Recipes

Smoky Mustard BBQ Black Beans

Mustard-forward BBQ black beans with maple sweetness and smoky chipotle heat. Perfect as a side dish or served with tofu dogs for beans and weiners.

Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Mash

A rustic sweet potato mash with warm spices, white miso, and coconut milk. Sweet potatoes are large-diced and roasted until caramelized, then mashed with umami-rich miso and a touch of maple. Red onion wedges roast alongside and are folded in after mashing for textural contrast. Fully vegan and dairy-free.

Creamy Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowl

Aromatic Foundation (Garlic, Ginger, Green Onion Whites): These three create the volatile compound base through the Maillard reaction during sautéing. Garlic's allicin and ginger's gingerol become aromatic when heat breaks down their cell walls, creating sulfurous and spicy-warm notes. Cooking them first in fat allows these fat-soluble compounds to bloom and infuse the oil, which then coats everything else. The green onion whites add mild allium sweetness without the sharpness of the greens. Emulsification Agent (Peanut butter + Water): Peanut butter contains both fat and lecithin (a natural emulsifier). When warmed and combined with water, it creates a stable oil-in-water emulsion that prevents the sauce from breaking. The proteins in peanut butter also contribute to this stability while adding body and nutty richness. Umami Layer (Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, MSG, Hoisin): This quartet creates umami synergy. Soy sauce brings glutamates from fermented soybeans. Fish sauce adds inosinate from fermented anchovies. MSG provides pure glutamate. Hoisin contributes fermented complexity. When combined, these compounds amplify each other exponentially - 1+1+1+1 = 8+ in perceived savoriness. Acid Balance (Rice Vinegar): Acetic acid brightens the heavy fat-protein-umami base, cutting through richness and enhancing flavor perception across the palate. It also helps stabilize the emulsion by lowering pH slightly. Heat Architecture (Gochujang, Chilli Crisp): Gochujang provides fermented, fruity heat from gochugaru peppers plus glutamates from fermentation. Chilli crisp adds textural oil-suspended heat and aromatic Sichuan pepper notes. Together they create layered heat - immediate tingle from the crisp, building warmth from the gochujang. Sweet Balance (Hoisin): Provides fermented sweetness to balance salt-acid-heat, plus thickening starches that add body to the sauce. Finishing Aromatic (Sesame Oil, Green Onion Greens): Added off-heat to preserve volatile aromatics that would cook off. Sesame oil's toasted nut compounds are extremely heat-sensitive. Green onion greens add fresh, sharp allium bite and visual contrast - their cell structure stays crisp when not cooked. The Experience: The noodles provide starchy surface area that the emulsified sauce clings to. Dumplings add textural contrast and protein richness. Broccoli introduces vegetal bitterness and fiber that cuts through the fat. The result is a flavor progression: initial aromatic warmth → rich peanut coating → building umami depth → bright acid lift → layered heat → fresh aromatic finish.

Mole-Style Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A deeply complex Mexican mole-style sauce featuring roasted red peppers, jalapeños, cacao, and tahini with warm spices. The roasted ginger and garlic add aromatic depth, while the cacao provides authentic mole bitterness and complexity. The tahini brings nutty richness traditionally found in nut-based moles. Perfect as a braising sauce, simmer sauce, or served over rice and beans.

Baseline Meaty Tofu Marinade

A savory, umami-rich marinade with smoke and depth. Works as a baseline for batches of marinated tofu, tempeh, seitan, or mushrooms. Takes 30+ minutes to develop flavor.

Quick Yakisoba Sauce

A versatile umami-forward sauce base. Layered flavors from soy, Worcestershire, hoisin, and garlic chili with a light sweetness from sugar and ketchup. Designed as a component recipe to pair with separate protein and carbohydrate recipes.

Sweet Potato Chili

Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce

Fresh, creamy avocado sauce with cilantro and lime. Perfect as a drizzle for grain bowls, tofu, or roasted vegetables. Yields approximately 300ml of smooth, pourable sauce.

Cheesy Korean Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Sweet Chipotle Lime Bean & Tofu Salad Bowl

A vibrant and satisfying salad bowl featuring maple-glazed chipotle tofu, protein-rich beans and chickpeas, roasted vegetables, and a creamy chipotle ranch dressing. This plant-forward dish balances sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors with fresh cilantro and creamy avocado. The crispy tofu provides texture while the roasted corn and peppers add smoky depth.

Chili Garlic Sesame Broccoli

Crispy roasted broccoli with Asian-inspired seasonings including chili paste, garlic, ginger, and sesame. Developed to create maximum sauce coating for serving over rice.

Roasted Chickpea & Greens Salad with Mustard-Maple Dressing

A simple, textural salad with smoky roasted chickpeas and a bright wholegrain mustard-maple dressing. Chickpeas are thoroughly dried before roasting for maximum crispiness, seasoned with cumin, paprika, MSG, salt, and pepper. The garlicky dressing provides a tangy, slightly sweet lift that cuts through the richness of heavier mains.

Gochugaru Tofu Marinade

Korean-inspired marinade featuring gochugaru, fresh aromatics, and citrus for bold, umami-rich flavor. Developed through multiple iterations to achieve optimal flavor penetration with liquid smoke and balanced heat.

Strawberry Oat Bars

Modified oat bars with strawberry chia jam filling, optimized for structural integrity and caloric efficiency. Key modifications from original: Removed coconut sugar and unsweetened coconut. Reduced maple syrup in oat mixture by 50% (from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup). Swapped coconut oil for vegetable oil. Added egg for binding and improved structure. Implemented swirl technique instead of distinct horizontal layers for better jam distribution and structural integrity. Increased bake time from 30 to 35 minutes. Uses 8-inch square pan for lower profile and easier handling compared to loaf pan.

Mexican Black Beans

Simple Mexican-style black beans with fresh aromatics and feta. A flavorful side dish featuring sautéed onions and garlic, tomato paste for depth, cumin and chipotle for authentic spice, finished with fresh lime and cilantro. The feta adds creamy tang that complements the earthy beans.

Spicy Asian Day Old Rice Omelette

A crispy-bottomed folded omelette built on food science fundamentals. Day old rice is essential - retrogradation firms the starch structure while dehydration allows Maillard browning instead of steaming. The triple chilli stack (gochujang, chilli garlic sauce, chilli crisp) delivers layered heat: fermented depth, sharp acidity, and oil-based crunch hitting at different times. Salt seasons the eggs rather than the rice because salt is hygroscopic and would pull moisture to the surface, working against crisping. Salting eggs disrupts protein bonds for a more tender set. Covered cooking creates two heat zones: direct contact crisps the bottom while trapped steam gently sets the top. Pre-cooking bacon preserves its crispy texture through the steam phase. Pickled carrots provide acid to cut richness, temperature contrast, and textural crunch. The final fold compresses layers, enables carryover cooking, and adds structural integrity.