Guess What? It's Salad

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A big ol' salad! This one has mixed greens, Parma!, Organicville Non-Dairy Caesar dressing, sliced Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage sausages, and grilled vegetables including carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and jalapeños.

The Goods: Whenever I eat a big salad for lunch (which is pretty much every day that I don't either go crazy with pizza or have Bachelor Soup), I feel like a very stereotypical vegan. Yes, I'm vegan and I like to eat vegetables—that's just how it is! I'm not saying that I'd turn down a platter of fish-free crab cakes—because that would make me an idiot—but during a hectic workday, a big colorful salad really hits the spot.

Biscuits and Brussels Sprouts

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: Ms. Lyndsay is into her savory treats, and we're ok with that. Today she made—from scratch, mind you—whole-wheat biscuits, which she topped with Match Meats Breakfast Sausage crumbles, and a rich, Hollandaise-esque sauce. Her roasted Brussels sprouts were perfectly done: bright green, still slightly crisp, and with their natural bite intact.

The Goods: It's going to be a crazy (and short!) week here at the VNHQ, and we're pretty danged excited for it. Don't miss our pre-Thanksgiving celebration lunch report tomorrow, and don't forget to check VegNews and VegWeb for all your holiday recipe needs!

Underdog(s)!

The Chef: Underdog

The Menu: A perfect picnic triptych of savory goodies. Veggie dogs—of the Polish, Smoked Apple Sage, Italian, and Mexican Chipotle varieties—smothered in relish, onions, ketchup, sauerkraut, and two kinds of mustard were served alongside tater tots and potato salad.

The Goods: We dined al fresco today, as we went on a little lunchtime adventure. To get the full details, make sure to check out our editorial assistant Sara's first Press Pass entry ever! In the meantime, go make yourself a nice big veggie dog and go nuts with condiments—it'll be just like you had lunch with us! If you happen to be in the SF Bay Area, come see Elizabeth on the Politics of Food panel at the BlogHer Food '09 conference tomorrow!

Pretty Patties

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A delightful breakfast spread. Abby busted out some savory black-bean sausage-style patties, roasted potatoes with zucchini, slices of Van's Wheat-Free French Toast Sticks, and a lovely salad with pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Did everything listed here serve as a vehicle for ketchup, maple syrup, and Parma!? Yes, indeed, as any good breakfast should.

The Goods: By now, Vegetarian Summerfest is in full swing, and we can't wait to get the full scoop from Joseph and Colleen, our reporters in the field. Here at the VNHQ, we're keeping the home fires burning, but, you know, not literally. We definitely didn't burn the building down in the absence of our publishers. Really.

Bye Bye Breakfast

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Once again, Abby dazzled us with a bounty of breakfast items. Did she whip up a batch of fresh biscuits? Yes, yes she did. Did she also create some of the most savory, delicious, bean-based sausage patties we've ever had? Why, yes, she did that too. We sandwiched said sausage and biscuits with dairy-free cheese slices, greens, and condiments, and gorged on sides of herb-roasted potatoes and a bright fruit salad of apples, pears, and dried cranberries. Yes, yum is the appropriate word.

The Goods: The greatness of today's lunch was only slightly tarnished by the knowledge that it marked Miss Abby's final turn as the VNHQ chef, as her editorial assistant days are nearing their end. While we'll miss all her amazing breakfast goodies, we'll certainly miss having her in the office more! (And that's saying something. Seriously, she makes a mean biscuit!)

Sugar and Spice

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: A sweet, savory, and satisfying breakfast. Abby busted out made-from-scratch black bean faux sausage patties seasoned with smoky herbs and spices, and baked marinated tofu for a killer savory combo. Baked oatmeal with cranberries, brown sugar, and a muesli topping made for a hearty side dish that easily doubled as dessert. Sliced organic apples rounded out the plate with a fresh, tangy bite, leaving us all stuffed and happy.

The Goods: There's nothing better than relaxing in the rays with a plateful of food, forgetting the stressors of the workweek and holiday season. Speaking of holiday stress, have you finished your shopping yet? Or, like some VN staffers, have you neglected to even start? Here at the VNHQ, we've got you covered. Check out our just-announced Holiday Blowout Sale, featuring 1-year subscriptions for $15, and our awesome VIP-worthy gift pack for only $40! There, we just saved you a lot of time and headache, not to mention set you up to be the coolest gift-giver around.

Vegan à Go-Go! Week: Day One

The Chef: Jenny

The Menu: Punk-kin Pasta, which is a delicious amalgam of pasta, pumpkin purée, and vegan sausage. Um, yum. Savory, hearty, and rich, this main course filled us up, which is just the way we like to start off the week. Jenny paired the dense dish with a nice, light salad, which kept some of us from totally exploding.

The Goods: This week, we're all about Vegan à Go-Go! We'll be making recipes from Sarah Kramer's latest work all this week, which is good news for those of you who want recipes for the meals you see on this blog—they'll all be neatly contained in the book! Since we're pretty sure everybody already knows about our party, we'll just go ahead and mention that there is literally one ticket left. Literally. One. Feel free to freak out with excitement (as we all are) since this is sure to be a blast of a book launch.