Vegan Mexican-Style Corn Cakes

The Chefs: Rashida and Herbivore

The Menu: Grilled corn cakes with black beans and potatoes, topped with chipotle salsa, vegan sour cream, and guacamole

The Goods: I've been fighting a nasty sinus infection/allergy attack/mystery affliction all week, so spicy soup may have been a wiser choice. But the thought of these corn fritters and their equally delicious brethren (by which I mean delicately spiced beans and Herbivore's house potatoes) had me abandoning my soup-y intentions and my hope of ever breathing through my nose again. Besides being tasty, this meal was entirely gluten-free, which is a word we've been hearing a lot around these parts lately, with everything from lasagna to cookbooks ditching the stuff. Want to give gluten-free cooking a shot? Check out these 5 Spring-Friendly Gluten-Free Recipes from VN contributor Allyson Kramer!

Vegan Taco Time!

The Chef: Anna and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: Rice and bean tacos topped with pico de gallo and avocado.

The Dish: It's Taco Tuesday! On Wednesday! Really, every day is Taco Tuesday for me. San Francisco is getting its April showers a few weeks early, and rainy days always mean comfort food in my book. Enter: cheap, tasty tacos. If you're ready for springtime eats, check out the five delectable (and gluten-free!) dishes in our new food feature—every one of them features the best of springtime produce!

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

The Chef: Jennifer 

The Menu: Chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, romaine, and quinoa with a Goddess dressing

The Goods: In preparation for the blogging conference Vida Vegan Con in Portland, Ore., I've been eating a bit healthier because I plan on consuming my weight in vegan food in the food-truck capital (I'm looking at you, Native Bowl). Thanks to vegan cookbook author extraordinaire Isa Chandra Moskowitz for the lovely salad and dressing recipes from Appetite for Reduction. That book has been my go-to for awesome, healthy meals. The multi-color cherry tomatoes are from my mom's backyard garden and I've been snacking on these little gems for weeks now. If you can't make it to Vida Vegan Con to network, chat tonight with top bloggers including Kathy Patalsky, Chloé Jo Davis, Allyson Kramer, and more special guests during our "Blog to Business" Twitter Chat at 6pm PT. Never done a Twitter chat before? It's as easy as making this salad, trust me. See you there!