Hot & Sour Stir Fry

The Chef: Lisa

The Menu: A super-flavorful hot and sour stir fry. Lisa used thick and starchy tapioca noodles as a hearty base for a stir fry of tomatoes, snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, jalapeños and leeks, and she topped the whole thing with chopped peanuts. Lighter sides of sprouts and salad made for a refreshing break from the spiciness of the stir fry. Lisa's signature garlicky salad dressing has ensured that no one in the office will be going on a date later tonight.

The Goods: Okay, today we have business that needs attending. Today, as you may have noticed, is the last day of April. This means two things: It's the last day to email us with your submission for our first-ever Reader Recipe Showdown! Hurry!

Since it's the last day of the month, it also means we want to give you stuff! For this month's blog giveaway, leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite flavor combinations.

The Question: Would you have loved the creative leeks-and-jalapeños combo in today's stir fry or are you more of a trusty peanut butter and jelly fan? Leave a comment any time between now and next Wednesday, May 7, when we'll announce the winner.

Suspicious Stir Fry

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Jasmine-infused sticky rice topped with stir-fried carrots, broccoli, and tofu, all of which was drenched in a rich, tangy ginger-soy-peanut sauce. With such a hearty main it was nice to have the balance of a light salad featuring roasted beets, shredded zucchini, and tomatoes.

The Goods: Sometimes a stir fry can be a suspicious dish. Today, our jasmine-infused rice played a suspect role: It was green. Suffice to say that's it's difficult to get a flattering photo of green-tinged rice, even though the rice itself had a lovely sticky consistency and made a great vehicle for the peanut sauce. It's tempting to make some sort of eco-joke about how following a vegan is the most "green" way to live (right down to the rice!), but for the sake of our journalistic reputation, we'll steer clear.

Champion Soup, Cheezy Pizza

The Chef: Aurelia, with an assist from Sarah Premo

The Menu: Sweet potato and peanut soup, courtesy of Ms. Sarah Premo. This rich and savory blend of sweet potatoes, red potatoes, red bell pepper, ground peanuts, and stewed tomatoes, was just a little bit spicy and a whole lot delicious. Dare we say super? You know that we do. The cheezy little pizza triangles you see alongside came fresh from the freezer—that's right, they are Amy's Non-Dairy Cheeze Rice Crust Pizza. The rice crust was surprisingly sweet and hearty, and the cheeze melted to perfection. A big salad of romaine, orange bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes finished off the totally satisfying meal.

The Goods: Yep, sometimes people just stop by and bring us tasty meals, and really, who are we to argue? Sarah doesn't even work in-house, she's just that nice of a lady. In the spirit of giving, we are officially announcing the first-ever monthly Café VegNews giveaway contest!

Here's how it works: on the last day of every month we'll be awarding some awesome goodies. Oh, you would like to know how said goodies could become your goodies? Each month we'll pose a question, and the person who posts the best comment answer will be the winner. (Best by VN editors' standards, of course.) This month, we'll be sending out a fantastic VegNews tote bag chock-full of swag. Cookies? Yes. Stellar vegan products? You betcha. More surprises in store? But of course!

The Question: What's your favorite comfort meal on a cold, rainy day? Of course, we're only interested in vegan dishes!