Super-Quick Slices

The Chef: Elizabeth and Kashi

The Menu: Pizza! Kashi recently released a new, vegan pizza—the Sicilian Veggie variety—which we had the pleasure of sampling today. The white-bean-infused tomato sauce was a hit, as was the addition of some melted mozzarella Teese, which we just happened to have on hand. The pizza's crispy crust was also topped with grilled eggplant, roasted red bell peppers, caramelized onions, and kale. Aside from turning on the oven, Elizabeth's big contribution to the meal was chopping up some mizuna, carrots, and bell pepper for a lightning-fast salad.

The Goods: We're deep in the fact-checking trenches this week, so it was a welcome relief to find our freezer full of ready-made lunch options. While the category of "The Chef" might be something of a misnomer today, we were all happy to quickly munch down a couple slices of warm, yummy pizza, and then head right back to work.

Cheese Week: Muy Mexi Casserole

The Chef: Stacy

The Menu: A super-delicious Mexican-cuisine-inspired casserole, complete with melted cheese all over the top. Ms. Stacy wowed us with her combination of rice, black and pinto beans, corn, and a perfectly spiced tomato sauce, which she layered under melted Cheezly Nacho and Mozzarella Styles. She also served up crispy corn tortillas and Native Kjalii salsa, and a beautiful, leafy salad.

The Goods: Today's lunch utterly delectable, the kind of meal you'd expect if you went over to a good friend's house for dinner and she'd had all day to prepare. Instead, Ms. Stacy busted out this culinary gem in just an hour using our modest test kitchen and ingredients she found on hand. Iron Chef, eat your heart out.

Cheese Week: Caribbean-inspired Pizza

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: What better way to begin the week than with oozingly delicious soy-based mozzarella drizzled over Italian-seasoned tomato sauce and an assortment of whole grain crusts—aka pizza? A collard-romaine salad tossed with both yellow and standard-issue orange carrots, ripe avocado, and crunchy corn kernels completed this work of art. With a sparse supply of fresh produce in the VNHQ kitchen, Lyndsay creatively personalized Follow Your Heart's pizza-making kit with a sprinkling of sweet corn, reviving her—and inspiring our—love for Dominican Republic-style pizza.

The Goods: VN's official Cheese Week begins today, and there's no more delicious way to celebrate the completion of the March/April issue than with everyone's childhood favorite: pizza! Thanks to Follow Your Heart's easy-to-follow pizza package, lunch was ready early—a rarity in the VN kitchen. We were all pleased with the magically meltable mozzarella and would recommend it for all your pizza-making needs. Stay tuned this week for more cheesey creations, and be sure to enter our spa-inspired giveaway for your chance to win a wonderful winter pampering package ...

Drop-Dead Parmigiana

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Luscious, perfectly crisp Eggplant Parmigiana. Colleen took thick slices of eggplant and dredged them in Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs before they were deep fried, toasted on Frankie’s homemade tomato-bread, topped with a slice of mild “mozzarella,” and sprinkled with fresh parsley. Slices of fresh zucchini and carrot balanced these rich tostadas.

The Goods: For all you Italians out there, you know that parmigiana ain’t parmigiana without tomato sauce, but Colleen’s secret eggplant recipe is so subtly delicious that we didn’t want to over-power it with a tangy sauce. You also know that this traditional dish—cunningly veganized here, of course—is typically chock-full of animal goo. While this version is 100 percent vegetable-based, it’s unbelievably rich taste had us second-guessing, but then sneaking back to the kitchen to make more. We’ve all happily slipped into an afternoon food coma, but we’ve got cardiac defibrillators charging just in case. Clear!