Salad and Spring Rolls

The Chef: Anna and Valenica Whole Foods

The Menu: A spinach salad with sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes, zucchini, red peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette with veggie spring rolls courtesy of Valencia Whole Foods.

The Goods: Maybe it's just me (and it is), but I want to drop-kick my salad into veggie oblivion. While I am in the homestretch of Kris Carr's 21-day cleanse, and have felt and seen the benefits of green juice, I've eaten more salads than I care to think about. With 66 hours left (but who's counting?), it's a comfort to know that soon I will be able to ingest sugar, gluten, and alcohol again. (I'm looking at you, chocolate cake and whiskey). I'm excited for my next Café VegNews post, where I will most likely be scarfing down vegan candy bars from the VegNews Store, VN office favorite Herbivore's chicken sandwich, and some Neapolitan bars (this week's What's Cooking?) all at the same time. I might have to recruit someone in the office to be my extra set of hands—two is not going to be enough.

Salad with Hummus and Falafel

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: Eating this spinach salad with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, Trader Joe's falafel, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing is like lunching at the Acropolis.

The Goods: Okay, maybe this yummy salad can't transport me all the way to Greece, but its Mediterranean feel makes it easier to imagine I'm sitting on a white-sand beach instead of in a rainy metropolis. The hot falafel and dressing really hit the spot on this gloomy day. (Dressing recipe: mix balsamic vinaigrette with hummus. So hard, right?) If you are similarly in need of something to warm you up (and who isn't, with snow currently in 49 states!), sip on some hot apple cider tea (This Week's Must Have) or whip up some warm, hearty and healthy oatmeal with What's Cooking on VN.com. Happy lunching!

Quick Ziti Lunch

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: An Amy's Kitchen Baked Ziti Bowl, plus enormous side salad from Valencia Whole Foods' trusty salad bar. The baked ziti had a lovely tomato sauce, green peas, and even a little vegan cheese, and the salad consisted of spinach, more peas, corn, garbanzo beans, and a (ahem) generous dose of Parma!

The Goods: Sometimes, we have amazing, freshly prepared lunches from our favorite vegan restaurants and share them with you here on Café VegNews. Then sometimes, like today, we eat like powerful magazine editors. Thankfully, our local corner store has a great salad bar and ample frozen vegan options. It's simply too rainy in SF today to only have salad, and ziti is both fun to eat and to say. Zeetee. If you can't get enough of this comforting carb, check out What's Cooking on VegNews.com for a simple Ziti and Tomato Sauce recipe that's nearly as quick to make as a microwaveable meal.

Chickpea Salad

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: An enormous salad of romaine, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, and chickpeas. Topped with Goddess dressing, this hearty meal could not have been more simple to make, nor more delicious.

The Goods: If there's anything better than a fantastic salad with really, really flavorful tomatoes on a hot day, I don't even want to know what it is. This lunch was somewhat inspired by What's Cooking over on vegnews.com, and the lettuce and tomatoes both came from my local farmers' market. Ok, you're saying, a farmers' market is great and all, but is it really that exciting? BUT! Consider that I purchased these gorgeous veggies exactly a week ago, and the lettuce was still crisp and perky, and the tomatoes were incredibly delicious. Since store-bought produce typically takes all of four seconds to wilt in my fridge, this salad was nothing short if thrilling. And really, if you're not thrilled by a standout salad, what joy can you hope for in life?