KALE 4EVER

The Chefs: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: Herbivore's raw kale salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onion, carrots, and soy chicken.

The Goods: Our old mainstay Herbivore has just rejuvenated its extensive menu with tons of new fodder, but my at-least-weekly dates with my beloved kale salad will never cease. On my to-do list for future visits, however: the quesadillas, grilled "beef" and tahini vegetable salad, and coconut ramen noodle soup. This weekend, I got to indulge my foodie-ism in Brooklyn with treats such as the lemon-lavender doughnut from Dun-Well Doughnuts and spicy Cubano sandwich from Champs, so although it may appear that I munch on a lot of leafy greens, trust me—I know how to self-indulge, good and proper. 

Vegans Love Salad

The Chef: Jennifer and Herbivore

The Menu: Marinated kale salad with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and crispy soy chicken. For dessert, a deliciously sweet Saturn peach.

The Goods: It's almost six months ago that I started working at VegNews and these are three things that have changed about my life (besides, the killer job). 1. I freaking love raw kale salads, hence the lunch today. 2. I actually enjoy green juice and seek it out. 3. I now own a juicer. VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria always tops her Herbivore kale salad with avocado and soy chicken and it's the best thing I've ever had. Am I losing my New Yorker cred by admitting that I love San Francisco just as much as kale salad? Don't make me choose. If you're visiting SF this weekend for Pride Weekend or planning a visit in the near future, you've got to use our Local Vegan Guide to San Francisco. If not just for the food recommendations (deep-dish pizza, mochi, burritos!), it's a perfect list for a perfect city. I still love you New York!

Tri-Color Pasta

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A perfectly prepared pasta meal. Whole-wheat penne with diced tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and garbanzo beans. If there's anything better than a simple pasta lunch, we pretty much don't want to know about it. Colleen did improve on her hearty main with a lovely green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.

The Goods: Colleen is one of the nicest people on the planet, in case you didn't know that. After her two-week trip to New York City, she generously offered to take over cooking for this whole week! Just another reason why we love her. Oh, and did we mention that she and Joseph brought back the biggest box of Sweet & Sara goodies we've ever seen? We're up to our eyeballs in marshmallows, s'mores, and biscotti! Yes, things are pretty good here at the VNHQ.

Savory Medallions, Mashed Potatoes

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: A classic meal of savory seitan medallions doused in barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes with tons of vegan margarine, salad, and biscuits. Yes, the medallions are another of Frankie's fantastic creations, and yes, we thoroughly enjoyed them. In most parts of the country, this meal would likely be called "dinner," which is just how we like our lunches: hearty.

The Goods: It's a bittersweet day here at the VNHQ. Our publishers have returned from their sojourn in New York City, and we're thrilled to have them back. Sadly, today is Ms. Kristen's last day, and we'll certainly miss her. Other than the comings and goings, we're hard at work on our 10th anniversary issue! Highly exciting stuff. Hope everyone had a great weekend and wonderful start to the week!

Italian Overload

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A ton of tasty Italian treats! Liz was ready to feed an army today, and we thoroughly enjoyed her efforts. First up, Liz prepared Caesar's gnocchi with Lucini marinara, which was a delicious pairing. Then an Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza came into play, along with some roasted potatoes and carrots with rosemary. Finally, a huge romaine salad with avocado, celery, and cherry tomatoes finished off the plate.

The Goods: Yes, this was a lot of food, and that's just what we needed to power us through the last day of this week. Here's hoping that everyone has enjoyed our publishers' virtual tour of vegan New York City on Facebook as they'll be back in boring ol' SF next week. Oh wait, we mean totally awesome SF!

Very Vegetable Curry

The Chef: Kristen

The Menu: Seasoned veggies and tofu marinated in a spicy, homemade curry sauce and served over fragrant jasmine rice comprised the majority of our hearty lunchtime feast. Kristen also whipped up a splendid, simple salad including halved cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and crisp mixed greens. Although not pictured, we also dined on Creamy Coconut Curry, courtesy of So-Yah! from House Foods.

The Goods: This savory, satisfying meal was exactly what we needed to perk up what was otherwise a quiet, rainy Tuesday morning. Luckily, the rain abated long enough for an al fresco lunch, which we happily took advantage of. Curious about why it's so quiet here at the VNHQ? It's because our publishers are still out of town, taking in all the sights and vegan delights of New York City. We'd be green with envy if we weren't already brimming with excitement over the possibility of soon receiving our May+June issue. Yes, we're just a little bit excited.