Summer Salad and Pesto Pasta

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Spinach salad with fresh tomatoes and a brown rice pasta tossed with cilantro pesto and artichoke hearts

The Dish: It's 80 degrees, sunny, and Friday. Life is pretty grand, my friends. I whipped up the pasta dish with some cilantro pesto from Bolani, a local company that makes Afghan vegan sauces and dips. I swear by the spinach, pumpkin, or potato bolanis (a thin savory wraps filled with veggies). It's the first really hot day in San Francisco so I dined on the deck with my fellow VN staffers today. If you're in the Bay Area, be sure to stop by the SF Vegan Bake Sale on Sunday, April 22 from 12pm to 4pm, right here in front of the VNHQ headquarters. I'm baking a bundt cake for the occasion so come and get a slice!

The Vegan Italian Meal Dreams Are Made Of

 The Chefs: Jennifer and Louie Castoria

The Menu: Big, delicious, glorious vegan meatballs covered in an authentic Italian sauce over Mama Sue's Gourmet Pasta and stuffed in a baguette from Bread Workshop with Galaxy mozzarella cheese, and a side salad.

The Goods: When I was a kid, I wanted to marry an Italian guy because I love Italian food. I didn't end up marrying an Italian, but I can live my dreams through Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria's dad's cooking. I kid you not when I say that these vegan meatballs are the best on the planet. I fact checked it. Also, that sauce. I would write a sonnet about that sauce, if Shakespeare hasn't already. If my day couldn't get any better, Luna & Larry, the makers of Coconut Bliss, sent over ice cream bars and pints for our July+August Taste Test! I must be dreaming. Or full of deliciousness.

Vegan Burger and Pickles

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: A veggie burger from Hilary's Eat Well, topped with Daiya's jack cheese, Wildbrine miso horseradish kimchi and red beet and cabbage sauerkraut

The Dish: We eat a fair amount of veggie burgers here at VNHQ (for example, yesterday's beet burger that will be in the July+August Veganize It! column) so you know it has be pretty delicious for us to eat it during lunch. I also like that you can literally pop this veggie burger in the toaster to cook it. Healthy fast food indeed! We picked Wildbrine's line of pickled veggies as a Best of Show award winner and I can't get enough of its kimchi. (Don't tell my co-workers, but I think I ate most of the jar in our fridge.) Have a great weekend everyone!

Kimchi Quesadilla and Kale Salad

The Chefs: Hilary and Associate Editor Jennifer Chen

The Menu: Quesadillas made with Galaxy Foods Vegan Mexican-Style Shreds and Wildbrine's miso-horseradish kimchi and fresh organic kale with lemon, olive oil, avocado, and dill-garlic sauerkraut. 

The Goods: Having just completed our May+June cover, the VN staff almost remembers what it feels like to be sane. Between the eatstravaganza of Expo West and the hubbub of wrapping up our late-spring issue, I had almost forgotten the joy of making one's own lunch instead of scarfing whatever was fast, pre-made, and readily available. Associate Editor Jennifer Chen and I got wild by whipping up the above creations with awesome fermented products from Wildbrine, one of our 2012 Best of Show Winners. And now that some of the stress has melted away, I look forward to celebrating at a vegan-friendly bar—happy hour is just around the corner. 

Mango Quinoa Salad & Taro Lau Lau

The Chefs: Jennifer and VN columnist Jesse Miner

The Menu: A mango quinoa black bean salad and a taro lau lau, a veg take on a Hawaiian dish, filled with sweet potatoes, taro, and collard greens

The Goods: After our Expo West eating extravaganza, I turned to Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Quinoa Salad Black Beans & Mango for a nutritious, delicious dish. It's so simple to make and after downing as many samples of So Delicious' new almond milk mocha bars as I could find—this healthy salad is much needed. The banana leaf-wrapped treat you see behind my main lunch is a sneak peek of our July+August food feature on taro. This is chef Jesse Miner's take on a traditional Hawaiian meal using taro, sweet potatoes, and collard greens as the filling. I can't wait to share all of his exciting recipes and his wife Erin's vast knowledge of Hawaiian history and culture with you.

Exceptional Women in Publishing Luncheon

The Chefs: Jennifer and Parc 55

The Menu: Layers of potato and eggplant on top of a bed of red quinoa and mushrooms.

The Goods: It's a busy but amazing week for the VN team. Five of us—Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria, Online Editor Anna Peraino, myself, and Art Director Sutton Long attended the Exceptional Women in Publishing Conference. It was a wonderful day of learning, networking, and connecting with other professional women leaders in the publishing and media world. I went to some fantastic panels such as Publishing for Women by Women and Content Execution from Pioneers in the Field (with our very own Associate Publisher on the panel). During the lunch, which honored Dwell President Michela O'Connor Abrams with an award, the VN team dined on an eggplant and potato stack over red quinoa. Tomorrow, the five of us and the rest of the VN team are flying down to Anaheim for the Natural Products Expo West. We'll be back in the office on Tuesday, March 13 and Café VegNews will resume to its regular schedule then. In the mean time, follow our Instagram account for all the latest new vegan products from Expo West! 

Taco Friday

The Chefs: Jennifer, Colleen, and Hilary

The Menu: A taco bar with freshly made guacamole, green chile tortillas, salsa fresca, black beans, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Bonus bar: nachos topped with Galaxy Mexican shreds, tomatoes, and black beans and quesadillas filled with Galaxy Mexican shreds and Daiya Jack and Cheddar Cheese.

The Dish: Editorial Assistant Rashida Harmon is a genius. She came up with the idea of combining the Galaxy Mexican shredded cheese with the black beans we got in with the EZ Bean Cooker. And that's how Taco Friday was born. Combined with a beautiful day on the deck, it was the best way to celebrate not one, but two different types of vegan cheeses (Daiya's new wedges and Galaxy's new shreds) that both melt and taste great. I'm also impressed that the EZ Bean Cooker made a batch of black beans in 50 minutes (no pre-soaking required!). It doesn't get better than this, friends. Have a great weekend!

Big Freakin' Bahn Mi

The Chefs: Elizabeth, Anna, Jenn, and Lyndsay

The Menu: Big, beautiful bahn mi sandwiches stuffed with marinated tofu and veggie duck, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, Vegenaise spreads, and Organicville's Sriracha. Sides of chips, both crinkle-cut and straight up, rounded out the meal.

The Goods: Today, friends, things are extra good at the VNHQ. The very brilliant Jennifer Chen decided that the best way to celebrate Friday would be to bring in the makings for these stellar sandwiches (the recipe for which you can find in our January+February issue!). Jenn marinated the tofu and veggie duck, and brought in fresh rolls, and Lyndsay made the pickles. Did the awesome staff stop there? No, these tasty main dishes were just the beginning. Jenn also treated us to homemade Hot Chocolate Ice Cream, complete with extra marshmallows. (The recipe comes from our summer issue from 2011.) And as if that wasn't enough, Anna brought in a package of Birthday Cake Oreos, which Jenn crumbled into a delicious ice cream topping. Oh, and did we mention that it was warm and gorgeous on our deck and we were fortunate enough to share today's splendor with Sam Hartman, the author of our VegEscape to Louisville, KY in our March+April Man Issue? Like I said, things are extra good. Hope everyone has an equally excellent weekend!

QuesaDANG TASTY

The Chefs: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: A melty-hot whole-wheat quesadilla stuffed with cheese, tomatoes, and onions, and laden with pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole. 

The Goods: Our pals over at Herbivore just unveiled a newly revamped menu that includes gems such as the above, a toasty creation of Daiya-oozy goodness. Associate Editor Jennifer Chen and I basked on the deck in the ridiculously warm weather (I'm talking  in the 80s, people!) and pretending that we were on a Mexican vacay, especially since Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland are undoubtedly enchanted on the VegNews Great Adventure to India as we speak. No worries, though—we'll be getting wild in their absence at SF Vegan Drinks tomorrow night! I am going to be getting so down with some beer-battered fried pickles, not to mention the libations. Party on, Wayne! (Party on, Garth.)  

Pasta Two Ways

The Chefs: Jennifer and longtime VN friend Peter

The Menu: Spaghetti in tomato sauce, a baked version of spaghetti with a layer of spinach and topped with Daiya cheddar cheese, and a side salad, covered in Parma!

The Goods: It's a good day, my friends. First, I give you our canine editors, Cal and Khane, who just gave us notes on our May+June issue (my article came back with quite a few red marks). Second, I present you with pasta two different ways. VN friend Peter, who is also the guardian of our canine editors, made us a homemade tomato sauce then served it over spaghetti and then a baked version with spinach and Daiya cheddar cheese. Third, we got in samples of Follow Your Heart's new Vegenaise flavors! We're talking vegan tartar sauce, pesto, horseradish, barbecue, chipotle, and roasted garlic. Life is good.

Raw Vegan Pad Thai

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Raw Pad Thai with kelp noodles, red pepper, red cabbage, and cilantro in an almond butter tamari sauce.

The Goods: It's safe to say that I'm obsessed with VN columnist Gena Hamshaw's raw Pad Thai from our January+February 2012 issue. In fact, some staffers have mentioned that I seemed to be infatuated with kelp noodles. I'll admit it. I really like them. What are kelp noodles? They're virtually flavorless, crunchy, seaweed-based raw noodles, packed with nutrients and about 18 calories per serving. But for me, it's all about the sauce—made with almond butter, tamari, fresh ginger, and sesame oil—I'm pretty sure I'd pour it on just about anything. Today, we said goodbye to VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland who just left for VegNews Vacations Great Adventure to India. Time to start the margarita machine! Kidding!

Taco Time!

The Chefs: Jennifer and Gracias Madre

The Menu: Tacos filled with plantains, mushrooms, and collard greens topped with cilantro and cashew cream with a side of refried black beans

The Goods: Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria is on my list of people I love today. Mainly because she is the genius who came up with the idea of ordering lunch from Gracias Madre and then bringing it back to the office to eat it outside on our deck in the sunshine. The plantains are a rare sighting at Gracias so when they have them on the menu, I order them. I'm also obsessed with the black beans. How do they make them so dang good? I wish I knew. Someone else I adore is Ayinde Howell. Have you seen his 4 Super Bowl recipes (Quinoa Nachos! Jalapeño Cheddar Hoe Cakes!)? His recipes are so good, it even makes me want to watch football (that's for you, Anna). Go Giants!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Final Salad of the Year

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big, gorgeous  green salad.

The Goods: You guys. You GUYS. It's pretty danged near impossible to describe the incredible day that we're having here at the VNHQ. Our staff is what you might call extra-double-super excited about our upcoming holiday break (this is our last day in the office until Jan. 2, 2012!), and the presents have been coming fast and furious. It's intense. The day started with Assistant Editor Anna Peraino bringing in cookies within cookies for Associate Editor Jennifer Chen, then progressed to a couple dozen candy cane brownies from Sticky Fingers for the staff from our publishers. If ever there was a day to feast on salad, it's today. We've had holiday music blasting all day, and things just basically couldn't be more festive. Here's to an amazing holiday season for everyone! We'll be back next year!

Roasted Tomato Soup & Giant Kale Salad

The Chef: Jennifer 

The Menu: Roasted tomato soup and a kale salad.

The Goods: Yes, my co-workers (they shall remain nameless) teased me about the size of my kale salad. The leaves were literally falling off the plate. But I have a good reason for eating half of a bunch of kale. After baking/eating the top cookie in our Holiday Cookie Contest—chocolate sugar cookies with peppermint candy cane frosting—I needed to eat my weight in greens. The tomato soup, my friends, is one of the best I've ever had and it's the Veganize It! recipe from the January+February  VegNews. As Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria aptly described it, "This soup is a great grilled cheese dipper." I'm lucky that my husband is the king of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks, Daiya! If you're running low on your favorite vegan pantry items, enter our $100 Pangea shopping spree giveaway. Now, I'm off to finish the rest of my salad.

Pesto Pasta

The Chefs: Jennifer and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Savvy Savories Vegan Pesto Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

The Goods: I blame Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack for my addiction to this pesto pasta. She bought it all the time, and she made me try it to understand her obsession. Now, I'm hooked. The roasted cashews add a nice cheese-like taste to this pesto. I could eat it every day. Stop me. Immediately after eating this savory dish, all I really want is something sweet. So it's a good thing I'm baking up the Chocolate Sugar Cookies Iced with Crushed Candy Cane Topping recipe from our Holiday Cookie Contest. I'm not the world's best baker so I'm glad I'm chatting with some of the best vegan bakers tonight at 6pm PT during our VegNews Twitter Chat to get some help.

Triple Tacos

The Chefs: Jennifer and Gracias Madre

The Menu: The stellar taco plate, with black beans, fresh tortillas, sautéed greens, plantains, summer squash, and extra cashew cheese.

The Goods: As Café VegNews readers know, the VN staff are regulars at Gracias Madre. In fact, counting today, we've blogged about our lunches there at least 30 times. With the news that Gracias Madre is up for sale, I met VN columnist Jesse Miner ( the High-Tech Chef) there who graciously took me out to lunch. I always love the taco platter because the fresh veggies are delicious, and the mashed black beans are my favorite. Jesse and I chatted about his regular columns and his recent trip to Hawaii. If you're dreaming about vacation like I am right now, let us know where you'd like to go and you'll be entered in our $100 shopping spree to Alternative Outfitters, a vegan boutique, so you can buy flip flops for your impending trip to Hawaii. A girl can fantasize, right? Thanks to Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria for this photo. I was too saddened by the news of GM's possible closing to remember to take one.