Lime Peanut Noodles

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: Lime Peanut Noodles with (Seitan), Kale, and Carrots. Yes, those words are capitalized because this is an actual recipe from the about-to-be-released Vegan Yum Yum cookbook. And yes the seitan is in parentheses because we didn't have any. Liz made a fantastic substitution of tofu, which we eagerly devoured. Of course, no meal at the VNHQ would be complete without a green salad to go along, and Liz came through wth a yummy mix of greens and avocado.

The Goods: First, congrats to Liz on her first turn in the VN kitchen! Today's lunch totally rocked! Next, we just happen to have a couple copies of the book in the office, and we'll be giving one away every day this week! Thanks to everyone who commented yesterday, though sadly there can be only one winner. That winner is Jennidy! Jennidy, send us an email with your name and mailing address, and we'll send your book right out. For today's copy, tell us in the comments: what's the strangest substitution you've ever made, and did it turn out to be a delicious discovery or despicable disaster?

Cookbook Week: Veganomicon

The Chef: Lisa

The Menu: A three-fold citrusy feast. Lisa busted out the Chickpea Cutlets from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Veganomicon, which she'd enjoyed in the past but never made for herself. She smothered the toothsome main in an original lemon-curry gravy, and paired it with some recycled lime-infused rice from yesterday, and freshly steamed green beans with lemon.

The Goods: Today's meal was totally filling, but the high lemon content made everything taste light and fresh. Though the delicious flavors were certainly the highlight of the meal, it's nice to know that if by some strange twist of fate the entire VN crew was set adrift today that we'd be safe from scurvy. In somewhat more realistic and decidedly more exciting news, make sure to look for Terry Hope Romero's VN debut in our September+October Food Issue!

Lo Mein Lunch

The Chef: Jenny, with special Sous Chef Katie

The Menu: A delightful plate of Asian-inspired delicacies. Jenny served up lovely rice-noodles with grated carrots, spinach, and a blend of savory spices, a tofu-and-broccoli stir-fry, a simple green salad with tomatoes and more grated carrots, and spinach-mushroom buns. Whew! Trust us, the meal was as filling as the long description implies. Ms. Katie may be the official VegNews carrot-grater from here on out, since she did such a first-rate job on the roughly 10 pounds of carrots that went into today's meal.

The Goods: Since Katie works remotely, it's a real treat to get to see her happy face in the office. If there's anything that could make a visit from a far-flung comrade better, it's being surprised with Key Lime Cheesecake. Yes, Ms. Frankie is at it again with her amazing—and astoundingly generous—surprise cheesecakes. She likes to "test" recipes (which always seem to come out perfectly, though she swears she's just trying them out), and we like to pretend that we're doing her a favor by acting as willing test subjects. Here's Katie with today's "experiment:"

Quesadilla Delight

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: These roasted pepper and Cheezly quesadillas were just the kind of treat we've been waiting for all week—something savory to balance out all of the holiday sweets. Perfectly crispy and accented with fresh cilantro and hot sauce, I can guarantee we'll be repeating this main sometime in the very near future. Colleen sautéed a Mexican medley of pinto beans, corn, mushrooms, and celery artfully seasoned with paprika and cumin and—never neglecting her attention for detail—she included homemade guacamole, garlic aioli, some fresh greens, and a neat little lime wedge per each plate.

The Goods: This is the last post ... of 2007. Did we have you sweating there for a minute? Starting next week we will be on our Holiday Hiatus but will return well rested and in good spirits on January 2, 2008. We hope you all enjoy the season of giving by preparing your friends and family some tasty, Café VegNews-inspired meals.