The Joy Frittatable

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: As always, a big salad of romaine, tomato, and avocado, plus a heaping helping of frittata made with leftover pasta, kalamata olives, capers, fresh basil, and tons of garlic.

The Goods: You know what is really amazing? Tofu. Last night after a long workout, I got home wanting something hearty for dinner, but the leftover pasta in my fridge was just not super appealing. The solution? Whirring half a block of tofu in a food processor with a little olive oil, veggie broth, and nutritional yeast until it was totally smooth, then putting the whole works under the broiler for a few minutes. So simple, so yummy. The workout-frittata combo was good, but the evening I really can't wait for this week is Friday, when we party with the lovely gals from Spork Foods. Champagne, delicious appetizers, and two of the cutest cookbook authors on the planet? That's heaven. See you there!

Broccoli and Coconut Rice

The Chef: Joni

The Dish: Steamed broccoli over coconut rice with soy sauce and sesame oil

The Goods: I spent this past weekend in Los Angeles to participate in the Urban Food Crawl. After spending Saturday afternoon sampling creative vegan food from six restaurants, I thought I’d be stuffed for days. Being the bottomless pit that I am, I still couldn’t help but pull over at The Whole Enchilada on my drive back to San Francisco. This produce stand was incredible, satisfying both my appetite and my wallet with 10 artichokes for $1, five avocados for $2, three pints of fresh strawberries for $5, and other amazing deals. This pit stop made dinner easy at 10pm, hence the leftovers you see here today. As if that wasn’t enough, today our caterer brought in samples of hors d’oeuvres to be served at the VegNews Book Bash. Seriously, these little bites were so delicious, you’d be crazy not get your ticket before they’re sold out. The party is happening this Friday and we can't wait to see you then!

Post-Workout Salad

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big, hefty salad containing quinoa, Napa cabbage, grilled tofu, romaine, shredded beets, cherry tomatoes, grilled vegetables, cucumber, and avocado, all topped with a delicious Dijon dressing.

The Goods: You know how sometimes you bring a simple Napa cabbage and quinoa salad to work, and then by the time lunch rolls around you just know that it won't be enough? This tends to happen to me specifically on Wednesdays, aka the day after my big workout for the week (a 90-minute cycling class + 90-minute boxing class = one hungry editor). Thankfully, Herbivore came to the rescue with a highly customizeable salad (adding grilled tofu and veggies is always a good idea). You know what else is a good idea? Partying. We could not be more excited about the VN Book Bash with Spork Foods, which is just nine days away!! All we're saying is that a) the Spork gals are just about the two cutest humans on the planet, b) the finger-food menu looks totally incredible, and c) there will be both a Cinnaholic cinnamon roll bar and a photobooth. Any of those would be reason enough to come celebrate with us, but the all three together are the perfect party trifecta.

Ginger-Garlic Stir-Fry

The Chef: Joni

The Menu: Stir-fried carrots, string beans, sugar sap peas, water chestnuts, red peppers, tofu, and mushrooms atop brown rice.

The Goods: This summer, I moved to San Francisco from Ithaca, NY, and donated anything that wouldn’t fit in my Honda CRV to my previous roommate. The most depressing things to give up were all of my kitchen items, including my beloved wok. But, a recent trip to Ikea has provided me with a replacement, and now I’m stir-frying everything in my kitchen, with more garlic and ginger than my roommates can probably stand the smell of. While I’m passionate about cooking, it’s nice to have a night off once in awhile, which is just one more reason why you’ll find me at the VegNews Book Bash on October 21, featuring the writers of Sporkfed. Take the night off and party with us—ticket sales start next week!

Booya Benedict

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: A brilliant brunch of Faux Eggs Benny, straight from How It All Vegan. Ms. Lyndsay really knocked our socks off with this decadent lunch of brunch. She toasted whole-grain bread and topped it with marinated tofu, perfectly crispy faux bacon, fresh green tomatoes, and one of the richest hollandaise sauces we've ever tasted. Her side salad with spiced-flax-oil dressing was the perfect balance to the super-savory main.

The Goods: As you may already know, we had a little party for Sarah Kramer a couple weeks ago. High on the success of the event, Lyndsay told us that she made this recipe once at home, and was at first a bit daunted by the idea of expanding it for the VN lunch crowd, but we're happy to report that it came off without a hitch. In fact, if Lyndsay were to open an all-eggless-benedict catering company, we're pretty sure we know who would be first in line for her services.

Rad Wraps

The Chef: Aurelia

The Menu: Big, warm, yummy tortillas filled to the brim with seasoned potatoes, roasted zucchini and bell peppers, romaine, avocado, tomato, and a delicious mixture of tofu, onions, and smoked paprika. With a light splash of homemade vinaigrette, these hand-holds were flavorful and filling.

The Goods: As of today, we have officially less than a month left before a certain event. In case you somehow haven't already heard, Sarah Kramer is making her triumphant return to the world of cookbook publishing, and we're throwing her a little party. Tickets are available now, so be sure to reserve yours before they sell out. Mini root-beer floats, retro snacks, and faux tattoos will be the order of the evening, so break out your kitten heels and skinny ties, and we'll have ourselves a bash!

Dumplings, Darling

The Chef: Aurelia

The Menu: Delicious dumplings, a tempeh taste test, and some more of that Argentinean carbonada from Tuesday's lunch. With inspirations from Indonesia, South America, and Asian/Italian-fusion land, the dishes today certainly brought an international flavor to our lunch table. Since these are all testing recipes, we're going to stay on the quiet side, but let's just say that no one left the table hungry.

The Goods: Would the world potentially be a better place if we all got to eat dumplings in the sunshine every day? We think so. Also, you may notice the strips of tempeh on the plate. Those would be new potential flavors from Turtle Island Foods. We can't tell you anything about what the flavors are, but suffice to say that our jobs here at VN get just a little bit more fantastic when we get to try yummy foods before they hit the market. In other we-love-what-we-do news, our brand-spankin' new Music issue landed in our hot little hands today, and we just couldn't be more excited about it. Want to get in on the thrill? Make sure and get your tickets to our Music Issue Launch Party before they sell out!