Quinoa Salad

The Chefs: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: Herbivore's quinoa salad with onions, kidney beans, spinach, tomatoes, celery, avocado, and soy chicken. 

The Goods: It's Twitter Chat Tuesday! In addition to the exciting Twitter chat that we have later today about healthy eating, we spent a big ol' chunk of our morning figuring out the most compelling topics and guests to grace our chats later in 2012. After all of that talk about healthy eating, quinoa seemed like a good base for today's lunch. If you're less of a health nut and more of a shopping guru, be sure to check out our giveaway (!) of a gorgeous faux-leather handbag from Matt + Nat's spring 2012 collection—Associate Editor Jennifer Chen and I splurged on bags from this cruelty-free brand last year, and we've never looked back. 

Spicy Peanut Pasta

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Savvy Savories Spicy Peanut Noodles with a side salad of romaine, kale, grape tomatoes, cucumber, orange bell pepper, red cabbage, and fennel.

The Goods: Friends, it's Monday. Finding leftover salad from Friday's potluck lunch in the fridge ensured that some greenery made it into today's lunch, and the peanut pasta added a nice warm element. If eating balanced meals is something you struggle with, even as a vegan, don't miss out on tomorrow's Twitter Chat! We have a truly awesome lineup, including Michael Greger, MD, Gena Hamshaw, and Julieanna Hever, RD, to help answer all your healthy-eating questions. The fun starts at 6pm PT, so don't be late!

Friday Staff Potluck (s'mores!)

The Chefs: Colleen & The VegNews Staff!

The Menu: Vegan mac 'n' cheese, kale and fennel salad with a poppyseed vinaigrette, biscuits, white chocolate chip cookies, s'mores, and satsuma oranges

The Goods: It's Friday, we've gone to press, Vegan Drinks kicked off for 2012 last night at a fab new location, and it's gorgeous outside. Time for a VegNews staff potluck!  It all started when Associate Editor Jennifer noticed that a box of dark chocolate bars had arrived to the VNHQ, and immediately thought "s'mores." S'mores then turned into s'mores plus one of Jenn's new favorite mac 'n' cheese recipes, and before we knew it, several staffers were on board to bring in food for lunch today. Voila! A full-fledged staff potluck. And since it's 70 degrees in San Francisco today, we enjoyed our meal al fresco on our sunny rooftop deck. Have a great weekend, everyone!

We pulled together a quick batch of s'mores using MI-DEL Ginger Snaps, Dandies air-puffed marshmallows, and Nibmor 72% dark chocolate.

Celery Soup and Spinach Salad

The Chefs: Hilary, Whole Foods Market, and Gracias Madre

The Menu: Cream of celery soup, with a side of spinach salad studded with red onions, walnuts and crispy shiitake mushrooms. 

The Goods: As we trudged through the final trenches of the editing process for our mind-blowingly, brain-meltingly, hair-fryingly, skull-pulverizingly cool March+April Issue, wacky California's indecisive late-morning sun emerged, then hid, then winked from beneath a sky-wide pallor of wispy clouds. Unsatisfied with my initial feast of spinach salad, I had no choice but to seek warming soup from cashew-cheese quesadilla palace extraordinaire Gracias Madre. While filling, my lunch was still light enough to not interfere with this evening's inaugural SF Vegan Drinks event at its brand-new location, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, a boozy top-shelf pub a mere half-block from our headquarters. Beer-battered fried pickles, sweet potato tater tots, my heart is aflutter in anticipation of our union after dusk falls. 

Kale-Edamame Salad with Vegan Lemon-Herb Dressing

The Chefs: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Kale-edamame salad with lemon-herb dressing, almonds, tomatoes, and dried cranberries, topped with some Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: Kale salad seems to be a lunchtime fixture here at VNHQ, so it was only a matter of time before I hopped on the kale-salad train. This one from Trader Joe's was a healthful midday meal that tasted especially delicious covered in a heaping spoonful of Parma. Admittedly, my tummy was rumbling soon after the meal was over, but that may have more to do with my failure to eat breakfast this morning than the salad's level of satisfaction. If you're looking for a satisfying read this afternoon, check out 10 Reasons We Need Dennis Kucinich in Congress!

Vegan Sushi Lunch

The Chefs: Anna and We Be Sushi

The Menu: A classic seaweed salad and a veggie tempura-mango roll.

The Goods: After a morning spent looking over the touching, exciting, and fun applications for this year's wedding feature and chowing down on some sauerkraut-spinach dip I brought to the office, I needed a walk and some lighter fare for lunch. I convinced Associate Editor Jennifer Chen to accompany me on a short walk to our nearby sushi place, and she gladly obliged (I mean, come on. It's sushi). The tempura veggie and mango roll was admittedly not light, but the scrumptious and healthy seaweed salad created the perfect pairing. In other news, I would like to wish you a very happy National Peanut Butter Day! As I nurse my overly full stomach (and dream of vegan fluffernutter sandwiches), head on over to our Facebook page to let us know how you love to eat the tasty spread.

Coconut Noodle Soup

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A delicious bowl of coconut noodle soup, with spinach, grated carrots, tofu, pineapple, and broccoli, all topped with Organicville's Sriracha Sauce.

The Goods: It's cold. Though I managed to escape to Los Angeles this weekend and dodge most of the torrential downpour that took place in the Bay Area, today's chill meant that there was only one option for lunch: soup. I pretty much love anything that involves rice noodles and Sriracha, so this bowl from Heribvore was perfect. Continuing the theme of perfection this week, we'll be editing the final proofs of our March+April issue on Thursday (so help me, they had better be flawless!), and directly after that we'll be heading out the door and down the street to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem for the first SF Vegan Drinks of the year! I'm really stoked about the new location, and here's why: the owner, Mark, is super nice and awesome; the drinks specials (vegan White Russians!) rock; and these four life-changing little words: sweet potato tater tots. Yeah.

Veggie Sausage Sandwich

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Veggie sausage sandwich with hummus and avocado on a focaccia roll

The Goods: You've probably seen this sandwich before, as it's one of our favorites from Valencia Whole Foods (not the chain) right around the corner. They make this baby in-house, and it's nothing short of divine. And what you see above is only half of it; I ate the other half for lunch yesterday! So it's a great deal at just $6.50. If you find yourself in San Francisco and want a guide to some of the best vegan eateries around, don't miss either our gorgeous veggie food map in the January+February issue featuring all the must-try meat-free fare within a two-block radius of the VNHQ, or our own Hilary Pollack's brilliant story on VegNews.com, "The 20 Best Vegan Dishes in the Mission District." We have you covered, friends. In other news, we're going to press today with our March+April "Man" issue. Get ready, because it's AMAZING! We're all pretty excited around here (and exhausted), but we can't wait for this very-special edition to start hitting mailboxes and newsstands. Have a great weekend!

Chickpea Piccata and Kale Salad

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Chickpea Piccata over a bed of orzo with a marinated kale salad with carrots and mushrooms.

The Goods: I love chickpeas. I think they are the perfect bean. So when I made Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Chickpea Piccata for dinner a few nights ago, I was in love. Instead of arugula, I added in a big pile of spinach. She suggests pouring them over Caulipots (a combination of cauliflower and potatoes), but instead I cooked up some orzo and poured my piccata on top. I just learned from VN Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack's online article, 11 More Must-Have Vegan iPhone Apps, that Moskowitz has a free vegan cupcakes app. I think it's best if I pretend that doesn't exist.

Half Soup, Half Sandwich, Half Pig

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A delicious cup of coconut noodle soup with half a grilled soy chicken sandwich. In other words, perfection in a lunch.

The Goods: Friends, it's been downright freezing here in SF. No, literally the temperature has reached 32 degrees, and frankly, I'm just not a fan. So, soup was definitely going to happen for lunch today, and though my fears were baseless, I worried that it might not be filling enough to just have a cup of soup. I opted to also get half of my all-time favorite sandwich, the grilled soy chicken. Mushing a bunch of things that don't necessarily fit, ala ManBearPig, can backfire, but today's was a definite case of two great things going great together. Not to toot our our horn, but much like VegNews and Pinterest. See what I mean?

Lentil Soup

The Chef: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Lentil and quinoa soup topped with Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: I originally trekked to Trader Joe's to track down some of the famous Cookie Butter with which, thanks to my VegNews colleagues, I'm now completely obsessed. Since unfortunately Cookie Butter on its own doesn't count as lunch, I also grabbed a generous cup of TJ's Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains. This warm soup was the perfect antidote to San Francisco's brisk weather, which has been going strong this week despite deceptively sunny skies. My soup-topper, Garlicky Green Parma, is a mostly raw parmesan substitute that pairs well with just about everything. If you're interested in the raw food movement, check out Associate Publisher Colleen Holland's interview with raw-foods pioneer Victoria Boutenko, who dishes about her decision to bring cooked foods back into her diet.

Celebratory Pizza Party

The Chefs: Hilary and Patxi's 

The Menu: Two fat slices of vegan deep-dish pizza stuffed with vegan cheese, spinach, and onions, and topped with zesty red sauce and garlic. 

The Goods: Today is the best! After a rousing design meeting of putting the finishing touches on our March+April issue—including our amazing cover idea—I scored tickets to Coachella Music Festival after hovering in an online queue for upwards of an hour. Might I mention that this year's lineup is loaded with vegan artists, including Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Jeff Mangum (formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel), Cedric Bixler of At the Drive-In, and Dennis Lyxzen of Refused. If you're as stoked as I am, check out Global Animal's post about veg-friendly Coachella. Celebration was in order, so we decided to indulge in some insanely good vegan deep-dish pizza. If the meat-lovers in our lives could taste a slice of this stuff, we're pretty sure they're convert on the spot. Want to help a loved one check out the vegan life? Check out the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit for the five easy steps to cruelty-free splendor. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big green salad with grated beets, grilled vegetables, soy chicken, and chunks of avocado.

The Goods: It's exciting times here at the VNHQ, as we begin to wrap up the design of our March+April issue. Basically, we get to enjoy this magical process by which ideas turn into words that then turn into a magazine. It's pretty rad. Since it's January and all, a big, bright salad was just the thing to power me through design meetings today. You know what's totally ingenious? Adding roasted vegetables (which are warm) to salad (which is not!). I know; I understand if your mind is significantly blown. Here's hoping that something as exciting as a warm element in your salad is going on in your world today! (And if there isn't something yet, try checking out the news that meat consumption is expected to decline. That should do it!)

A Giant Sushi Buritto Roll

The Chefs: Jennifer and Sushiritto

The Menu: A sushi/burrito roll filled with Hodo Soy Spicy Tofu Strips, roasted garnet yams, shiitake mushrooms, shaved cabbage, avocado, green onions, crumbled rice chips

The Goods: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the best fusion meal I've ever eaten—sushi and a burrito rolled into one delicious (and massive) bite! Sushiritto is the home of these giant rolls and while the location is not close to VNHQ, I happened to be visiting the Mother Jones office today, which is near this famed eatery, known for its incredibly long line of customers. Sushiritto offers one vegan roll, the Buddha Girl Roll, and it's packed with all sorts of goodies, specifically local artisan tofu maker Hodo Soy's Spicy Tofu Strips. If you want to make your own rolls at home, try VN columnist Robin Robertson's spring rolls, a less massive alternative to a sushi-burrito combo.

Super-Topped Baked Potato

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A baked potato loaded up with freshly made guacamole, chopped tomatoes and red onions, and a dollop of Vegenaise—plus an organic salad with carrots and olives

The Goods: Another lunch, another baked potato. I'm on a roll! I just can't resist the allure of a topping-loaded potato at lunch, and it's a super simple meal to make at the office. At 11:30am, I pop in a potato into our convection oven, and at 12:30, it's done! I then just add a few toppings, whip together a salad, and I have a homemade, healthy lunch in no time flat. Although we have a bevy of restaurants to choose from here in San Francisco's Mission district, I like to keep it simple during lunch and save restaurant outings for special occasions. Speaking of San Francisco, have you seen Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack's list of the 20 best vegan dishes to try near the VNHQ? It's amazing, and has us clamoring to try every single one. Hilary has, and this girl knows what she's talking about. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Vegan BBQ Chicken Sandwich

The Chefs: Rashida and Rhea's Deli

The Menu: A faux-chicken sandwich smothered in chili-garlic sauce and loaded with cabbage slaw and pickled onions

The Goods: I accidentally slept through my alarm this morning, which means that my plan to bring lunch from home was unfortunately foiled. Rhea's Deli to the rescue! I had been daydreaming about Rhea's Vegetarian BBQ Chicken sandwich ever since VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig endorsed it in the VegEscape section of the January+February issue. The mouthwatering faux-drumsticks drowning in sweet-spicy chili glaze were so satisfying that I may 'accidentally' sleep through my alarm tomorrow morning too! In non-sandwich news, tomorrow is the deadline to subscribe to VegNews in time to get the action-packed March+April issue. I won't give too much away, but let's just say that Potato Chip Chocolate Truffles may be involved...

"Krazy" for Kale

The Chefs: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: A ginormous kale salad loaded with herb-crusted soy chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper. 

The Goods: This is my third kale salad from Herbivore this week, and I'm not sorry. I'm on a pretend health kick wherein I eat kale salad for lunch almost every day and use the notion of its nutritional benefits as an excuse to eat limitless chocolate for breakfast/dessert/a snack. That makes sense, right? While my New Year's resolution to cut back on sweets (as seen in the January+February issue masthead) has been progressing questionably, those who resolved to ditch meat and dairy in 2012 will get tips and support from the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit, free to download now! In the meantime, I'll be at my desk, trying as hard as possible not to get thirds of the vegan Snow Balls from Source that Editor-at-Large Laura Beck brought to the office today. Resistance is futile.

Grilled "Chicken" Sandwich

The Chefs: Jennifer and Herbivore

The Menu: A grilled soy chicken sandwich with roasted potatoes and side salad

The Goods: When people tell me they think it must be hard to be vegan, I simply tell them I love food and I eat all the time. Seriously, I'm the food editor. It's part of my job. Yes, I do eat vegetables but I also eat awesome soy chicken sandwiches. A friend once said to me that she just pictured vegan restaurants serving plates of broccoli. And while eating healthy is important, vegan eating is just as decadent as my omnivore friend's diets. Heck, just last week I ate a vegan black-and-white cookie from Champs Bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and an eggplant parm hero at 3 Brothers Italian Café in Long Island. So maybe a plate of broccoli is a good idea right about now. If one of your new year's resolutions is to go vegan and you need some tips, check out the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit. Trust me, friends, it's easy!

Hot Dog!

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Rodger's

The Menu: A delicious hot dog with sauerkraut and a spinach and kale salad with hummus.

The Goods: You know how sometimes you have leftover salad waiting for you in the fridge, but when lunchtime rolls around, the idea just doesn't strike as appetizing? That's precisely what happened to me today. I know, it's a pretty good story. But wait, there's more! Thankfully, my craving for something more satisfying than soggy salad was sated after a quick jaunt across the street to Rodger's to pick up a nice dog on a toasted bun. If there's anything better than the combination of bread, mustard, and sauerkraut, I don't even want to know about it.

Cheese-Topped Baked Potato & Salad

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Baked potato with avocado, WayFare cheddar cheese, and WayFare sour cream—plus an organic salad with Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, olives, and yellow pepper

The Goods: After a week off to celebrate the holidays with our families, we're back at the VNHQ! We hope everyone had a wonderful week, and our team is so excited for 2012 (just wait to see what we have in store for you!). And after a month of what seemed like endless amounts of chocolate and cookies, I am craving healthy lunches—like this baked potato and salad. It's simple, but it's my go-to staple when I want something filling and delicious. Just starting out on the veg path? Don't miss our Go Veg Guide from our team of editors. It's fun and packed with everything you need to lead an amazing veg life. Happy New Year!