Happy new year, friends! It has been almost a year since we started the AK Dinner Party, and we’ve decided to rebrand a little bit. From this month forward the AK Dinner Party will now be called the AK Recipe of the Month! It will still be a fun month-long series where we inspire you to cook a recipe with us, but we will likely try out more non-dinner recipes down the road. *Please note that the new hashtag for sharing is #AKRecipeoftheMonth.
IMPORTANT: please scroll down and read below for all of the deets on this month’s recipe, key dates for the month, how to enter the giveaway, and our charity of the month!
If you haven’t yet, enter your name & email below to get Recipe of the Month updates throughout the month and to be the first in line to see next month’s recipe.
January’s Recipe of the Month
We’re SO excited to share January’s Recipe of the Month: Healing Curry Butternut Squash Lentil Soup (with a slow cooker option!)! It’s SO cozy, flavorful thanks to tons of warming spices, and packed with plant-based protein.
We have many different ways that you can customize this butternut squash lentil soup to truly make them your own. Check them out below and, of course, read through the recipe blog post itself for all of the tips you’ll need.
- Swap the butternut squash. Cubed sweet potato or even pumpkin would be perfect in this soup.
- Choose your veggies. I love mixing in fresh spinach, but kale would be another perfect green to add!
- Add some spice. Looking for a kick of heat? Feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper when you add the spices. You can also top your bowl with some hot sauce!
- Boost the protein. Lentils give this soup a good amount of protein, but you could also add ground chicken or turkey (if you’re not vegan).
Here’s how the Recipe of the Month works
- The recipe: on the first Wednesday of each month we’ll share a reader-favorite Ambitious Kitchen recipe to make that month. You have the entire month to make the recipe!
- The giveaway: When you make the recipe (anytime during the month!) you have two different ways to enter to win a $100 Crate & Barrel gift card AND to choose this month’s charity. We’ll randomly select a winner at the end of the month. See below for the two ways to share! USA & Canada only.
Two ways to enter the giveaway
When you make the recipe, there are two different ways to share your creation with us in order to enter to win the $100 Crate & Barrel gift card (U.S. & Canada only):
1. On the blog: leave a comment and rate the recipe here with the hashtag #AKRecipeoftheMonth, plus your name and email (so we know you made it!) Scroll all the way past the recipe itself in the blog to where it says “Leave a comment & a rating.” Boom!
OR
2. On social media: Share a photo of your recipe creation on social via Instagram (stories or in-feed), TikTok, or in our Facebook Group by tagging @ambitiouskitchen and adding the hashtag #AKRecipeoftheMonth. *Please note for Instagram your profile must be public so that we can see your posts.
Key dates
- Wednesday, January 4th: January’s recipe is here! On this date, you can start cooking & sharing your recipe photos on social and on the blog.
- Monday, January 30th: the last day to submit your recipe photos on social and on the blog.
- Tuesday, January 31st: giveaway winner selected, notified via email, and shared on social.
- Wednesday, February 1st: January’s Dinner Party recipe announced!
Let’s give back
Each month we’ll pick a new organization where we’ll donate funds as a way to spread the love and do some good. This month our giveaway winner will also be selecting the charity! Stay tuned for charity deets at the end of the month.
Join the party
Ready to join the party and get cooking? If you haven’t yet, enter your email below and we’ll send you the recipe as soon as it drops at the beginning of each month, reminders about the giveaway, announce the winners, and more. Let’s do this!
Past Recipes of the Month
- February: Sweet & Spicy Hot Chili Chicken Noodles, donating to Digs with Dignity.
- March: Sweet & Spicy Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls, donating to International Rescue Committee.
- April: Vegan Pasta Primavera with Creamy Garlic Cashew Sauce, donating to FoodCorps.
- May: Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls For Two, donating to National Abortion Federation Hotline Fund
- June: 30 Minute Brown Butter Goat Cheese Grilled Veggie Orzo, donating to the National Parks Foundation
- July: Crazy Good Street Corn Chicken Tacos, donating to the Brave Space
- August: Pesto Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats, donating to the ACLU
- September: One Pan Thai-Inspired Coconut Yellow Curry Chicken & Rice, donating to Adopt a Classroom
- October: Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce, donating to Techos Pa Mi Gente
- November: Dad’s Creamy & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes, donating to Free Root Operation.
- December: Incredible Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies, donating to The Love Fridge.
