don’t Overthink. Just Air Fry. Most recipes cook in 10-15 minutes or less. Easy wins!
So there you go! Seven recipes to make you feel like an Air Fryer Jedi from day one!
And if you make any of these, hit reply and let me know how they turn out 🫡
Serving Surprise 😮
What's my favorite phrase I use all the time?
More Bites = More Happiness.
But a lot of my favorite foods like butterfingers, OREOs, Biscoff cookies, etc. don't provide much food volume.
Aka only a few bites leaving you wanting so much more!
Plus the macros are poopy lol.
So how do I combat that?
I use my skillset that pays the bills!
I create a delicious lower calorie/high protein base recipe.
Then I crush the higher calorie foods into pieces to give more volume and then use them as toppings!
Here are some before and afters:
Key Takeaway:
Higher calorie foods as toppings instead of as the base so you can still get the flavor/texture/experience without it being a caloric bomb.
My Butterfinger Protein Ice Cream I made the other day is a prime example of this!
👉 Click here for the recipe
As we wrap up the year…
I just want to say thank you for hanging out with me in your inbox each week.
Whether you’ve tried a new recipe, learned something weird about food, or picked up a tip that made hitting your health goals just a little bit easier—I hope it’s been helpful.
This time of year is always a mix of reflection and excitement.
Reflection on the wins (and maybe the losses) from the past 12 months.
And excitement for what’s ahead—because no matter how the year went, the next one is a clean slate.
So whether your goals for next year are to eat better, train harder, or just keep making progress without giving up the foods you love… I’m here to help.
Let’s make 2025 the best one yet.
Cheers to more gains, more good food, and more wins in the new year.
Your friend,
Zach