Spaghetti & Vegan Meatballs

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A molto bene Italian spread including whole-wheat spaghetti with vegan meatballs, toasted Daiya cheesy bread, and an arugula, spinach, and mushroom salad. Liz took the semi-homemade approach to pasta sauce by combining Lucini Tuscan Marinara with diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and roasted red peppers and crafted vegan meatballs by rolling dollops of Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix in bread crumbs. No, that's amore.

The Goods: This gluten-licious lunch was the perfect perk-up after a particularly chilly San Francisco morning. While dining on our Italian feast, we discussed a few of our favorite things: cake, Mad Men, and the 2010 Veggie Awards! The competition is fierce, and nominees and fans alike are launching world wide web campaigns to rally for their favorite vegan people, places, and products in our annual reader poll. We're thrilled to see all of the healthy competition spreading, and we're even more thrilled to tally up the winners when the polls close on August 31. Haven't weighed-in on your vegan top choices for 2010? Do it! Right now! Then tell all of your friends—in this election, every vote really counts!