Nutrition Consultant Student Ashley Denisov Wins Bauman College’s Most Original Summer Recipe

Content Summary

In this third installment of our 2026 Summer Recipe Writing Contest series, Bauman College spotlights Ashley Denisov, winner of the Most Original Award for her Blistered Shishito Peppers with Whipped Tofu. Discover how Ashley drew inspiration from L.A. restaurant culture, plant-based cooking for friends, and her studies in nutrition to craft a high-protein, shareable summer appetizer that pairs smoky, charred peppers with a cool, creamy tofu sauce.

• Plant-Based Innovation: How Ashley developed a protein-rich alternative to whipped ricotta using tofu, providing a cooling counterpoint to unpredictable shishito heat.
• A Historic Contest First: Ashley makes history as the very first student from Bauman College’s Nutrition Consultant program to win a recipe contest award.
• Interactive Dining: The fun, “party trick” appeal of blistered peppers made for swiping, dipping, and sharing around the table.

Bauman College’s 2026 Summer Recipe Writing Contest brought in plenty of bright, seasonal dishes, but one entry stood out for taking summer flavors in an unexpected direction.

Ashley Denisov’s Blistered Shishito Peppers with Whipped Tofu earned the contest’s Most Original Award, pairing smoky, just-charred peppers with a creamy plant-based sauce and a finishing touch of sesame.

While many of this year’s submissions leaned toward summer salads, Ashley’s recipe offered something different: a playful, shareable appetizer that feels equally at home at a backyard gathering or around the dinner table.

Finding Inspiration in Plant-Based Cooking

Ashley is not vegan herself, but cooking for vegan friends has encouraged her to experiment with plant-based versions of familiar foods.

“I have a lot of vegan friends that I cook for,” she explained. “When I’ve been trying to come up with recipes for them, I’ve been making substitutions and trying to develop something like a vegan whipped ricotta.”

She has experimented with different ingredients, including cashews, but tofu proved especially well-suited to this recipe. Beyond creating the creamy texture Ashley was looking for, it also gave the dish an additional source of protein.

That mild, creamy base turned out to be an ideal partner for shishito peppers.

Shishitos are known for their mostly gentle heat—with the occasional fiery pepper hiding in the bunch. The whipped tofu provides a cooling counterpoint without overpowering the peppers themselves.

The Magic of a Blistered Shishito

For Ashley, part of the appeal of shishito peppers is how easily they can be transformed.

“What I love about a blistered shishito is that it’s kind of a party trick,” she said. “It’s so easy. For such low effort, that hot sear, with doing so little to them, you’re in a really good flavor zone.”

A hot pan or wok brings out the peppers’ smoky, savory qualities while preserving the simplicity that makes them so appealing.
Ashley has also been exploring more Asian-inspired flavors in her cooking lately, which led naturally to the recipe’s finishing touches.

“When I was thinking of hitting them with that wok heat, I was like, well, might as well drizzle some sesame oil at the end there.”

Sesame oil and sesame seeds bring another layer of nutty flavor to the dish while keeping the peppers at center stage.

The inspiration also came from Ashley’s Los Angeles surroundings. Blistered peppers, including shishitos and varieties such as Jimmy Nardellos, frequently appear on restaurant menus around the city, particularly as appetizers and share plates.

That culture of casual, flavorful small plates helped shape her approach.

A Dish Made for Sharing

Ashley originally envisioned the recipe as an appetizer, and testing it with her family reinforced just how naturally the dish encourages sharing.

Shishito peppers are traditionally finger food, but placing them over a creamy whipped tofu sauce creates a delicious dilemma: fork or fingers?

Ashley and her family found their own solution.

“We still all kind of reached for the stem and moved it around the tofu and just ate it that way,” she recalled. “It felt like a fun, light share plate.”

That informal style is part of the dish’s charm. Guests can grab a pepper by the stem, swipe it through the whipped tofu, and discover whether they’ve picked a mild shishito, or one of the occasional spicy surprises.

Combining a Love of Food With Nutrition

Ashley’s contest win carries another distinction: she is the first student from Bauman College’s Nutrition Consultant program to win one of the school’s recipe contests.

A passionate home cook and recipe developer, Ashley considered different educational paths before deciding to pursue nutrition consulting.

“I love spending all of my time reading and developing recipes,” she said.

Her interest in nutrition became more personal after her own experience with endometriosis prompted her to think differently about the relationship between food, wellbeing, and supporting others.

She chose the Nutrition Consultant program because she wanted to explore ways of helping women think about food as one component of supporting their health, while also bringing her enthusiasm for cooking and recipe development into that work.

As she looks toward creating meal plans for future clients, Ashley hopes her love of cooking will help her make nourishing food feel inspiring rather than restrictive.

Her contest-winning recipe is a fitting example of that philosophy: familiar ingredients, thoughtful nutrition, bold flavor, and just enough creativity to make people excited to gather around the plate.

Celebrating Seasonal Creativity

Ashley’s Blistered Shishito Peppers with Whipped Tofu embodies what summer cooking can be: uncomplicated, seasonal, flavorful, and fun.

With smoky peppers, creamy tofu, sesame notes, and an interactive share-plate presentation, the recipe earned its place as Bauman College’s Most Original entry of the summer.

Congratulations to Ashley Denisov on her winning recipe, and on reminding us that sometimes the most memorable summer dish isn’t another salad, but a plate of blistered peppers waiting to be shared.

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Whipped Tofu

By Ashley Denisov
Servings | 4-6 as a starter
Prep Time | 10 minutes Cook Time | 15 minutes Total Time | 25 minutes

When I have vegan friends come to dinner, I invite the challenge of reimagining some of my favorite dishes for them. Whipped tofu is my answer to a whipped ricotta or feta, and topping it with shishito peppers felt like a surprising pairing for it. A final drizzle of sesame oil on the shishitos pulls it all together.

INGREDIENTS

• 14 oz package firm tofu
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, plus an extra wedge for finishing
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 3 tbsp avocado oil, divided
• Sea salt
• 8 oz shishito peppers
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• Toasted sesame seeds for serving, optional

EQUIPMENT

• Wok or stainless-steel skillet
• Blender or food processor

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain the tofu and gently squeeze the water out with your hands. Pat dry with a clean dish towel. Crumble the tofu into a food processor or blender and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, miso, 2 tbsp avocado oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, 2–3 minutes, scraping the mixture down the sides as you go. If the mixture still has some graininess, add a bit more lemon juice or water one spoonful at a time. Taste for salt and acid, adding more if needed.

2. Heat a wok or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until a flick of water evaporates in the pan instantly, 1–2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil, swirl to coat, then add the shishito peppers. Turn down the heat if you feel like things are beginning to smoke and cook until blistered and blackened, shaking the pan frequently, about 5 minutes. Finish with the toasted sesame oil off heat.

3. To plate: Spoon the whipped tofu onto the center of a plate. Using the back of a spoon, spread outward in a circular motion until the plate has a ring of whipped tofu around the border and a slight divot in the center. Pile the shishitos in the center of the plate. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of sea salt, and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.

Make-ahead tips: You’ll likely have whipped tofu left over. It keeps 4 days refrigerated and is excellent as a dip for crudités or spread on toast.

Allergens: Soy (tofu), Nightshades (shishito peppers), Sesame (seeds and oil)

Explore the 2026 Summer Recipe Writing Contest

Ashley’s award-winning peppers are just one of the incredible highlights from our summer recipe contest. To see the full list of winners, watch the Awards Ceremony video, and access the additional spotlights for our Best Written Recipe and Best Presentation categories, check out our main announcement post: Winners of Bauman College’s 2026 Summer Recipe Writing Contest