One-Pot Wonderful

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A sensationally savory one-pot meal. Colleen prepared a Mediterranean-inspired tomato soup with cumin and other spices, garbanzo beans, coconut milk, and eggplant, then added rice and simmered it all together into a totally tasty lunch. Alongside, a salad of mixed greens and grated carrots and beets finished off the plate.

The Goods: It's a bittersweet day here at the VNHQ, as it's the last day for our two stellar editorial assistants, Melissa and Stacy. These ladies have been phenomenal during their time here, and while we're so happy that we had the opportunity to work with both of them, it's definitely sad that they're leaving. We wish them the very best in the future, and if anyone needs us, we'll be drowning our sorrows in leftover ice-cream cake and saké.

Pre-Party Fritters

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A mélange of mighty-good morsels! Ms. Stacy lent a hand with the recipe testing by whipping up some akara, or Malinese black-eyed-pea fritters. Yes, they were yummy, as was the salsa that accompanied them! And you just might recognize the rest of the items on the plate from a certain celebration we might have mentioned yesterday.

The Goods: Today's entry, much like today's lunch, will be on the quick and light side, since we're all gearing up for the sold-out Urban Dessert Soirée with Ani Phyo tonight!

VegNews Wedding Celebration 2009

The Chefs: Everyone!

The Menu: Today, we went all out. In the second installment of an annual tradition, we toasted this year's wedding couples. Only one couple was local enough to make it over to the VNHQ on a weekday, and we were thrilled to welcome Barry and Jennifer (check out page 40 of our current issue!) for lunch. Inspired by their menu, Colleen busted out a crisp Caesar salad, which you see at the center of the plate, and Aurelia made a to-die-for artichoke dip and perfectly spiced barbecue tofu. Elizabeth tested the fancy-pants recipes from our forthcoming July+August food feature, which is all about tartares and carpaccios. Starting from nine o'clock on the plate, you see Tropical Fruit Tartare, Pineapple-Hazelnut Carpaccio, Apple-Cheddar Carpaccio, Almond-Carrot Tartare, and Mediterranean Tartare. Yes, you will definitely want to ready your ramekins—which we were sorely lacking today—and try these incredible combinations. Both Melissa and Stacy played indispensable roles as sous chefs, chopping and arranging fruit like crazy.

The Goods: Oh yes, we also had one other very, very special guest today: Chang from MaggieMudd! Ms. Chang bestowed upon us an utterly incredible gift—an ice-cream wedding cake! Um, holy crap. Check out the gorgeousness below. If ever there was a reason to wed, this cake is it. Let's just say it started with a brownie topped with Tar Mack ice cream—aka chocolate and peanut butter with crumbled cookies—and that was just the first layer. The second was an equally delicious toasted-coconut ice cream made with coconut milk, and the whole thing was adorned in whipped-cream frosting and decorated with fabulous fondant. Yes, we're in love. Congrats to all our wedding couples, and thanks to our guests for making the celebration possible! Cheers!

Amazing Grains 'n' Greens

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: Grains, greens, and lots of 'em! Stacy, ever the intrepid chef, started out with a simple basmati rice and lentil mixture, to which she added some spinach, black beans, and Dukkah hazelnut and spice mix. The result was a warm, hearty, and satisfying blend, which was perfectly complemented by her stellar salad, a fresh and crisp mixture of greens, grated carrot, avocado, and sunflower seeds. But today was no ordinary one-grain day at the VNHQ. No, today was an "amazing grain" day because Organic Athlete and longtime VN-pal Justin Lucke was in the house, and he did not come empty handed. He brought along his homemade pain Poilâne, a whole-wheat masterpiece that was just as delightful on its own as it was smothered in Earth Balance and Parma.

The Goods: We are getting deep into the design phase of our July+August issue, so we're preparing ourselves for some marathon meetings by loading up on our favorite creativity-fueling snacks like chocolate-covered pretzels and peanut-filled pretzels from our preferred provision provider, Trader Joe's. Notice a theme going on here? Yes, we have a slight tendency towards obsessing with pretzels. Is there anything wrong with that? No, we didn't think so.

Oh My, Thai!

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A terrific, two-course Thai treat! This may well be the most colorful lunch ever to be featured on this blog, and it was as delicious as it was vibrant. Ms. Stacy busted out a totally wonderful Thai-food-inspired coconut soup with sweet potato, fennel, spinach, green onions, and carrots. Alongside was an equally attractive rice-noodle salad with a few of the same ingredients, plus basil and thin slices of bright-red pickled ginger, which was tossed in a light, lovely vinaigrette.

The Goods: There's nothing to brighten up a slightly dreary day like a super-colorful lunch and some special-guest-type company. Today we had the pleasure of dining with Justin Lucke, one of our favorite local veg chefs and Organic Athletes. Oh, any maybe there's a hidden message in today's headline. We're just saying, it pretty clearly says "my thai," and what event is happening tonight? Oh, that would be a little something we like to call SF Vegan Drinks. Yes, subtlety has always been our strongpoint. Now come see us at Martuni's!

Super Stir-Fry

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A simply superb stir-fry. Ms. Stacy was on a veggie-using mission today when she stirred up this delectable blend of snow peas, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, onions, leeks, and garlic, all served over rice. Stacy's favorite spice is cinnamon, so she took the Asian-cuisine-inspired opportunity to include some five-spice in her savory concoction.

The Goods: We're on pins and freaking needles here at the VNHQ today, as our publishers are in Los Angeles as we speak getting ready for the Maggie Awards ceremony. Maybe they went for lunch at one of our favorite places on the planet, The Veggie Grill. Maybe this is what they ate. Maybe it's a good thing we have leftover ice-cream cake, not only to console ourselves from missing out on the trip south, but also to get us properly amped up on sugar while we await the awards announcements tonight!

Birthday Bliss

The Chef: Vanida and MaggieMudd

The Menu: A beautiful birthday bash of Thai food and ice-cream cake! Yeah, today is basically the best lunch day ever, just in case you were wondering. From our favorite local Thai place, Vanida, we served up some deliciously garlicky eggplant and tofu, a spicy yellow curry with zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and red bell pepper, and a lovely, light papaya salad with tomatoes and ground peanuts. Oh, and maybe there was a cake. Maybe it was an ice-cream cake that featured Toasted Coconut and Mint Chocolate Chip ice creams, set atop a brownie crust and covered in whipped-cream frosting. Oh, did we mention (or did we even really have to?) that this whole B-Day smorgasbord was vegan? Yeah, it was.

The Goods: We had not one but two birthdays in the office this week, those of Ms. Colleen and Ms. Stacy. If there was ever a time to order up a big, beautiful birthday cake, today was the day. A very happy birthday to both lovely ladies, one of whom you can see below with the sweet treat. Continuing the tradition of studly adornments, this year's cake featured one of our favorite vegans. Can you tell who it is?

Curry in a Hurry

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A spice-infused, stick-to-your-ribs substantial, sickness-be-gone curry. Contrary to the title of this post, Stacy most certainly did not cook our meal in haste, but we have to admit that this colorful and creative quinoa, black-bean, and parsnip-studded star was certainly consumed in, well, a hurry. We just couldn't quit serving ourselves spoonfuls scooped up with whole-wheat naan and heaped with Sriracha hot sauce and Parma for extra pizazz.

The Goods: It's a beautiful Friday afternoon, which means we're pretty much automatically in a good mood at the VNHQ. There's also the fact that, oh, a little thing we like to call our May+June issue arrived in the office today. Let's just hope that no dogs were nearby when we emitted our high-pitched shrieks of delight. Now that the initial excitement has faded a bit, we've settled back down to work, and dogs in the vicinity appear to be unscathed, we have an über-important question for you: Which part of your May+June VegNews are you extra excited about reading?

Burritos Muy Buenos

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: Burritos! You know we're big burrito fans here at the VNHQ, and homemade versions are always appreciated. Stacy started with hemp and whole-wheat tortillas, added brown rice, black beans and Soy Ground, grated carrots, guacamole, and sautéed kale, red onions, and bell peppers. Yes, the word you're looking for is "yum."

The Goods: Today's lunchtime discussion was just a little bit livelier than usual. While we always have fun munching and chatting, today we were getting a little bit fired up about, well, veganism. This probably doesn't come as a huge shock to anyone out there, but the veg lifestyle is something we care about pretty passionately around here. Somehow, the conversation segued from what would happen if everyone on the planet went veg tomorrow (eeep!) to the songs that get stuck in our heads. Oh yes, Joseph busted out his laptop and treated us all to a little lunchtime rock, inspired by the song that has, inexplicably, been in Elizabeth's head for the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Sandwiches

The Chefs: Stacy and Melissa

The Menu: A smorgasbord of sandwiches! Our chefs today used just about everything they could from the fridge, and the results were as delicious as they were varied. Melissa whipped up a lovely tofu salad with almonds, raisins, celery, and a touch of curry powder, which we slathered on toasted bread and topped with Tofurky slices, baby spinach, grated carrots, and more condiments than we could count. Some of Aurelia's awesome millet salad got reinvented with the addition of grated beets and carrots, sliced zucchini, and chopped green onions. We also doused carrot sticks, baby white carrots, and chips with Roasted Mole sauce, garlic dips, and spiced ketchups.

The Goods: Usually Fridays serve as our clean-out-the-fridge days, but today our chef tag-team pulled out all the stops. It's amazing just how many different condiments one magazine staff can fit into a standard-size refrigerator. Sandwiches are pretty much made for loading up with savory extras, which means that today's meal was pretty much perfect.

Millet Mania

The Chef: Aurelia

The Menu: A lovely combination of soup, salad, and toasted bread smothered in Parma. Do we like three-course lunches? Yes, indeed we do. The grain in today's salad was millet, which Aurelia mixed with kidney beans, chopped red onions, diced carrots, raisins, and baby spinach, onto which we all dumped slightly embarrassing amounts of Parma. Yes, we pretty much do that with everything that comes across our plates. The soup was a blend of potatoes, onions, and green chiles, which combined for a warm, flavorful effect. Multigrain bread, which we're pretty sure also contained millet, got toasted and topped with Parma, then heartily devoured.

The Goods: Today we got not only to eat a delicious lunch, but also to enjoy it with the company of a special guest. Our editorial assistant, Stacy, invited her twin sister to join us today, and it was a treat to get to host Kelly, who's recently moved to SF. Yes, you get extra points if you can tell which lovely lady below is Stacy and which one is Kelly. (Here's a hint: you can find photos of Stacy on Press Pass and on VegNews.com.)

Pizza! Pow!

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A lightning-fast preparation of pizza, sweet-potato fries, salad, and sliced walnut bread. Today is final proofing day for our May+June issue, which means that we had out our brightest red pens. It also meant that poor Ms. Stacy had just about five minutes in which to prepare our lunch, and, as per usual, she did an awesome job. From the freezer Stacy busted out a veggie pizza and sweet-potato fries, and she made an enormous, delicious salad with raisins, sunflower seeds, chopped zucchini, and plenty of Salad Booster from Living Intentions.

The Goods: We're off to SF Vegan Drinks! Don't forget to check out Press Pass to find out about all of our after-hours activities. Well, OK, maybe not all of them, but do you really want to know about that one time we went to the laundromat? Yeah, didn't think so.

Charming Chili

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A chili that could charm the leaves off the trees! Today's lovely lunch was everything a vegan meal should be: delicious, healthy, and topped with avocado. Ms. Stacy busted out a homemade, three-bean chili with corn, tomatoes, and a cinnamon-y blend of spices that was absolutely perfect. Topped with grated non-dairy mozzarella and a couple kinds of chips, the chili was served atop a bed of red quinoa. A hefty salad of romaine, tomato, and soy-feta finished off the meal.

The Goods: Though you wouldn't know it from the entries on this blog, we've actually been testing a ton of dessert recipes in the office for our May+June food feature. Brownies, cookies, and other sweets have been in no short supply, so today's healthy, hearty lunch was just the thing we needed to balance our insane sugar intake.

Raw Week: Sensational Slaw

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: An assortment of excellently raw edibles! Ms. Stacy really went all out with her culinary creativity today, for which we are ever so grateful. First off, she prepared a bright, beautiful salad with sliced trumpet mushrooms, grated carrots, and chopped onions. Then she whipped up some homemade hemp butter, which she layered on celery sticks with raisins for finger food. Finally, Stacy's stellar slaw blew us all away. She grated broccoli stalks and acorn squash and added crushed cashews, chopped garlic, and raisins. This slaw was easily the favorite savory dish of Raw Week so far!

The Goods: Not only did Ms. Stacy's meal totally satisfy, but we were also treated to a trio of desserts from Ani Phyo's newest book, Ani's Raw Food Desserts thanks to Joseph and Colleen. Um, yum. The glory you see below includes raw oatmeal cookies, cacao-and-cinnamon-rolled truffles, and walnut cocoa bark. Picking a favorite from these three was very, very difficult. We'll be sampling each of them over and over again until we've come to a definitive conclusion. In case anyone's wondering, the picture below was taken before we descended on the treats. It is currently not nearly as full of goodies! Keep your eyes peeled for a special event announcement coming soon!

Peanut-Sauce Pizazz

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A creative combination of rice, beans, and broccoli, which we doused in Spicy Peanut Sauce. Inspired by the presence of Napa cabbage in our fridge, Ms. Stacy whipped up a delectable Asian-style salad complete with edamame, dried cranberries, and a lovely sesame dressing. If all that yumminess weren't enough, she also roasted some sweet, simple rutabagas.

The Goods: Salad might rank right next to rice and beans in terms of being something we could (and do!) eat every day. Sure, sure, we know that vegetarians get stereotyped as people who only ever eat salads, but when there are so many incredibly delicious combinations possible, well, why not? What are your favorite, more-exciting-than-iceberg salad recipes?

Delicious Delivery

The Chef: Dharma's

The Menu: A freakin' smorgasbord of awesome vegan yumminess from one of our favorite restaurants! Starting from 12 o'clock and moving clockwise, we've got a soup, salad, and rice combination, then the Dan Dan Noodles—cooked noodles in a peanut-sesame sauce with fresh cucumber, tofu, and green onions—then the BBQ Tofu-de-Beast, which looked way more beautiful than beastly with its side servings of mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables. Finally, over on the left side you see the Tofu Rancheros, which featured ice-cream-scoop-sized dollops of guacamole, fresh salsa, tofu scramble, and black beans, all on a corn tortilla. Um, yum.

The Goods: Yes, it's an awesome day when your prestigious publishers have an early morning meeting in Santa Cruz and are nice enough to pick up lunch for everyone before coming back to the office. Joseph and Colleen are, without a doubt, our favorite delivery people! Considering the popularity of our cover contest over on VegNews.com, here's another challenge for you: can you match the dish to the VN staffer? Colleen was able to guess who had ordered each dish without any hints at all—but since you don't have the benefit of working with all of us every day, we'll help you out. OK, there are four dishes visible, and six staffer options (Aurelia, Colleen, Elizabeth, Lyndsay, Melissa, and Stacy—Joseph was too full from breakfast to eat lunch!). Elizabeth and Stacy got the same dish, as did Aurelia and Lyndsay. Let's see how well you know your VegNews-ers! The first person to correctly match all the diners with their dishes will receive a Hawaiian Ruby Guava gift set! Ready? Go!

Tasty Tuscany

The Chef: Stacy and Kashi

The Menu: A lovely Tuscan Veggie Bake, courtesy of Kashi, which Ms. Stacy expertly heated. This lasagna-type dish featured a nice tomato sauce and some chunky veggies. Stacy roasted her own mixture of Brussels sprouts and Romanesco broccoli, which made for a visually impressive side dish. She also sautéed some delicious Swiss chard and topped it with tomato-garlic soy cheese.

The Goods: There may be a subtle theme to today's lunch: Romanesco broccoli, Swiss chard, Tuscan bake. Seeing a pattern here? Maybe some hard-hitting investigative journalism is required to look into what is clearly a burgeoning trend—European-inspired ingredients. If anyone has an extra round-trip ticket to Europe that you don't plan on using, feel free to send it our way.

The Best Wednesday Ever

The Chefs: Aurelia, Kashi, and Frankie

The Menu: Wow. This one's going to be a doozy. So to start off, we enjoyed another frozen offering from Kashi, the Mayan Harvest Bake, which featured amaranth polenta, black beans, kale, sweet potato, pumpkin seeds, and delicious plantains. We were all really impressed with the way the plantains held up after being frozen and reheated—they were perfect! Aurelia busted out a red-quinoa salad with tempeh, red bell pepper, kale, and grated carrots that was a tasty, colorful addition to our plates. Just because we maybe have more vegan cheese in the office right now than we know what to do with, we also enjoyed some light water crackers topped with slices of Cheezly. Whew. Ready for more? Oh yes, there's more. Our beloved Frankie came in today bearing her signature tray of Chocolate-Covered Everything, which today included pretzels, marzipan, pecans, raisins, dates, and—get ready—potato chips. Yeah. We're dead. Here's a little preview of all the assorted chocolaty goodness we're munching on, as modeled by our extraordinary editorial assistants, Melissa and Stacy.
The Goods: It's difficult to imagine that there would be anything else to say after such a lengthy menu, but guess what?! There's more! Yeah, that's how we do things around the VNHQ. Melissa, who just transplanted herself to SF from Japan, was kind enough to bring us some yatsuhashi cookies, which were cinnamony, crispy, and a total treat. Here's Melissa with the artfully wrapped box, straight from Kyoto:
Like we said: Best. Wednesday. Ever.

Quick Quinoa

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: It's official: Ms. Stacy has mastered the VNHQ style of cooking, which is basically summarized as the I'll-cook-whatever-I-can-find-in-the-fridge method. From a few humble ingredients she pulled together the lovely meal you see above, which consisted of roasted Brussels sprouts and dinosaur kale, and a filling, slightly sweet quinoa salad with cinnamon-roasted delicata squash, craisins, and avocado. Yes, the word you're looking for here is "yum."

The Goods: It's the end of a long week here at the VNHQ, and we couldn't have been happier with this send-off meal. We learned that quinoa, while technically not a grain, is often considered the fastest-cooking grain, which makes it extra handy for days when you're short on time and long on stuff to do. If it weren't for said stuff, we all could have stayed outside in the warm sunshine the rest of the day!

Cookbook Week: This Crazy Vegan Life

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A crazy vegan feast! For Ms. Stacy's second foray into the VNHQ kitchens she armed herself with This Crazy Vegan Life, a new book from Christina Pirello. The resultant Moroccan Lentil Stew and Chili-Spiced Cornbread were absolutely delicious. Big, hearty bites of butternut squash and sweet potato bolstered the lentil stew, and the cornbread had a perfectly grainy texture. From her own repertoire, Stacy busted out a spinach salad with shredded red cabbage, chopped tomatoes, avocado, and, of course, craisins.

The Goods: Stacy finds lentils "intriguing" and couldn't resist the call of this stew. While she was a little unsure about how much "a generous pinch" translates to, we're very certain that her spice usage was right on—there were lots of clean plates!