Being a vegetarian, it’s not always easy to find a satisfying sandwich at just any deli on the street. Because of that, I usually like to go all out when I’m home making sandwiches for myself. This recipe combines the savory, meaty flavor and texture of mushrooms with rich and satisfying peanut butter for a vegetarian sandwich that’s big on flavor and filling, too.

In this Asian take on eggs benedict, I’ve replaced the hollandaise sauce with a tangy peanut butter sauce. Instead of poaching the eggs, I used an old Japanese technique of slow cooking the egg in the shell.

Originally made in natural onsen (hot springs), the eggs cook at a low temperature for a long time. This sets the eggs with a texture more like crème brûlée than boiled egg. You may not have a hot spring in your backyard, but you can still make these eggs by using a large pot filled with a lot of water, and carefully monitoring the temperature.

I was a guest once on a show where I got to assist a famous chef while he prepared a dish of whole shrimp wrapped in shredded pastry. I was asked to taste one for the camera and it was so incredible that once the cameras stopped rolling, I grabbed the demo plate and brought it back to the dressing room where I was able to enjoy the leftovers. Eager to taste it again, I decided to put my own spin on the recipe. Filo-wrapped shrimp (also known as “firecracker shrimp”) are actually a pretty classic party appetizer, but these takes it a step further with a spicy peanut orange marinade that does double-duty as a dipping sauce. The tails here are completely removed to make for a neat, no-fuss presentation (and so your guests won’t have to hunt around the room for a trash can).

When I’m craving something quick, tasty and substantial for dinner, this big bowl of saucy Asian-style noodles with ground beef and loads of fresh vegetables is just the ticket. Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you – once all the vegetables are cut up, it comes together in a flash, which makes it a perfect option on a hectic weekday evening.

What I love best about this recipe is that it’s endlessly adaptable, depending on what you’ve got around – change up the vegetables based on your preferences, replace the ground beef with ground pork or bite-sized pieces of chicken breast, or go meat-free by replacing the beef with a soy-based “ground round” or omitting it altogether.

I used The Heat Is On peanut butter as the base for my sauce because we like things spicy at our house, but if you can’t find The Heat Is On (or if you just want a less spicy version), substitute it with an equal amount of Smooth Operator peanut butter and spice things up with a squirt or two of Sriracha sauce.

A morning bowl of oatmeal is routine in my kitchen and more often than not it includes peanut butter and banana — a classic and delicious combination. For those mornings when I want something extra special or I have company in town, I serve baked oatmeal. Warm and comforting, you’ll enjoy the tender oatmeal, crunchy nuts and soft baked fruit on the bottom. Peanut butter is mixed right in and the result, if you can imagine, is like a warm piece of banana bread smeared with a generous helping of peanut butter. It’s truly a breakfast worth waking up for and helps start my day right!

Asian cuisine rarely has desserts to offer, at least not in the traditional European sense. No large towering cakes or plateful of brownies can be seen on the menu. That said, one of the few desserts you see, as a celebration for the Chinese New Year, is the peanut cookie. Not nearly as sweet as your usual peanut butter cookie, traditionally the New Year peanut cookie is made with freshly roasted ground peanuts.

Using peanut butter as a substitute is faster shortcut. But these aren’t your usual peanut cookie. Updated with the use of The Heat is On peanut butter, and a touch of lemon zest, these cookies will give you a kick into the new year, with their fiery red heat; perfect as red is the color of happiness and good luck.

These little cookies pack a wallop of red heat that grows after you eat it. The lemon citrus is subtle in the finish but there. If you want to dilute the heat a bit, try using 3/4 cup The Heat is On and 3/4 cup Smooth Operator in place of 1 ½ cup The Heat is On.

I had my first spring roll almost 10 years ago and still love the crunch of fresh vegetables and herbs paired with a peanut dipping sauce.

This is a fun dish to serve when having a couple of friends over for dinner. There’s very little cooking (none if you buy pre-cooked shrimp). Just some fancy chopping and stirring up a bit of sauce. If you happen to have vegetarian or vegan friends, add a couple more vegetables, like bean sprouts and red cabbage, and they can make their spring rolls without any shrimp.