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! 

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.

Fantastic Friday Salad

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A green salad with mixed greens, bean sprouts, grated beets, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and grilled faux chicken, all tossed in a totally delicious Dijon dressing.

The Goods: This is my staple salad from Herbivore, and I could pretty much eat it every single day (especially if it didn't set me back $12 each time I get it). The greens and beets are a favorite combo of mine, and if there's anything that isn't better with Dijon dressing, I don't want to know about it.

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!

Hearty Kale Salad

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A huge, delicious kale salad with a tangy lemon vinaigrette, chopped onions, halved cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber and grilled soy chicken.

The Goods: If there's one food I love in this world, it's kale salad. I could eat it every single day for the rest of my life, and, in fact, probably will if I'm lucky! There's just something so wonderfully hearty and healthy about a huge bunch of greens tossed in a yummy dressing with enormous chunks of avocado and a few other add-ins. I scored this particularly satisfying version from Herbivore, which is literally located around the corner from VN's new office. I've been going to the Valencia location since I was a teenager, and, as soon as I found out where the new office would be, planned to have my first blog day lunch there. Success! We hope to have as much success seeing you all at SF Vegan Drinks tomorrow night!

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?

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.

Big Time Burritos

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: What a feast we enjoyed this Friday! Colleen made us huge burritos with seasoned rice, black beans, mashed avocado, chopped tomatoes, green olives, and chutney. Did you ever wonder how many things you could fit into the confines of a tortilla? Today we tested the outer limits. Oh, and we had salad. Of course.

The Goods: It's Friday, which is very good. Here's to a fantastic weekend for everyone!

Signature Mac and Cheese

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Heaping helpings of the absolute best freaking mac 'n' cheese in the world. But you know, no big deal. Colleen perfectly paired her signature dish with a light, fresh dose of greens. Yes, we weren't at all mad that Colleen decided to bust out a casserole dish of VN's favorite Macaroni and Cheese, complete with veggie-filled, homemade cheese sauce—no nutritional yeast required. This mouthwatering main course is guaranteed crowd pleaser, so lets just say that everybody had seconds. Then thirds. Also maybe fifths. To round out our hearty lunch Colleen prepared a lovely salad of spinach, mixed greens, avocado, and halved cherry tomatoes marinated in a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.

The Goods: In addition to an excellent meal, we were also lucky enough to have an excellent lunch guest, Jason Mark, the editor of Earth Island Journal. We couldn't have been more delighted to dine with Jason and discuss the upcoming Lyman vs. Niman debate happening Thursday, May 20, at The David Brower Center in Berkley, Calif., sponsored by VN and Earth Island Institute. The sold-out event brings together former cattle rancher turned vegan Howard Lyman and Marin rancher Nicolette Niman for a discussion about the environmental impact and sustainability of eating meat. We can't wait to report back on what promises to be a spirited, stirring conversation about the politics of food.

Hot Pizza, Cold Soup

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Definitely not the exact same menu as what she made last week! Oh no, this time Elizabeth used a couple Amy's Single Serve Rice Crust Roasted Vegetable Pizzas with melted Teese on top, to complement her extremely garlicky gazpacho. This meal could basically not be any more different from last week's offering. And, as always, we had salad.

The Goods: Hey, did you know that taxes are due tomorrow? Yep, they sure are. If maybe you need a little stress release from, oh, say, we don't know, filing more forms that any human should have to, here are a few of our favorite freak-out fire extinguishers.

Peanut Butter Pasta

The Chef: Kristen

The Menu: One of Kristen's signature dishes, the peanut butter and tomato pasta toss. This delicious dish is a savory treat featuring collard greens, a simple sauce of—you guessed it—PB and tomatoes. Maybe that combination strikes you as a little crazy, and maybe it is. Crazy good! Kristen also made one of the loveliest salads we've seen in a while: mixed greens, homemade croutons, avocado, grated carrots, halved cherry tomatoes, and toasted sunflower seeds. Yes, we are happily full!

The Goods: It's a rainy, vile day here in SF, but we won't let the weather dampen (aside from literally, as we all pretty much got soaked on the way into the office today) our spirits. Why not, you ask? That would be because this week we have the time-honored tradition of SF Vegan Drinks to perk us up! Come out and see us this Thursday, or we'll be forced to drink all of the drink specials before you get there.

Tomato Bisque and Kale

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A lovely take on tomato bisque, inspiration courtesy of The Conscious Cook. Tomatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic provided the base for this wintery weather soup, while cashew cream added that special something. A fancy marinated kale salad delivered our daily greens, packed with shredded carrot, zucchini, and cabbage. Roasted olives and cherry tomatoes made for a pretty addition, and oh, don't forget the bread. You can't have soup without bread.

The Goods: Okay, so we're not exactly experiencing winter weather here at the VNHQ, but that doesn't mean this bisque was any less delicious. Maybe we're on a bit of a soup and salad kick this week. Maybe we like it. For those buried under mountains of snow across the country, we send our condolences and suggest a big bowl of soup.

Penne and Kale Salad

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Whole Wheat Penne with San Marzano Tomatoes, courtesy of The Conscious Cook. This flavorful sauce starred sautéed onions and fennel, Swiss chard, Manzanilla olives, tomatoes, and the perfect blend of herbs and spices. The fragrant vegetable-filled sauce topped off a healthy serving of penne, garnished with fresh parsley. Our favorite, the always-delicious kale salad, made a guest appearance with ripe cherry tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon.

The Goods: There’s nothing quite like a hearty serving of pasta to warm up an overcast Monday. Lunch proved to be the perfect midday pick-me-up, and the perfect way to kick-start cookbook week here at Café VegNews! All week long we’ll be giving away copies of The Conscious Cook, the brand-new book from renowned vegan chef Tal Ronnen. For a chance to win today’s copy, tell us in the comments: What’s your favorite comfort food on a brisk, fall day?

Homemade Vegan Tortillas

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Yeah, you read that right. One of the many, many reasons why Abby is the world's best associate editor is that she does things like make homemade tortillas. In the office. In less than an hour. In-freaking-credible. Really, what's on top of these tortillas, delicious as it was, came in a far second place to the 'tillas themselves, but for the sake of posterity, we topped them with brown rice, black beans, sauteed zucchini and broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes. And, of course, there was a beautiful mixed-greens salad alongside, with halved cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds.

The Goods: Um, we are dead. The September+October issue just arrived fresh from the printer, and we are just a little bit beside ourselves with glee. If anyone needs us, we'll be under our desks in fits of excitement.

Sweet-Potato Falafel

The Chef: Kailey

The Menu: A delicious spread of sweet-potato falafel, inspired by FatFree Vegan Kitchen's version, baked tofu, and a great big, gorgeous salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and bell pepper. Kailey didn't exactly follow the FFVK's recipe, but worked with what we had in the kitchen, and the results were absolutely delicious. Do black sesame seeds make everything better? Yes. Are we sometimes tempted to stick our faces into bulk bins of them? Yes. What of it?

The Goods: We're still deep in the editorial trenches for the November+December issue, and there's a hot rumor going around that we might be getting the September+October issue from the printer this week. When it comes in, we will freak out. We suggest you do the same.

Triple-Salad Treat

The Chef: Jesse Miner!

The Menu: A trio of totally terrific salads! For his upcoming July+August High-Tech Chef column, Jesse demystifies the pressure cooker, and was kind enough to come by the VNHQ today and show us the tricks of the trade. The resulting salads were absolutely delicious. Starting from the right we enjoyed a pressure-free green salad with pea shoots, mixed greens, avocado, and candied pecans. Moving clockwise, a fabulous chickpea salad with cucumber, tomato, red pepper, and fresh herbs, and then finally a runner-bean salad with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. A side of rustic bread perfectly rounded out our colorful plates.

The Goods: OK, we admit it, we're totally spoiled. Not only do we have the world's best food columnists, but some of them are even local and can come make outrageously good lunches for us! And, we're very happy to report that the pressure cooker did not even explode once while Jesse was at work. Want the recipes for these stellar salads? Sorry, you'll have to wait for the next issue of VN. In the meantime, don't forget to vote for your favorite Café VegNews entries in our first-ever showdown! The entries with the most votes will be featured in our September+October issue, with recipes to boot! Oh, and the VNHQ will be closed tomorrow due to the crazy weekend schedule of VN staffers—we'll be at the Chicago Green Festival, Los Angeles Worldfest, Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down, and Bay to Breakers. Have a great weekend, and if you're attending one of these shows, stop by and say hello!

Frittata Florentine

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: An Italian-leftovers-inspired meal! Today's frittata combined some leftover pasta, a blend of tofu and garbanzo beans, and sautéed cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach. Oh, and maybe, just maybe, about a ton of Parma got mixed in there, too. To help colorize the plate, Elizabeth made a big kale salad with red cabbage, apple, carrot, avocado, and pumpkin seeds. What topped this multicolor creation? You guessed it: more Parma. (And a little flax-seed oil and apple cider vinegar, you know, so that we could call it a "dressing.")

The Goods: Everything sounds better in Italian, no? Leftover pasta tossed with stuff suddenly becomes "frittata" and since we happened to have spinach on hand, "florentine" made today's dish sound extra fancy. In case anyone is wondering, if you're trying to flip your frittata in one fell swoop, it's likely best not to create one solid piece that's bigger than your own head. Was Elizabeth thankful that there weren't any cameras around while she was trying to flip hers today, with two undersized spatulas? Yes, yes she was.

Super-Satisfying Sandwiches

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Maybe just about the most amazing sandwiches ever to be produced at the VNHQ. Maybe. Colleen toasted some perfectly crunchy rustic bread, made her signature cumin-seed-infused hummus, marinated tofu in teriyaki sauce, tossed chopped cherry tomatoes with basil and garlic, ripped fat leaves of lettuce from their heads, and, oh yes, she caramelized onions to go on top. These behemoth hand-holds were perfectly accompanied by a huge, hearty marinated kale salad with thick slices of button mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of craisins.

The Goods: Holy crap, this was one phenomenal meal! The only way to properly enjoy such a fantastic feast was to eat al fresco, in the nearly 60-degree sunshine that's currently shining down on us here in San Francisco. Today's lunch was a lovely end to the workweek (the afternoon doesn't count!), and a satisfying beginning to the weekend, which promises to be full of fun. The Fancy Food Show will be going on, there are events to attend, organizations to start, and books to write. Though, of course, first thing's first—if anyone needs us tomorrow, we'll be lying on beach towels in the sun.

Delicious Debut

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: An absolutely to-die-for spread of barbecue-sauce-smothered faux ribs, courtesy of Frankie's Falsies. Heated to perfection, these meat-ish treats were served with a huge, beautiful salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and crushed pecans straight from the holiday kitchen exploits of Stacy's mother. Finally, steak-cut french fries and sweet-potato fries, which were superbly seasoned completed the plate.

The Goods: That's right—that's a never-before-seen name gracing the chef category! Today we enthusiastically welcomed Ms. Stacy, our editorial assistant, into the club of cooks with her debut in the VNHQ kitchen. It was a delicious and auspicious beginning, and we's already hungry for next Thursday's lunch! Well, okay, maybe we're technically still full right now, but theoretically, we're super stoked. Hooray for Stacy!

Vegan à Go-Go! Week: Day Four

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Aloo-Yoop Curry Potato Wraps! Between yesterday's burritos and today's awesome main dish, we are getting spoiled rotten with yummy wraps! Colleen busted out these inventive, flavorful goodies—straight from the pages of Vegan à Go-Go!, of course—using freshly warmed tortillas, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, coconut milk, and curry spices. Savory and just a teeny bit sweet, we each could have eaten about six of these were it not for the fact that they were also totally filling. Colleen also made a blended balsamic vinaigrette which she poured over romaine, spinach, tomatoes, and grated zucchini for a perfect side salad.

The Goods: And so Vegan à Go-Go! week comes to a close. We've been having a great time making recipes from this little book, and if you're curious to know the whole scoop be sure to look for a full review in the pages of the January+February issue of VegNews! Speaking of things that are coming to an end, today is the last day to get your comments in on our Press Pass giveaway, so don't delay!