What I've Been Cooking in January

Chicken Crispers, Soups and a Bonus Wintery Mocktail

This Thursday, Jan 16th at 6pm CST, I’ll be going LIVE here on Substack! I haven’t done a live event in a while, so I’m really looking forward to it. If you want to cook along, I’ll be making a copycat version of the Macho Salad from Honor Bar. (Keep scrolling for the recipe and shopping list!)

Over the past few weeks on TikTok and Insta, I’ve shared some really great recipes that I know I’ll be turning to again and again. There’s also some holdout recipes from New Year’s Eve in here, like the latkes and our family favorite cream cheese log. For paid subscribers, you’ll also find an incredible winter fruit mocktail for your “Dry January” needs.

Onto the recipes!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 lb ground beef

• 32oz jar Marinara

• 32oz beef broth

• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 cup heavy cream (if omitting, just add more beef broth)

• 1 box lasagna sheets (not the “oven ready” kind)

• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded or pearl)

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent, adding garlic halfway. Season with salt and pepper and add the red pepper flake. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Add ground beef to brown, breaking up into small pieces. Season with more salt to taste.

Once the beef is browned but not yet cooked through, add marinara and beef broth and stir until combined. Add ricotta, and heavy cream, bringing heat to medium high until a slow rolling boil is reached. Be sure to continue stirring so the beef doesn’t overcook at the bottom of the pot. Next, break up lasagna sheets into bite-sized pieces and allow to cook in the soup until al dente (about 10-12 minutes) Once the pasta is adequately cooked, add in mozzarella and parmesan and stir so they melt in.

Soup is best served topped with a spoonful of ricotta and a sprinkle of parmesan!

OG Chicken Crispers

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup rice flour

• 1/4 cup corn starch

• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 egg

• 1 to 1 1/4 cups light beer or club soda

• 1 lb chicken tenderloins (about 8-10 depending on the size)

• Additional salt pepper, onion powder and garlic powder for seasoning the chicken and the dredging flour

• Additional all purpose flour for dredging, about 1 cup

For the honey mustard

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard

• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 3 Tbsp honey

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, rice flour, corn starch, baking powder, sugar, salt pepper and seasonings. Add the beer and egg and whisk again to combine. Batter should be thick but pourable. Chill in the refrigerator while you assemble the other ingredients and the dredging station.

Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with additional salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and set aside. Preheat your fry oil to 375 degrees using a deep fryer or by heating neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Place some additional all purpose flour with the same seasonings as the chicken in a dish and whisk to combine. Assemble a fry station with the chicken, dredge flour and a “landing zone” for the chicken tenders. A rimmed baking sheet fit with a rack over some paper grocery bags or paper towels works well.

Remove the batter from the fridge and place it in your frying station. Dredge the tenders in the flour and then the batter. Let the excess batter drip away and then gently place the battered chicken into the frying oil, giving it a little wiggle when you first dip it in.

Allow the tenders to cook for about 5 and a half to 6 minutes or until very crisp and golden brown. Check the chicken with an instead read thermometer to ensure it’s fully cooked and season with salt as soon as they come out of the oil.

Allow to cool and then serve with honey mustard on the side for dipping.

Green Minestrone

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2 leeks, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flake

• 2 zucchini, diced

• 1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed and torn into small pieces

• 8 cups vegetable stock

• 8oz ditalini pasta

• 14oz can butter beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup jarred pesto

• 10oz frozen peas

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper to taste

To garnish:

• More olive oil

• Finely chopped herbs (optional)

• Grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Sauté the leeks for a few minutes until they’re softened and slightly translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flake Ana sauté for a few minutes more until toasty and fragrant.

Add the diced zucchini and sauté for about 5 minutes or until it just begins to brown but is still firm. Season again with more salt and pepper. Add the kale, and stir it in to wilt down, then add the vegetable broth, season again and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, boil some water in a large saucepan, and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta until al dente. Add a few ladlefuls of pasta water to the soup, then drain the pasta and add to the soup. Add the beans and stir to combine. Add the pesto, and the peas and allow the peas to warm up for a few minutes in the soup. Squeeze in the lemon juice and turn off the heat.

Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, some finely chopped herbs, and black pepper.

Latkes

Think of this as like a ratio. I use about 1 onion to every 3 potatoes, but feel free to adjust as needed! This recipe will make about 25 latkes.

Ingredients:

• 5 russet potatoes, grated

• 1 1/2 onions, grated

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup matzo meal (or flour)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Salt and pepper

• Neutral oil for frying

Instructions:

Grate the potatoes and place them in the center of a large, clean kitchen towel. Bring the corners of the towel together and ring them out over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. You may have to do this in batches depending on how many potatoes you’re using.

Place the shredded potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and add the grated onions, eggs, matzo meal (or flour), baking powder, salt and pepper. Using our hands, toss everything to combine well.

Preheat your oil in a large frying pan. You need just enough oil to come about an 1/2 to 3/4 inch up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to about 30 degrees, or you can test the oil by dropping in a small piece of shredded potato. If it sizzles, you’re ready to fry.

Using a cookie scoop, portion out the latkes into 1/4 cup (ish) mounds, and place into the hot oil. Give the top of the latke a gentle press with a spatula to flatten it slightly. Allow to cook until well browned, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Place onto a paper towel-lined baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and season with more salt as soon as they come out of the oil. Repeat with he rest of your latke mixture, and serve hot with sour cream and applesauce on the side.

Cream Cheese Log

pls pardon this horrific image lol

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package crescent roll dough

• 8oz cream cheese

• Pinch of salt

• 1/4 tsp back pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp dill weed

• 1 beaten egg yolk

• Ritz crackers for serving

Instructions:

Open the package of crescent dough, and remove half of the dough. Save it for something else or make some crescent rolls to go with. Unroll the dough and flatten it out, pinching the seams together.

Place the cream cheese in the center of the dough, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill weed. Gently flip the cream cheese over and repeat on the other side.

Fold the crescent dough around the cream cheese and pinch the dough together to close. Brush with the beaten egg yolk, then bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until very golden brown. Serve with a spreading knife and Ritz crackers.

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I’ll see you LIVE here on Substack this Thursday, Jan 16th at 6pm Central! I’ll be making as copycat version of the Macho Salad from Honor Bar. Below is the recipe and a suggested shopping list. Even if you don’t plan on cooking along, stop by, have a lil’ cocktail or mocktail and hang out- it’s gonna be a great time! 🍸

Honor Bar Macho Salad

For the salad:

• 2 cups cornbread croutons

• 1 head chopped leafy greens (kale, romaine, green/ red leaf lettuce)

• 2 cups shredded green cabbage

• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (cherry, Roma, Campari, etc.)

• 1/2 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed

• 8-10 dates, pitted and roughly chopped

• 1 Avocado, sliced

• 1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped

• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup vinegar (red wine, white wine, champagne, etc)

• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

For paid subscribers, keep scrolling for a fabulous Winter Fruit Spritz with Pomegranate and Sumo Orange mocktail that makes Dry January not so ho-hum.