diff --git a/services/py-help-service/main.py b/services/py-help-service/main.py
index 7abcdfe..02232a1 100644
--- a/services/py-help-service/main.py
+++ b/services/py-help-service/main.py
@@ -7,15 +7,21 @@
 from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI, HTTPException, Header, Request
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
-from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model
+from langchain.chat_models import BaseChatModel, init_chat_model
 from langchain_core.messages import HumanMessage, SystemMessage
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+from client.cooking_assistant_gen_ai_services_api_internal_client.types import Unset
 
 from client.cooking_assistant_gen_ai_services_api_internal_client.models.help_request_forwarded import (
 	HelpRequestForwarded,
 )
-from client.cooking_assistant_gen_ai_services_api_internal_client.models.help_response import (
-	HelpResponse,
-)
+
+
+# autogenerated classes must be mapped to local ones that are compatible with pydantic
+class LocalHelpResponse(BaseModel):
+	response: str
+
 
 # Load variables from .env for local testing
 load_dotenv()
@@ -118,7 +124,11 @@ def get_llm():
 			raise RuntimeError("CRITICAL: GEMINI_HELP_SERVICE_KEY is missing!")
 
 		kwargs["google_api_key"] = gemini_key
-		kwargs["response_format"] = {"type": "application/json"}
+		kwargs["thinking_level"] = (
+			"low"  # inference time fluctuate a lot
+			# minimal doesn't seem a lot faster than low but seemingly produces more mistakes in json output formatting
+			# medium and high seem noticeably slower than low
+		)
 		model_name = os.getenv("GEMINI_MODEL", "gemini-3.1-flash-lite")
 
 	try:
@@ -133,7 +143,9 @@ def health_check():
 
 
 @app.post("/ai/help", dependencies=[Depends(verify_internal_hmac)])
-async def generate_help(request_data: dict[str, Any], llm=Depends(get_llm)):
+async def generate_help(
+	request_data: dict[str, Any], llm: BaseChatModel = Depends(get_llm)
+):
 	try:
 		request = HelpRequestForwarded.from_dict(request_data)
 	except Exception as e:
@@ -170,20 +182,47 @@ async def generate_help(request_data: dict[str, Any], llm=Depends(get_llm)):
 				)
 
 		if request.recipe:
-			context.append(
+			recipe_ctx = [
 				f"The user is currently looking at a recipe for '{request.recipe.title}'."
+			]
+
+			ingredients = getattr(request.recipe, "ingredients", None)
+			if ingredients:
+				recipe_ctx.append("\nIngredients:")
+				for ing in ingredients:
+					recipe_ctx.append(f"- {ing}")
+
+			instructions = getattr(request.recipe, "instructions", None) or getattr(
+				request.recipe, "steps", None
 			)
+			if instructions:
+				recipe_ctx.append("\nInstructions:")
+				for idx, step in enumerate(instructions, 1):
+					recipe_ctx.append(f"{idx}. {step}")
+
+			if request.recipe.nutrients and not isinstance(
+				request.recipe.nutrients, Unset
+			):
+				nut = request.recipe.nutrients
+				recipe_ctx.append("\nNutritional Information (Total recipe):")
+				recipe_ctx.append(f"- Calories: {nut.calories} kcal")
+				recipe_ctx.append(f"- Protein: {nut.protein}g")
+				recipe_ctx.append(f"- Fat: {nut.fat}g")
+				recipe_ctx.append(f"- Carbohydrates: {nut.carbs}g")
+
+			context.append("\n".join(recipe_ctx))
 
 		# Combine into LLM prompt
 		system_prompt = SystemMessage(content=" ".join(context))
 		user_prompt = HumanMessage(content=request.prompt)
 
-		result = await asyncio.wait_for(
-			llm.ainvoke([system_prompt, user_prompt]), timeout=60
+		structured_llm = llm.with_structured_output(LocalHelpResponse)
+
+		result: LocalHelpResponse = await asyncio.wait_for(
+			structured_llm.ainvoke([system_prompt, user_prompt]), timeout=60
 		)
 
-		help_response = HelpResponse(response=result.content)
-		return help_response.to_dict()
+		return result.model_dump()
 
 	except asyncio.TimeoutError:
 		raise HTTPException(
diff --git a/services/py-help-service/requirements.txt b/services/py-help-service/requirements.txt
index 68d4b58..bc1d1e5 100644
--- a/services/py-help-service/requirements.txt
+++ b/services/py-help-service/requirements.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 fastapi==0.111.0
 uvicorn==0.30.1
 langchain==1.3.11
-langchain-openai==1.3.3
-langchain-google-genai==2.1.12
 langchain-core==1.4.7
-pydantic==2.7.4
+langchain-openai==1.3.3
+langchain-google-genai==4.2.6
+pydantic==2.12.5
 python-dotenv==1.0.1
 attrs==23.2.0
 python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
diff --git a/services/py-help-service/tests/test_help_service.py b/services/py-help-service/tests/test_help_service.py
index 3da89a4..42aadfd 100644
--- a/services/py-help-service/tests/test_help_service.py
+++ b/services/py-help-service/tests/test_help_service.py
@@ -3,118 +3,127 @@
 import hmac
 import hashlib
 import json
-from unittest.mock import AsyncMock
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
-from main import app, get_llm, SECRET_KEY_STR
+from main import app, get_llm, SECRET_KEY_STR, LocalHelpResponse
 
 client = TestClient(app)
 
+
 def create_auth_headers(payload: dict):
-    """Helper to generate valid HMAC headers for testing."""
-    timestamp = str(int(time.time()))
-    body_bytes = json.dumps(payload, separators=(',', ':')).encode('utf-8')
-
-    hmac_context = hmac.new(SECRET_KEY_STR.encode('utf-8'), digestmod=hashlib.sha256)
-    hmac_context.update(timestamp.encode('utf-8'))
-    hmac_context.update(b'.')
-    hmac_context.update(body_bytes)
-    
-    return {
-        "X-Internal-Timestamp": timestamp,
-        "X-Internal-Signature": hmac_context.hexdigest()
-    }
+	"""Helper to generate valid HMAC headers for testing."""
+	timestamp = str(int(time.time()))
+	body_bytes = json.dumps(payload, separators=(",", ":")).encode("utf-8")
+
+	hmac_context = hmac.new(SECRET_KEY_STR.encode("utf-8"), digestmod=hashlib.sha256)
+	hmac_context.update(timestamp.encode("utf-8"))
+	hmac_context.update(b".")
+	hmac_context.update(body_bytes)
+
+	return {
+		"X-Internal-Timestamp": timestamp,
+		"X-Internal-Signature": hmac_context.hexdigest(),
+	}
+
 
 def test_health_check():
-    response = client.get("/health")
-    assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"status": "healthy"}
+	response = client.get("/health")
+	assert response.status_code == 200
+	assert response.json() == {"status": "healthy"}
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def mock_llm():
-    mock = AsyncMock()
-    app.dependency_overrides[get_llm] = lambda: mock
-    yield mock
-    app.dependency_overrides.clear()
+	mock_base = MagicMock()
+	mock_structured_runnable = AsyncMock()
+
+	# llm.with_structured_output(LocalHelpResponse) returns the runnable
+	mock_base.with_structured_output.return_value = mock_structured_runnable
+	app.dependency_overrides[get_llm] = lambda: mock_base
+	yield mock_base
+	app.dependency_overrides.clear()
 
 
 def test_generate_help_success(mock_llm):
-    mock_llm.ainvoke.return_value.content = "Add a pinch of salt."
-    
-    payload = {
-        "profile": {
-            "username": "testuser",
-            "preferences": {
-                "diet": ["vegan"],
-                "allergies": [],
-                "about_me": [],
-                "language": "EN"
-            }
-        },
-        "recipe": {
-            "title": "Tomato Soup",
-            "ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Tomato"}],
-            "instructions": ["Boil tomatoes."],
-            "portions": 2.0
-        },
-        "prompt": "How do I fix bland soup?"
-    }
-
-    headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
-    response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    
-    assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json()["response"] == "Add a pinch of salt."
-    mock_llm.ainvoke.assert_called_once()
+	mock_structured_runnable = mock_llm.with_structured_output.return_value
+	mock_structured_runnable.ainvoke.return_value = LocalHelpResponse(
+		response="Add a pinch of salt."
+	)
+
+	payload = {
+		"profile": {
+			"username": "testuser",
+			"preferences": {
+				"diet": ["vegan"],
+				"allergies": [],
+				"about_me": [],
+				"language": "EN",
+			},
+		},
+		"recipe": {
+			"title": "Tomato Soup",
+			"ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Tomato"}],
+			"instructions": ["Boil tomatoes."],
+			"portions": 2.0,
+		},
+		"prompt": "How do I fix bland soup?",
+	}
+
+	headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
+	response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
+
+	assert response.status_code == 200
+	assert response.json()["response"] == "Add a pinch of salt."
+
+	mock_structured_runnable.ainvoke.assert_called_once()
+
 
 def test_generate_help_invalid_payload(mock_llm):
-    
-    # preferences field missing
-    payload = {
-        "profile": {
-            "username": "testuser"
-        },
-        "recipe": {
-            "title": "Tomato Soup",
-            "ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Tomato"}],
-            "instructions": ["Boil tomatoes."],
-            "portions": 2.0
-        },
-        "prompt": "How do I fix bland soup?"
-    }
-
-    headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
-    response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    
-    assert response.status_code == 400
-
-    response_json = response.json()
-    if "detail" in response_json:
-        assert "Invalid request format" in str(response_json["detail"])
-    else:
-        assert "Invalid request format" in response_json["message"]
+
+	# preferences field missing
+	payload = {
+		"profile": {"username": "testuser"},
+		"recipe": {
+			"title": "Tomato Soup",
+			"ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Tomato"}],
+			"instructions": ["Boil tomatoes."],
+			"portions": 2.0,
+		},
+		"prompt": "How do I fix bland soup?",
+	}
+
+	headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
+	response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
+
+	assert response.status_code == 400
+
+	response_json = response.json()
+	if "detail" in response_json:
+		assert "Invalid request format" in str(response_json["detail"])
+	else:
+		assert "Invalid request format" in response_json["message"]
 
 
 def test_generate_help_unauthorized():
-    # no header
-    response = client.post("/ai/help", json={"prompt": "test"})
-    assert response.status_code == 401
+	# no header
+	response = client.post("/ai/help", json={"prompt": "test"})
+	assert response.status_code == 401
 
 
 def test_generate_help_invalid_signature():
-    payload = {"prompt": "test"}
-    headers = {
-        "X-Internal-Timestamp": str(int(time.time())),
-        "X-Internal-Signature": "wrong-signature"
-    }
-
-    response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    assert response.status_code == 403
-    
-    response_json = response.json()
-    if "detail" in response_json:
-        assert "message" in response_json["detail"]
-        assert "Forbidden" in response_json["detail"]["message"]
-    else:
-        assert "message" in response_json
-        assert "Forbidden" in response_json["message"]
\ No newline at end of file
+	payload = {"prompt": "test"}
+	headers = {
+		"X-Internal-Timestamp": str(int(time.time())),
+		"X-Internal-Signature": "wrong-signature",
+	}
+
+	response = client.post("/ai/help", json=payload, headers=headers)
+	assert response.status_code == 403
+
+	response_json = response.json()
+	if "detail" in response_json:
+		assert "message" in response_json["detail"]
+		assert "Forbidden" in response_json["detail"]["message"]
+	else:
+		assert "message" in response_json
+		assert "Forbidden" in response_json["message"]
diff --git a/services/py-recipe-service/main.py b/services/py-recipe-service/main.py
index 57f8b24..d1b20f6 100644
--- a/services/py-recipe-service/main.py
+++ b/services/py-recipe-service/main.py
@@ -2,26 +2,58 @@
 import hashlib
 import hmac
 import os
-import json
 import time
 import traceback
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, List
 from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI, HTTPException, Header, Request
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
 from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model
 from langchain_core.messages import HumanMessage, SystemMessage
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+from langchain_core.language_models.chat_models import BaseChatModel
 
 from client.cooking_assistant_gen_ai_services_api_internal_client.models.recipe_request_forwarded import (
 	RecipeRequestForwarded,
 )
 
+from client.cooking_assistant_gen_ai_services_api_internal_client.models.recipe_input import (
+	RecipeInput,
+)
+
 # Load variables from .env for local testing
 load_dotenv()
 
 app = FastAPI(title="Cooking Assistant GenAI Service")
 
 
+# autogenerated classes must be mapped to local ones that are compatible with pydantic
+class LocalRecipeIngredient(BaseModel):
+	quantity: float
+	unit: str
+	name: str
+
+
+class LocalRecipeNutrients(BaseModel):
+	calories: int
+	protein: int
+	fat: int
+	carbs: int
+
+
+class LocalRecipeInput(BaseModel):
+	title: str
+	ingredients: List[LocalRecipeIngredient]
+	instructions: List[str]
+	portions: float
+	nutrients: LocalRecipeNutrients  # required field here as llm can't handle optional fields reliably
+
+
+# local wrapper for recipes - llms are optimized for producing json whereas api spec expects array of json
+class RecipeListWrapper(BaseModel):
+	recipes: List[LocalRecipeInput]
+
+
 @app.exception_handler(HTTPException)
 async def http_exception_handler(request: Request, exc: HTTPException):
 	body = exc.detail if isinstance(exc.detail, dict) else {"message": exc.detail}
@@ -109,7 +141,9 @@ def get_llm():
 			"LOGOS_BASE_URL", "https://logos.aet.cit.tum.de/v1"
 		)
 		kwargs["api_key"] = logos_key
-		kwargs["response_format"] = {"type": "json_object"}
+		kwargs["reasoning_effort"] = (
+			"low"  # times out for medium and high, "minimal not supported by Harmony"
+		)
 		model_name = os.getenv("LOGOS_MODEL", "openai/gpt-oss-120b")
 
 	else:
@@ -118,7 +152,11 @@ def get_llm():
 			raise RuntimeError("CRITICAL: GEMINI_RECIPE_SERVICE_KEY is missing!")
 
 		kwargs["google_api_key"] = gemini_key
-		kwargs["response_format"] = {"type": "application/json"}
+		kwargs["thinking_level"] = (
+			"low"  # inference time fluctuate a lot
+			# minimal doesn't seem a lot faster than low but seemingly produces more mistakes in json output formatting
+			# medium and high seem noticeably slower than low
+		)
 		model_name = os.getenv("GEMINI_MODEL", "gemini-3.1-flash-lite")
 
 	try:
@@ -133,7 +171,9 @@ def health_check():
 
 
 @app.post("/ai/recipes", dependencies=[Depends(verify_internal_hmac)])
-async def generate_recipes(request_data: dict[str, Any], llm=Depends(get_llm)):
+async def generate_recipes(
+	request_data: dict[str, Any], llm: BaseChatModel = Depends(get_llm)
+):
 
 	try:
 		request = RecipeRequestForwarded.from_dict(request_data)
@@ -157,51 +197,34 @@ async def generate_recipes(request_data: dict[str, Any], llm=Depends(get_llm)):
 			getattr(prefs.language, "value", None) or "EN", "English"
 		)
 
-		# 2. Build the System Prompt with strict JSON requirements
+		# 2. Build the System Prompt
 		system_prompt = (
 			"You are a professional chef. Create a collection of distinct high-quality recipes.\n"
 			f"Constraint - Diet: {diet}\n"
 			f"Constraint - Allergies: {allergies} (DO NOT USE THESE)\n"
 			f"User Context: {about}\n\n"
-			"Respond ONLY with a JSON object matching this schema:\n"
-			"{\n"
-			'  "recipes": [\n'
-			"    {\n"
-			'      "title": "string",\n'
-			'      "ingredients": [{"quantity": number, "unit": "string", "name": "string"}],\n'
-			'      "instructions": ["string"],\n'
-			'      "portions": number,\n'
-			'      "nutrients": {"calories": int, "protein": int, "fat": int, "carbs": int}\n'
-			"    }\n"
-			"  ]\n"
-			"}"
 			f"Write all recipe content (title, ingredients, units and instructions) in {language}. "
 			f"Keep the JSON keys in English as specified."
 		)
 
+		structured_llm = llm.with_structured_output(RecipeListWrapper)
+
 		# 3. Invoke LLM
 		messages = [
 			SystemMessage(content=system_prompt),
 			HumanMessage(content=f"Generate 3 distinct recipes for: {request.prompt}"),
 		]
 
-		response = await asyncio.wait_for(llm.ainvoke(messages), timeout=60)
-
-		# 4. Parse and Validate
-		# Clean markdown formatting if present
-		clean_json = response.content.strip()
-
-		if clean_json.startswith("```json"):
-			clean_json = clean_json.removeprefix("```json").removesuffix("```").strip()
-		elif clean_json.startswith("```"):
-			clean_json = clean_json.removeprefix("```").removesuffix("```").strip()
-
-		data = json.loads(clean_json)
+		response = await asyncio.wait_for(structured_llm.ainvoke(messages), timeout=60)
 
-		if isinstance(data, dict) and "recipes" in data:
-			return data["recipes"]
+		# return array of recipes as expeted from the api spec
+		final_recipes = []
+		for r in response.recipes:
+			# exclude_none=True ensures that if nutrients is None, it won't be included in the dict keys at all
+			recipe_dict = r.model_dump()
+			final_recipes.append(RecipeInput.from_dict(recipe_dict))
 
-		return data
+		return [r.to_dict() for r in final_recipes]
 
 	except asyncio.TimeoutError:
 		raise HTTPException(
diff --git a/services/py-recipe-service/requirements.txt b/services/py-recipe-service/requirements.txt
index 68d4b58..bc1d1e5 100644
--- a/services/py-recipe-service/requirements.txt
+++ b/services/py-recipe-service/requirements.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 fastapi==0.111.0
 uvicorn==0.30.1
 langchain==1.3.11
-langchain-openai==1.3.3
-langchain-google-genai==2.1.12
 langchain-core==1.4.7
-pydantic==2.7.4
+langchain-openai==1.3.3
+langchain-google-genai==4.2.6
+pydantic==2.12.5
 python-dotenv==1.0.1
 attrs==23.2.0
 python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
diff --git a/services/py-recipe-service/tests/test_recipe_service.py b/services/py-recipe-service/tests/test_recipe_service.py
index 245dfce..68648df 100644
--- a/services/py-recipe-service/tests/test_recipe_service.py
+++ b/services/py-recipe-service/tests/test_recipe_service.py
@@ -3,99 +3,120 @@
 import hmac
 import hashlib
 import json
-from unittest.mock import AsyncMock
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
-from main import app, get_llm, SECRET_KEY_STR
+from main import app, get_llm, SECRET_KEY_STR, RecipeListWrapper, LocalRecipeInput
 
 client = TestClient(app)
 
+
 def create_auth_headers(payload: dict):
-    """Helper to generate valid HMAC headers for testing."""
-    timestamp = str(int(time.time()))
-    body_bytes = json.dumps(payload, separators=(',', ':')).encode('utf-8')
-
-    hmac_context = hmac.new(SECRET_KEY_STR.encode('utf-8'), digestmod=hashlib.sha256)
-    hmac_context.update(timestamp.encode('utf-8'))
-    hmac_context.update(b'.')
-    hmac_context.update(body_bytes)
-    
-    return {
-        "X-Internal-Timestamp": timestamp,
-        "X-Internal-Signature": hmac_context.hexdigest()
-    }
+	"""Helper to generate valid HMAC headers for testing."""
+	timestamp = str(int(time.time()))
+	body_bytes = json.dumps(payload, separators=(",", ":")).encode("utf-8")
+
+	hmac_context = hmac.new(SECRET_KEY_STR.encode("utf-8"), digestmod=hashlib.sha256)
+	hmac_context.update(timestamp.encode("utf-8"))
+	hmac_context.update(b".")
+	hmac_context.update(body_bytes)
+
+	return {
+		"X-Internal-Timestamp": timestamp,
+		"X-Internal-Signature": hmac_context.hexdigest(),
+	}
+
 
 def test_health_check():
-    response = client.get("/health")
-    assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"status": "healthy"}
+	response = client.get("/health")
+	assert response.status_code == 200
+	assert response.json() == {"status": "healthy"}
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def mock_llm():
-    mock = AsyncMock()
-    app.dependency_overrides[get_llm] = lambda: mock
-    yield mock
-    app.dependency_overrides.clear()
+	mock_base = MagicMock()
+	mock_structured_runnable = AsyncMock()
+
+	# llm.with_structured_output(...) returns the runnable
+	mock_base.with_structured_output.return_value = mock_structured_runnable
+
+	app.dependency_overrides[get_llm] = lambda: mock_base
+	yield mock_base
+	app.dependency_overrides.clear()
 
 
 def test_generate_recipes_success(mock_llm):
 
-    mock_llm.ainvoke.return_value.content = '{"recipes": [{"title": "Pancake", "ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Flour"}], "instructions": ["Cook"], "portions": 1.0}]}'
-
-    payload = {
-        "profile": {
-            "username": "testuser",
-            "preferences": {
-                "diet": ["vegan"],
-                "allergies": [],
-                "about_me": [],
-                "language": "EN"
-            }
-        },
-        "prompt": "Pancakes"
-    }
-
-    headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
-    response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    
-    assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == [{"title": "Pancake", "ingredients": [{"quantity": 1, "unit": "cup", "name": "Flour"}], "instructions": ["Cook"], "portions": 1.0}]
-    mock_llm.ainvoke.assert_called_once()
+	mock_recipe = LocalRecipeInput(
+		title="Pancake",
+		ingredients=[{"quantity": 1.0, "unit": "cup", "name": "Flour"}],
+		instructions=["Cook"],
+		portions=1.0,
+		nutrients={"calories": 200, "protein": 5, "fat": 3, "carbs": 35},
+	)
+
+	mock_structured_runnable = mock_llm.with_structured_output.return_value
+	mock_structured_runnable.ainvoke.return_value = RecipeListWrapper(
+		recipes=[mock_recipe]
+	)
+
+	payload = {
+		"profile": {
+			"username": "testuser",
+			"preferences": {
+				"diet": ["vegan"],
+				"allergies": [],
+				"about_me": [],
+				"language": "EN",
+			},
+		},
+		"prompt": "Pancakes",
+	}
+
+	headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
+	response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
+
+	assert response.status_code == 200
+	assert response.json() == [
+		{
+			"title": "Pancake",
+			"ingredients": [{"quantity": 1.0, "unit": "cup", "name": "Flour"}],
+			"instructions": ["Cook"],
+			"portions": 1.0,
+			"nutrients": {"calories": 200, "protein": 5, "fat": 3, "carbs": 35},
+		}
+	]
+	mock_structured_runnable.ainvoke.assert_called_once()
 
 
 def test_generate_recipes_invalid_payload(mock_llm):
-    
-    # preferences field missing
-    payload = {
-        "profile": {
-            "username": "testuser"
-        },
-        "prompt": "Pancakes"
-    }
-
-    headers = create_auth_headers(payload)    
-    response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    
-    assert response.status_code == 400
-    
-    response_json = response.json()
-    if "detail" in response_json:
-        assert len(response_json["detail"]) > 0
-    else:
-        assert "message" in response_json
+
+	# preferences field missing
+	payload = {"profile": {"username": "testuser"}, "prompt": "Pancakes"}
+
+	headers = create_auth_headers(payload)
+	response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
+
+	assert response.status_code == 400
+
+	response_json = response.json()
+	if "detail" in response_json:
+		assert len(response_json["detail"]) > 0
+	else:
+		assert "message" in response_json
 
 
 def test_generate_recipes_unauthorized():
-    # no header
-    response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json={"prompt": "test"})
-    assert response.status_code == 401
+	# no header
+	response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json={"prompt": "test"})
+	assert response.status_code == 401
 
 
 def test_generate_recipes_invalid_signature():
-    payload = {"prompt": "test"}
-    headers = {
-        "X-Internal-Timestamp": str(int(time.time())),
-        "X-Internal-Signature": "wrong-signature"
-    }
-    response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
-    assert response.status_code == 403
\ No newline at end of file
+	payload = {"prompt": "test"}
+	headers = {
+		"X-Internal-Timestamp": str(int(time.time())),
+		"X-Internal-Signature": "wrong-signature",
+	}
+	response = client.post("/ai/recipes", json=payload, headers=headers)
+	assert response.status_code == 403