This workflow follows the Form Trigger → Gmail recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
The workflow JSON
Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →
{
"name": "Generate three recipes using AI for quick meal options",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \ud83c\udf73 Lazy Chef: AI Recipe Generator\n\nTurn fridge leftovers into a feast. This workflow accepts ingredients (via **Form**), uses **Gemini** to generate 3 distinct recipe styles (Speed, Healthy, Creative), fetches images via **Google Search**, saves them to **Sheets**, and emails you a menu.\n\n## How it works\n1. **Input:** Submit ingredients via n8n Form or use Test Mode.\n - *Includes a **Test Mode** to simulate \"Eggs, Milk, Tomato\" input.*\n2. **Generate:** Gemini creates 3 recipes based on your mood and ingredients.\n3. **Visuals:** Searches Google Images for a matching photo for each dish.\n4. **Deliver:** Aggregates everything into a beautiful HTML email.\n\n## Setup steps\n1. **Connect:** Gemini, Google Custom Search, Sheets, Gmail.\n2. **Config:** Open **\"Config\"** to set API Keys and Sheet ID.\n3. **Test:** Set `TEST_MODE` to `true` to generate mock recipes instantly.",
"height": 360,
"width": 500,
"color": 3
},
"id": "sticky-main",
"name": "Sticky Note - Main",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-380,
240
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \u2699\ufe0f Configuration\nSet APIs & IDs.",
"height": 140,
"width": 240,
"color": 6
},
"id": "sticky-config",
"name": "Sticky Note - Config",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-380,
640
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \ud83e\udd55 Ingredient Input\nForm or Mock Data.",
"height": 140,
"width": 700,
"color": 6
},
"id": "sticky-input",
"name": "Sticky Note - Input",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
180,
240
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83c\udf73 AI Chef\nGenerates 3 variations.",
"height": 140,
"width": 440,
"color": 6
},
"id": "sticky-ai",
"name": "Sticky Note - AI",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
920,
240
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f Visuals & DB\nFetches images & Logs.",
"height": 340,
"width": 500,
"color": 6
},
"id": "sticky-visuals",
"name": "Sticky Note - Visuals",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
1400,
240
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## \ud83d\udce7 Menu Delivery\nSends HTML email.",
"height": 140,
"width": 380,
"color": 6
},
"id": "sticky-email",
"name": "Sticky Note - Email",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
1940,
240
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "id-1",
"name": "sheetId",
"value": "",
"type": "string"
},
{
"id": "id-2",
"name": "googleSearchApiKey",
"value": "",
"type": "string"
},
{
"id": "id-3",
"name": "googleSearchEngineId",
"value": "",
"type": "string"
},
{
"id": "id-4",
"name": "TEST_MODE",
"value": "true",
"type": "string"
},
{
"id": "id-5",
"name": "USER_EMAIL",
"value": "me@example.com",
"type": "string"
}
]
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "config-node",
"name": "Config",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"typeVersion": 3.4,
"position": [
-360,
700
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"formTitle": "\ud83c\udf73 Lazy Chef - Recipe Generator",
"formDescription": "Enter your fridge leftovers.",
"formFields": {
"values": [
{
"fieldLabel": "Ingredients",
"placeholder": "e.g., Eggs, Milk, Leftover Rice",
"requiredField": true
},
{
"fieldLabel": "Current Mood",
"defaultValue": "Hungry!",
"requiredField": true
},
{
"fieldLabel": "Your Email",
"fieldType": "email",
"requiredField": true
}
]
},
"options": {
"buttonLabel": "Generate Recipes"
}
},
"id": "form-trigger",
"name": "Ingredient Form",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.formTrigger",
"typeVersion": 2.3,
"position": [
220,
400
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"options": {}
},
"id": "manual-trigger",
"name": "Manual Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-600,
700
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"conditions": {
"options": {
"caseSensitive": true,
"leftValue": "",
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"conditions": [
{
"id": "is_test",
"leftValue": "={{ $('Config').first().json.TEST_MODE }}",
"rightValue": "true",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "equals"
}
}
],
"combinator": "and"
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "check-mode",
"name": "Test Mode?",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.switch",
"typeVersion": 3.2,
"position": [
220,
200
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Generate Mock Input\nreturn [{\n json: {\n Ingredients: \"Eggs, Milk, Tomato, Old Bread\",\n \"Current Mood\": \"Need energy\",\n \"Your Email\": \"test@example.com\"\n }\n}];"
},
"id": "mock-input",
"name": "Mock Input",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
460,
200
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Unify Inputs\nconst items = $input.all();\nconst inputData = items[0].json;\n\nreturn [{\n json: {\n Ingredients: inputData.Ingredients || \"Unknown\",\n Mood: inputData['Current Mood'] || \"Normal\",\n Email: inputData['Your Email'] || $('Config').first().json.USER_EMAIL\n }\n}];"
},
"id": "normalize-input",
"name": "Normalize Input",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
700,
300
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"modelId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "models/gemini-1.5-flash",
"mode": "list",
"cachedResultName": "models/gemini-1.5-flash"
},
"messages": {
"values": [
{
"content": "=You are a master chef.\nGenerate 3 distinct recipe styles based on ingredients: {{ $json.Ingredients }}\n\n1. Speed (5 min)\n2. Healthy (Low cal)\n3. Creative (Unexpected)\n\n[Output JSON Array ONLY]\n[\n { \"style\": \"Speed\", \"recipe_name\": \"...\", \"search_query\": \"Dish Name\", \"recipe_text\": \"...\" },\n ...\n]"
}
]
},
"options": {}
},
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.googleGemini",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
960,
300
],
"id": "gemini-generate",
"name": "Gemini: Generate Recipes",
"credentials": {
"googlePalmApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Parse Gemini output\nconst text = $input.first().json.content.parts[0].text;\nlet recipes = [];\ntry {\n const cleanText = text.replace(/```json/g, '').replace(/```/g, '').trim();\n recipes = JSON.parse(cleanText);\n} catch (e) {\n recipes = [{ style: \"Error\", recipe_name: \"Failed\", search_query: \"Food\", recipe_text: \"Error\" }];\n}\nreturn recipes;"
},
"id": "split-items",
"name": "Split into Items",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
1180,
300
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"url": "https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1",
"sendQuery": true,
"queryParameters": {
"parameters": [
{
"name": "q",
"value": "={{ $json.search_query }}"
},
{
"name": "cx",
"value": "={{ $('Config').first().json.googleSearchEngineId }}"
},
{
"name": "key",
"value": "={{ $('Config').first().json.googleSearchApiKey }}"
},
{
"name": "searchType",
"value": "image"
},
{
"name": "num",
"value": "1"
}
]
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "image-search",
"name": "Google Image Search",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
"typeVersion": 4.3,
"position": [
1440,
200
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "appendOrUpdate",
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "={{ $('Config').first().json.sheetId }}"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "Recipes"
},
"columns": {
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"value": {
"date": "={{ $now.format('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm') }}",
"style": "={{ $json.style }}",
"recipe_name": "={{ $json.recipe_name }}",
"image_url": "={{ $('Google Image Search').item.json.items[0].link }}"
}
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "save-sheet",
"name": "Save to Sheets",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"typeVersion": 4.7,
"position": [
1660,
300
],
"credentials": {
"googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Aggregate to HTML\nconst items = $input.all();\nlet html = \"<h2>\ud83c\udf73 Your 3 Recipe Proposals</h2><hr>\";\nitems.forEach(item => {\n const d = item.json;\n const img = $('Google Image Search').item.json.items[0].link || \"\";\n html += `<h3>${d.style}: ${d.recipe_name}</h3><img src='${img}' width='200'><p>${d.recipe_text}</p>`;\n});\nreturn { json: { emailBody: html, recipient: $('Normalize Input').first().json.Email } };"
},
"id": "aggregate-html",
"name": "Aggregate to HTML",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
1800,
460
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"sendTo": "={{ $json.recipient }}",
"subject": "\ud83c\udf73 Your AI Recipe Menu",
"emailType": "text",
"message": "={{ $json.emailBody }}",
"options": {}
},
"id": "send-email",
"name": "Send Email",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"typeVersion": 2.1,
"position": [
2000,
300
],
"credentials": {
"gmailOAuth2Api": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
}
}
],
"connections": {
"Config": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Test Mode?",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Manual Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Config",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Test Mode?": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Mock Input",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Ingredient Form",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Mock Input": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Normalize Input",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Ingredient Form": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Normalize Input",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Normalize Input": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Gemini: Generate Recipes",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Gemini: Generate Recipes": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Split into Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Split into Items": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Google Image Search",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Save to Sheets",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Google Image Search": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Save to Sheets",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Save to Sheets": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Aggregate to HTML",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Aggregate to HTML": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Send Email",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
Credentials you'll need
Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.
gmailOAuth2ApigooglePalmApigoogleSheetsOAuth2Api
Pro
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About this workflow
Generate three recipes using AI for quick meal options. Uses formTrigger, googleGemini, httpRequest, googleSheets. Event-driven trigger; 18 nodes.
Source: https://github.com/alternativescom/n8n-automation-workflows/blob/main/08-ai-recipe-generator/workflow.json — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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