Pizza, Pizza!

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Pizza! Abby prepared two tasty pizza pies with crispy, homemade crust, slathered in rustic marinara and topped with cheddar and mozzarella-style Daiya cheese, black beans, and veggies including mushroom, tomato, and onion. Abby paired our pizza slices with a lovely side salad of romaine, onion, black beans, tomato, and mushroom. Bellissimo!

The Goods: If you haven't noticed, we're pretty big fans of pizza. The many virtues of vegan pizza are daily romanticized in these here offices, so today's lunch was, lets just say, greatly enjoyed. Sadly, Colleen, Joseph, and Lyndsay missed out on our pizza bounty, as they are in the Midwest for a weekend of sun and vegetarian fun at VeggieFest Chicago in Naperville, Ill,. If you hail from the Chicagoland area, be sure to stop by the festival, meet VN staffers, and renew your subscription. Happy weekend, everybody!

Cheesy Tortillas & Veggies

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Homemade cheesy tortillas ala Savvy Abby's signature recipe plus one heaping helping of Daiya cheese. We filled these burritos to the brim with fluffy quinoa and a savory mix of veggies including broccoli, red cabbage, black beans, potatoes, collards, and onions topped with fresh, slightly spicy salsa and a little extra sprinkling of Daiya, just for good measure.

The Goods: Happy August! Today is an exciting day, and not just because Abby whipped up a tasty batch of cheesy vegan tortillas. No, today is extra exciting as it marks the launch of the 2010 Veggie Awards polls! Yes, from August 2 to August 31 you have the chance to sound off about your favorite vegan people, places, and products—and the chance to win fabulous prizes! Polls opened today, so there's no time like the present to submit your votes. Let the electioneering begin!

Stick-To-Your-Ribs Chili

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A creative, stick-to-your-ribs chili made of savory, spicy ingredients including collard greens, diced tomatoes, zucchini, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and pieces of Frankie's famous, saucy vegan spare ribs. Abby paired our hearty main course with a light and fruity salad made of spinach, orange slices, tomato, and mango.

The Goods: If you thought our day couldn't get any better than rib-filled chili, you were sadly mistaken. After enjoying this lovely lunch we indulged in a decadent dessert: Banana Split Ice Cream Cake from Maggie Mudd courtesy of Sweet & Sara founder Sara Sohn. Sara sent us the congratulatory cake in honor of VN's 10-year anniversary, and let's just say that we're not complaining. This rich, flavorful cake tasted exactly like a trip to the ice cream shoppe—with frosting on top. Now coasting on an unparalleled sugar high, we're anticipating the end of the work day for a very specific reason: SF Vegan Drinks! We can't wait to mix, mingle, and sip Orange Creamsicle Martinis with other fabulous vegans tonight at Martuni's. Okay, maybe we're a little excited for veggie dogs too. Be sure to swing by on your way home for work for a much-needed, end-of-the-week drink!

Wraps, Collards, & Kale Salad

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Half wraps! Abby baked Mediterranean Couscous wraps and Veggie Curry wraps by Evol Foods and served half of each with a comforting side of sautéed collards mixed with mushroom and onion. Abby finished off this perfect Friday feast with a crunchy kale salad complete with carrot, cabbage, and avocado.

The Goods: We're big fans of these flaky, splendidly seasoned wraps that boast big, creative flavor and healthy, mostly organic ingredients. These tasty vegan wraps also pack a powerful nutritional punch, with both clocking in at more than 10 grams of protein a piece. Yep, lets just say that the next time we hear that tired old question, "Where do vegans get their protein?" we'll be answering, "Evol wraps. Duh."

Frittata, Sausage, and Biscuits

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Um, perhaps the most amazing smorgasbord of brunchy treats this side of Sunday. Ms. Abby whipped up her signature fresh biscuits, breakfast sausage patties, mini herbed frittatas, and a huge, gorgeous kale, quinoa, lettuce, kidney bean, and tomato salad. Oooof. We are pretty well slain with delight over here.

The Goods: It's possible that we made a few major announcements today in the form of the July VegNewsletter. Foremost among them are our second VegNews Great Adventure to India, the fast and furious discussion taking place in our brand new Book Club, and the VN Publisher's Circle. Yes indeed, there's plenty going on over here at the VNHQ, so it's a good thing we had this awesome lunch to help us power through!

Vegan Spare Ribs

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Frankie's classic, tasty, baked Vegan Spare Ribs slathered in homemade Barbecue Sauce and topped with chopped onion. Abby also prepared a greens-and-grain side salad brimming with perfectly cooked quinoa, onion, grated carrot, cucumber, avocado, spinach, and kale, and rounded out the meal with toasted bread topped with olive oil and garlic.

The Goods: This light, fresh lunch was exactly what we needed to celebrate a monumental day at the VNHQ: Today is officially VN's 10 year anniversary! In addition to our special July+August Anniversary issue—our biggest edition ever—VN is commemorating this special occasion by giving away 30 brand-new VegNews tote bags! For your chance to win, enter by 5pm (PST)! Good luck!

Chili and Cornbread

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Three-bean chili filled with pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, onion, tomato, meat-free hamburger mix, and sweet potato topped with squares of Wholesome Chow Homestyle Cornbread and dollops of We Can't Say It's Sour Cream. Abby baked a fresh batch of tasty, fluffy corn muffins for our chili-dipping pleasure, and completed the meal with a crunchy salad of mixed greens, onion, cabbage, and grated carrot.

The Goods: Nothing is more satisfying on a chilly, cloudy afternoon than a hearty bowl of vegan chili—unless it's a hearty bowl of vegan chili and cornbread. Lets just say that if we weren't pretty big fans of Wholesome Chow before lunch, we definitely are now. Okay, so maybe we were already in love with its line of all-vegan baking mixes before lunch. Seriously, from its perfectly spiced Chai Spice Cake Mix to its exotic Lavender Cake Mix, every product we've taste tested so far has been a home run. In review, we feel a 4pm cake-sized snack maybe be an appropriate afternoon treat.

Greens, Grains, Gardein

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A creative lunch of mostly leftovers including a fresh kale salad tossed with avocado, shredded carrot, cucumbers, red cabbage, and seasoned, garlicky rice leftover from Tuesday's lunch. Abby also utilized yesterday's leftovers: cucumber and tomato tabouleh and seared Gardein chick'n strips prepared by Chef Sarah Smart. After freeing the VNHQ refrigerator of its tupperware clutter, Abby whipped up a fresh batch of roasted sweet potato wedges to add the finishing touch to this satisfying meal.

The Goods: We pretty much loved everything about this lunch. That is to say, we pretty much love kale, Gardein, and deliciously seasoned grains. Over lunch the staff talked about how excited we were to hear that Gardein's seven grain crispy tenders are now sold at 13 CostCo locations in Los Angeles and that the company is currently testing in new markets all across the country. Hooray for herbivore-friendly products at buy-in-bulk prices! We hope that someday soon every CostCo in San Francisco—read: the one near our office—will supply these tasty, totally vegan products.

Bean Burritos, Carrot Salad

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Fully-loaded burritos stuffed with fluffy white rice, black beans, pinto beans, Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix and seasoned with cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and oregano. We heaped a helping of this hearty filling onto slightly warmed sprouted grain tortillas and topped them off with green curry sauce. Elizabeth also whipped together a scrumptious salad with peeled carrots and raisins. 

The Goods: With today's lunch, Elizabeth has singlehandedly refined the concept of making something out of nothing. Of course, barren cupboards and almost no fresh produce didn't flummox Elizabeth for a second; hence our lovely Latin food inspired feast. The only thing that could have made this budget-friendly meal more resourceful would be rolled-from-scratch tortillas like the recipe perfected by VN's very own Savvy Abby. 

Baked Beans, Crispy Cornbread

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A sampling of Southern stick-to-your-ribs standards including sweet-and-savory hot water cornbread, baked beans and kabocha squash slathered in barbecue sauce, a fresh, crunchy cucumber, onion, and carrot tossed with Annie's Goddess dressing, and a batch of Abby's signature fluffy biscuits.

The Goods: Supplies in the VNHQ kitchen are running a bit low, but luckily Abby is an expert at throwing together a fabulous meal with only a few items. While her standby recipe for hot water cornbread is a gem, she switched things up today and used the hot water cornbread recipe appearing in VN's fantastic July+August Anniversary issue Soul Food Feast feature. These crunchy cakes were perfectly complemented with savory barbecue sauce, sweet maple syrup, and agave. Oh, and did we mention that Abby also made biscuits? We did? Sorry, it's just kind of a big deal. Biscuits aren't the only exciting thing happening around these here offices, as tomorrow marks the final proof day for our July+August issue. This means two things: We'll be having burritos for lunch per VN tradition, and after the magazine officially goes to press we will be drinking champagne at our desks.

Quinoa and Greens

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Seasoned, slow-cooked black beans and onions served atop tasty, fluffy quinoa comprised the bulk of this well-balanced lunch. Abby also prepared a delicious, leafy green salad complete with halved cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, avocado, dinosaur kale, and mixed greens. Oh, and that little square of flatbread wedged between the grains and greens? That would be a slice of chickpea-filled naanwich. Yep, Abby is pretty much our favorite.

The Goods: While the frigid temperatures outside are currently less than delightful, we're still having a wonderful time here at the VNHQ. After enjoying a tasty, healthful lunch, we dived into delicious dairy-free desserts à la Raw IceCream Company and double chocolate wheat-free brownies from Allison's Gourmet. We were completely blown away by this scrumptious pairing of sweet treats, and have decided it would be best to probably end every meal this way. 

Fantastic Frittata

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Just about the best Friday spread we've ever seen. Abby busted out a lovely rosemary frittata, a very colorful salad, steamed broccoli, and sautéed greens with tomatoes and spices. Yes, everything was just as tasty as it looks!

The Goods: With a meal this colorful to kick off the weekend, we're pretty sure that good things are in store.

Fast, Vegan Frittata

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Remember the frittata mix we got in yesterday on This Just In? Well, in case you need clarification about how things work around here, when food comes in, we eat it. Today Abby whipped up a yummy frittata, with broccoli, bell peppers, and carrots, which she topped with salsa. What also goes with salsa? Chips, especially the Lime flavor Food Should Taste Good chips. Abby also made her signature biscuits, and a lovely salad with broccoli, chickpeas, chips, and salsa. Yes, chips and salsa are great salad ingredients, thanks for asking.

The Goods: Today we eagerly await the beginning of the weekend. We're travel weary just from looking at all the awesome photos of our publishers' trip to NYC (where they'll be next week too, more photo fun to come!), tuckered out from the excitement of our editorial schedule (May+June should be here early next week and July+August is going gangbusters!), and tired from the constant excitement of our upcoming event! Didn't hear that we're having one? Well, guess what? We are! Don't miss the humane-meat debate of a lifetime: Fourth-generation cattle rancher-turned-vegan Howard Lyman versus Niman Ranch co-founder, Nicolette Niman, in a provocative and and lively conversation you won't want to miss. Tickets will sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today! With so much going on, we're looking forward to a little R&R this weekend before it all starts up again next week!

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A simple take on the classic lunch combo, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Armed with only 15 minutes, a broiler, and a Vita-Mix, Elizabeth made open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches (yes, they certainly are pretty close to pizza) using Judy's Breadsticks and both mozzarella and cheddar Daiya. For the soup she blended diced tomatoes with a head of garlic, a splash of olive oil, salt, and cayenne, then garnished the individual servings with chopped cucumber. Yes, those are all of the ingredients, and yes, this cool soup was literally ready in five minutes. And, of course, a big salad with avocado, kidney beans, pinto beans, and caramelized pecans finished off the meal.

The Goods: This meal came together incredibly quickly, which was a boon since our team is a bit scattered today. Joseph and Colleen are setting up our booth for the Green Festival here in San Francisco this weekend before they head to Los Angeles tomorrow for PCRM's Art of Compassion Gala. Just to keep the rest of us sane, as we're going to press on our May+June issue today, Abby whipped up a batch of her famous biscuits with cheddar Daiya. Oh, and it's sunny and Friday. Yes, lots going on here at the VNHQ. Hope we get to see some of you at our Green Festival booth this weekend, and say hi to our publishers if you see them all dressed up at the gala. Happy weekend, everyone!

Vegan Sausage, Biscuits, and Gravy

The Chefs: Abby and Liz

The Menu: Um, hello. A delicious smorgasbord of breakfasty goodies. First of all Liz busted out an incredible batch of rich cashew gravy, which we slathered on breakfast sausages (Liz whipped these up from a mix) and biscuits alike. Yes, those would be Abby's famous biscuits, of which we wish we had a permanent supply. Abby also made a lovely salad. You know, because vegetarians supposedly enjoy eating vegetables. Whatever. Oh, and the very bright cauliflower behind the salad? That would be Frankie's latest foray into pickling. Let's just say that she brought a few jars of various pickled goodies for us to try, and they are now empty.

The Goods: Today we shared lunch with VegWebmistress Laura Beck, whom, as you might know, we adore. We also enjoyed the company of Zac Taylor, our local Honest Tea rep. Zac was kind enough to bring us over a ton of tea, some of which he kept cool for us in this nifty container. Yes, we were thrilled. Thanks to Zac and all of today's chefs!

Mighty Miso

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A fantastic, simple meal of miso soup, wild rice from Village Harvest, and kale salad. With toasted nori, mushrooms, and scallions—along with a peppy kick of cayenne—this soup was a light, lovely treat that soothed the scratchy throats of some of our staffers. A huge kale salad with garbanzo beans and avocado with a simple side of wild rice finished off the meal.

The Goods: Though some of us are a little under the weather, we couldn't help but be excited by today's awesome meal. In related (aswesome) news, we have a little surprise for you. We couldn't be more thrilled to announce Savvy Abby, our newest blog! VN's Associate Editor and Web Editor Abby Young will bring you smart tips for vegan living on the cheap every Tuesday and Thursday.

Spicy Peanut Veggies

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A fabulous mixture of potatoes, broccoli, carrots, black beans, and celery all blended together in Native Kjalii's Spicy Peanut Sauce. Yes, it's spicy and fantastic. We cooled our mouths with red quinoa, and Abby made a really yummy mustard vinaigrette for her salad of romaine, spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and almonds.

The Goods: Is there anything better than a big plate of satisfying veggies? Why yes, it's a plate of satisfying veggies covered in two sensational sauces. Oh, and there's a little milestone that we're celebrating today; celebrations always make lunch more fun. What's the cause for applause, you ask? This entry right here marks Café VegNews' 600th post! Woo hoo! Here's to the next 600!

Barbecue and Biscuits

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Surprise! There are biscuits! Abby's stand-by made yet another appearance, this time accompanied by barbecue-baked hot dogs and a hefty helping of home fries, which were slathered in a sweet and savory combo of sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, and maple syrup. For our daily greens, Abby whipped up a big salad with carrot, avocado, and a generous sprinkling of Kaia Foods Teriyaki Sprouted Sunflower Seeds.

The Goods: And we're back, everyone! After a whirlwind weekend at Expo West, the entire crew is back at the VNHQ and ready to work. Despite the hours and hours we spent eating the past few days—no, we're not exaggerating—this filling meal was welcomed at the lunch table. Want to know more about our Expo West adventures? Check out Joseph's LA recap on Press Pass, and read all about our Best of Show awards for the inside info on the latest, greatest veg products.

Bean-tastic Chili

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A totally filling, fantastic chili with beans galore, diced tomatoes, and the perfect blend of spices. What would chili be without Abby's signature biscuits alongside? We don't know, and we don't want to find out! Thankfully, she made up a fresh batch for us today, which we eagerly devoured. Oh, and also a salad. Woot, salad.

The Goods: This week will be fast and furious at the VNHQ, since we're heading down to LA on Thursday for Expo West 2010! You might remember Expo West from years past; it's an enormous trade show that we attend yearly to discover the hottest new vegan products on the planet, and tell you all about them. This year, we'll be reporting live from the show via Twitter and Facebook!

Rice, Beans, and Cake

The Chef: Kristen

The Menu: A delectable, colorful, South-of-the-Border plate filled with whole-wheat tortillas, perfectly fluffy rice, and a scrumptious scramble of black beans, tofu, red bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and spices. An equally attractive salad balanced out the plate, and featured garbanzo beans, crispy tortilla strips, and chunks of avocado.

The Goods: We had a full team back in the office today, which was awfully convenient as we also got to celebrate Abby's birthday. Technically, she was born yesterday (a number of years ago), but we have a pretty fantastic policy that allows employees their birthdays free from work. So, today we had cake. Here's half of it.


We also have some exciting—and potentially depressing—news: VegNews Great Adventure to India is sold out! If you are going, we are super excited to see you in October! If you didn't snag a spot in time, don't despair. We just might be doing this kind of thing again in the future.