A Kitchen Sink Salad

The Chef: Anna and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes atop a salad of corn, carrots, fava beans, hummus, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and some other stuff I can't remember.

The Dish: I wasn't really hungry when lunchtime rolled around today, so I figured I might as well try to get some greens in there. Sure, pesto pasta isn't necessarily the "green" I went to the store with the intention of buying, but at least I got some of the leafy stuff in, right? My stomach was mostly filled with taro fries that we taste tested earlier in the day, and just so happens to be one of the seven delicious, taro-based recipes in our July+August feature. Want to get your hands on a copy before it hits store shelves? Order a subscription today!

Surprise! It's Kale Salad.

The Chef: Anna and Herbivore

The Menu: Kale salad with cherry tomatoes, carrots, onion, and avocado. 

The Dish: You might think, what with the frequency with which we ingest this kale salad, that it's our absolute, hands-down, 100-percent favorite. Well, it is—in San Francisco. But when we're lucky enough to be within a 50-mile radius of the Veggie Grill, we're sure to nosh on the All Hail Kale Salad, which is, by far, the most spectacular kale salad in existence. Seriously—we dare you to prove us wrong. (Really! We'd love to know!) Want to get a behind-the-scenes look at Veggie Grill, including an interview with the chain's CEO? Check out our newest video on VegNews TV! 

Secret Feast at Weird Fish

The Chef: Hilary and Weird Fish

The Menu: A formidable feast for two, with fried pickles, seitan buffalo wings with vegan ranch dip, a farm-fresh salad enlivened with orange and white carrots and Chioggia beets, and a deconstructed "Caprese" with heirloom tomatoes, crispy basil, and seasoned tofu. 

The Goods: A mere two blocks from the VNHQ lies Weird Fish, a tiny eatery that has been a longtime favorite of local vegans for its impressive array of meat-free options. A friend of mine, Mark Amezquita, recently became its head chef, and treated me and my friend Jackson to a few favorites—and off-the-menu creations—during my Wednesday lunch hour. We started with the requisite "buffalo girls" and "YoYos", made with spicy seitan and crispy super-dill pickles, respectively. 

Next, we were presented with the aforementioned gorgeous—and very colorful—salad, overflowing with tasty beets and carrots, fresh from Roshambo Farms, followed by the refreshing but hearty tomato-basil-tofu creation pictured above. It pays to have friends in high places. Want to rub elbows with some of your favorite chefs? Pick up a ticket to the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods, where you can celebrate the launch of Spork-Fed with the authors themselves on the VNHQ's very own rooftop deck. 

A Salad, Sandwich, and Guacamole

The Chef: Anna and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A random smattering from the salad bar (lettuce! hummus! rice!) and half of VWF's beloved veggie sausage sandwich, filled with hummus and avocado. Bonus: homemade guacamole!

The Dish: I was super jazzed to go to VWF today for some spring rolls, but after the last package was stolen from me (ahem, Jennifer Chen), I had to improvise. And you know, I think improvising with one of our office favorites is a good way to go. The office feels a little empty today, with Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig off to Virginia for Charlottesville VegFest and Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland in Thailand with VegNews Vacations, but we're coping the best way we can (with guacamole and delicious sandwiches). Want to travel the world with VegNews? Our trips for Bali and India are sold out, but there are a few spots left on this November's Vegan Yoga Retreat in Mexico. Sign up today!

Hello, homemade guacamole. Won't you get in my belly?

A Bowl of Whole Foods (Almost)

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: A bowl filled with spinach, brown rice, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, almonds, black beans, homemade hummus, and a sprinkling of Parma!

The Dish: Whether it's because I'm sick or I just spent a weekend gorging myself on Mexican food (thank you, Houston, for both), I wanted a seriously whole-foods lunch. The combination of fresh vegetables with simple grains and beans was supremely satisfying, and the Parma! (fine, I guess there was some processed nosh in there) added a little extra flavor. It might be a week of simple, get-better-soon meals for me, but it doesn't have to be for you! Check out our list of 10 new vegan restaurants across the country and make a reservation stat. I have my eye on Vegeria for the next time I'm in the Lone Star State.

Sandwich and Salad

The Chef: Anna and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A yummy salad of mixed greens, corn, carrots, roasted red bell peppers, raisins, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing, plus a seriously delightful foccacia sandwich filled with seitan, hummus, and big slices of fresh avocado.

The Goods: No, it's not déjà vu you're feeling. Today I decided to take a page out of VN Managing Editor Elizabeth's book and recreate her delicious Valencia Whole Foods sandwich and salad lunch. I really cannot say enough good things about that place, and this sandwich in particular. I would be perfectly happy subsisting solely on this seitan staple for the rest of my days. Speaking of days, the last day to subscribe in time to get our food-tastic September+October issue is fast-approaching, so get online and order before Thursday!

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!

Veggie Burrito with Chips

The Chef: Anna and Papalote Mexican Grill

The Menu: An enormous veggie burrito, stuffed with black beans, rice, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and guacamole. Throw in a big heap of tortilla chips with Papalote's perfectly spicy salsa? Don't mind if I do.

The Goods: I went to Papalote today in order to correct a traumatic experience. I know what you're thinking: how on earth could one have a traumatic experience involving burritos? Well listen here. This past Monday on my way to my first day at VNHQ I shuffled down 24th street toward Valencia and BAM! Papalote's windows were covered in brown paper. Could it really be that this delicious food was disappearing from my life? But fear not, dear readers, they were only remodeling. So in order to give myself the proverbial pinch that wakes me from my "Papalote's is closed" nightmare, I (along with fellow VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra) trekked on over there today. And I have to say it tasted better than ever. The carrots were roastier, the black beans were creamier, and I think they gave me some extra super yummy guacamole after I told them about my Monday morning freak out. While devouring my burrito and chips, I couldn't help but think about the So Delicious chocolate Coconut Milk that was delivered to VNHQ yesterday. A girl needs her dessert, right? And in case you were wondering, yes, my stomach is three times the size of a normal person's.

Super Salad and Pot Pie

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A gigantic salad of romaine, grated carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, and black olives tossed with Annie's Goddess Dressing. In addition to this massive pile of vegetable bounty, I also enjoyed an Amy's Kitchen Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie, filled with potatoes, carrots, tofu, and a delicious white sauce all wrapped in a soft pastry shell.

The Goods: After having every intention of not buying lunch today (in an effort to curb my raging Gracias Madre addiction), I discovered two things. One: it was really cold this morning. Two: the grocery store right around the corner from the office sells Amy's Pot Pies. You know what this editor can't resist on a cold day? That's right—it starts with "pot" and ends with "pie."

Enormous Burritos

The Chef: Elizabeth and Papalote Mexican Grill

The Menu: A really big, really delicious veggie burrito! Filled with refried beans, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, perfectly done rice, and a generous serving of guacamole, this burrito is one of my favorites on the planet. Does a handful of chips make everything better? Why yes, indeed they do.

The Goods: It's always a tough call between the veggie burrito and the soyrizo burrito at Papalote, since I love the big slices of carrot in the veggie, but soyrizo has the benefit of, well, soyrizo, which is effing delicious. Either way, a good dose of guacamole makes me a happy gal. One other thing that's making today wonderful is that our November+December Veggie Awards issue ships out today, which means the winners are going to be revealed! Can't wait to hear what everyone has to say about this year's crop of incredible winners!

Peanut Butter & Jam

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A classic lunch combo including a PB&J made with whole-wheat bread, peanut butter, and homemade plum jam paired alongside a serving of crunchy carrot sticks and a ripe, red apple.

The Goods: Thanks to VN volunteer extraordinaire Frankie McGee, my favorite childhood sandwich got an all-natural upgrade with homemade plum jam. In addition to gifting the VN staff with this PB&J-approved plum jam, Frankie regularly brings in homemade jellies, jams, veggie spreads, preserves, pickles, bread, and desserts—vegan chocolate mousse with amaretto, anyone? Because yes, Frankie kindly whips up all of those tasty treats for the VN staff. I enjoyed my satisfying sandwich al fresco today, and finished off my midday meal with a refreshing ice tea from Java Beach.

Easy Salad & Edamame

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A robust, flavorful salad of mixed greens, green olives, shredded carrot, cherry tomatoes, avocado, celery, and basil dressed in a zesty summer vinaigrette. Colleen added some crunch to our veggie-filled lunch with fresh, salty edamame.

The Goods: In a bid to outshine yesterday's super sunny lunch, today's al fresco fare was even more satisfying, as San Francisco's two-day high temperatures have us riding a serious vitamin-D wave. When the hot, hot, heat gets to be too much, however, it's good to seek fun indoors, preferably where there is air conditioning. Ready for the perfect summer evening event? Enter to win two tickets to see vegan comedian Myq Kaplan's performance in San Francisco at The Warfield on Sept. 10! Kaplan was recently a top-five finalist on NBC'S Last Comic Standing, and VN recently caught up with the meat-free funny man to discuss everything from eating vegan on the road to sharing veganism with fellow contestants.

Flour-Free Fajitas

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Free-form fajitas featuring pan-friend tempeh and veggies including carrot, bell pepper, onion, tomato, garlic, and spices served over fluffy, flavorful basmati rice. Elizabeth finished off this free-form fajita feast with a great green salad of spinach, carrot, tomato, and sunflower seeds.

The Goods: Who says a hearty helping of fajitas calls for an extra side of carbs? We say, in a pinch, the exclusion of tortillas doesn't matter one bit—it's the savory fixins' that really make the fajita. While we wouldn't say that these fabulous fajitas were exactly skinny, we do think they'd meet the approval of one Skinny Bitch author, Ms. Rory Freedman. In Skinny Bitch, Freedman, along with co-author Kim Barnouin, discuss the pros of whole grain carbs and meat-free substitutes, so we think they'd love our Latin-inspired lunch. Want to win a copy of Skinny Bitch and read all about it for yourself? Enter VN's weekly giveaway for the chance to win a copy, along with a signed copy of our 2008 Veggie Awards Issue featuring cover girl Rory Freedman.

Carrot Soup, Crunchy Salad

The Chef: Abigail

The Menu: A bright, blended, chilled soup that had pretty much every vegetable in our kitchen in it. Abigail used tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and even a little bread pudding leftover from yesterday. For her super-crunchy lettuce-less salad, Abigail combined chopped broccoli, orange bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and apple.

The Goods: Happy Earth Day, everyone! Our lunch today was extra green, since it was vegan (as always) involved zero cooking (Abigail just whipped the soup together in the Vita-Mix), and used leftovers so that they didn't go to waste. Huzzah for the planet! Oh, in case you haven't been following us on Twitter today, we are doing a HUGE Earth Day giveaway. You only have a few hours left to enter, and trust us, you want to enter. Can you say huge gift basket full of goodies from Sweet & Sara?

Falafel and Pita

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A delectable mezze platter of treats. Veggie Patch recently veganized its falafel, so we ate a few, paired with two flavors of Tribe hummus, an assortment of veggies, and a lovely salad that boasted homemade feta. Oh, and the large, circular item at the top of the plate? That would be a freshly made pita! Yes, Liz dazzled us by busting out homemade whole-wheat pita in just less than an hour. Le yum.

The Goods: It might be possible that today's fantastic meal was a special treat for everyone in the office, which we needed since we're all nursing the heartache of Chas' departure. Le sigh. Thanks to Liz for the distractingly good lunch. On a brighter note, are we going to see you at the Green Festival in San Francisco this weekend? Come by our booth and say hello!

Barbecue and Biscuits

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Surprise! There are biscuits! Abby's stand-by made yet another appearance, this time accompanied by barbecue-baked hot dogs and a hefty helping of home fries, which were slathered in a sweet and savory combo of sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, and maple syrup. For our daily greens, Abby whipped up a big salad with carrot, avocado, and a generous sprinkling of Kaia Foods Teriyaki Sprouted Sunflower Seeds.

The Goods: And we're back, everyone! After a whirlwind weekend at Expo West, the entire crew is back at the VNHQ and ready to work. Despite the hours and hours we spent eating the past few days—no, we're not exaggerating—this filling meal was welcomed at the lunch table. Want to know more about our Expo West adventures? Check out Joseph's LA recap on Press Pass, and read all about our Best of Show awards for the inside info on the latest, greatest veg products.

All Kale Caesar (Salad)

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A hearty, veggie-filled lentil soup perfectly balanced with a fresh kale salad. Our super savory soup consisted of red lentils, celery, carrots, and garlic and was just the warming main course we needed. In classic soup-and-salad combo style, Elizabeth paired our tasty main with a heaping side of kale and apple salad, tossed in a spicy, tangy mustard vinaigrette dressing.

The Goods: We don't know what's happening with the weather, but we're putting in a request that it cease and desist. Lately, our windows shift from sunny skies to heavy downpours within what feels like a matter of minutes, making this soul-satisfying soup and zesty salad exactly what we needed to perk up our moods. Does Elizabeth get extra points for steaming today's soup water in our tea kettle? She just might. Did we follow our delicious lunch with birthday cake leftovers? We just may have. Speaking of cake, if you're planning to bake a birthday cake for a friend or coworker—or, ahem, us—look no further than VN's Recipe Club!

Black Bean and Broccoli Wraps

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A very tasty, and beautifully presented, array of treats wrapped in tortillas, which, as you may know, is pretty much the best way to eat anything. Today we wrapped broccoli, black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, quinoa, and salsa all up in whole-wheat tortillas. Abby also made flattened biscuits, which also seemed vaguely tortilla-esque, aka delicious. Finally, a simple salad finished off our plates.

The Goods: It's the weekend! We like that! Here's to enjoying some quality time with your non-work life. Speaking of non-work, are you in need of a vacation? Perhaps one in India? With us?! If you want to take part in our first-ever VegNews Great Adventure to India, the time to reserve your space is now. The trip is already half sold-out!

Veggie Stir-Fry

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Veggies galore! Abby whipped up a vegetable-filled trifecta, starting with a main dish of stir-fried veggies and tofu, including broccoli, carrots, peas, green and red peppers, and mushrooms, served over brown rice. Garlicky homemade hummus dressed up raw carrots and broccoli, and a huge salad rounded out the plate. Complete with spinach, kale, cucumber, red pepper, and a sweet vinaigrette, our daily leafy-greens requisite added balance to its richer, savory counterparts.

The Goods: Sometimes going back to the basics of plant-based cooking can be delicious—like today. A filling, vitamin-packed meal was just what the VNHQ ordered, especially with a bout of the sniffles making its rounds again. Fighting off your own flu-like demons? Check out our top foods for feasting to keep you healthy and happy this February!

Cookbook Week: Three-Bean Chili

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A hearty, filling bowl of three-bean chili. This super satisfying main starred white and red kidney beans, black beans, and just the right amount of chipotle peppers and green chiles for an added kick. Abby complemented the spicy dish with fluffy quinoa and a light spinach salad with carrot, red pepper, and sliced mushrooms.

The Goods: First, the good news. Today we enjoyed another one of Robin Robertson's 1,000 Vegan Recipes, the sun is shining, our Parma! cup runneth over, and it's Friday. Now the bad news: We only have one more copy of Robertson's masterpiece to give away. On a happier note, congrats to PodPiper, who is the winner of yesterday's copy! Send us an e-mail, and we'll get your book right out. Our randomly selected winner touted Daiya as a current love obsession, suggesting a sprinkle makes everything better—including chili. While we didn't have any Daiya on hand today, the VN staff did debate over the best chili toppings. From classic to crazy, what's your favorite chili add-in? Leave a comment for your chance to win the final copy of 1,000 Vegan Recipes!