Copycat Kale

The Chefs: Rashida and Herbivore

The Menu: Kale salad with avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatos, onions, and faux chicken

The Dish: Well, friends, I finally caved. After three months of hearing fellow VN staffers gush about Herbivore's kale salad—made extra awesome with the addition of chicken chunks—I finally decided to give it a shot. What took me so long? This salad of refreshing greens, rich avocado, and savory mock meat was an ideal warm-weather dish, perfect for devouring while soaking up rays on our gorgeous deck. Sunshine is awesome, but global warming is not. Check out 5 Ways Being Vegan Saves the Planet, and have an eco-friendly Earth Day this Sunday!

Cheesy Vegan Pasta with Homemade Garlic Bread

The Chefs: Rashida, Hilary, and Colleen

The Menu: Mama Sue's Gourmet Pasta topped with a mixture of Victoria Fine Foods' bean and mushroom marinara sauces and Café Indigo's vegan seitan cheesesteak, with a side of Colleen's homemade garlic bread

The Dish: We here at VNHQ are a resourceful bunch, as evidenced by Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack's genius idea to take the various odds and ends in our kitchen and transform them into a cheesy, seitan-y Italian feast. Add Associate Publisher Colleen Holland's incredibly addictive garlic bread into that equation and you've got one full (and very happy) staff. Want to know what goes on behind the scenes at VNHQ? Add us on Instagram for the full scoop!

Vegan Mexican-Style Corn Cakes

The Chefs: Rashida and Herbivore

The Menu: Grilled corn cakes with black beans and potatoes, topped with chipotle salsa, vegan sour cream, and guacamole

The Goods: I've been fighting a nasty sinus infection/allergy attack/mystery affliction all week, so spicy soup may have been a wiser choice. But the thought of these corn fritters and their equally delicious brethren (by which I mean delicately spiced beans and Herbivore's house potatoes) had me abandoning my soup-y intentions and my hope of ever breathing through my nose again. Besides being tasty, this meal was entirely gluten-free, which is a word we've been hearing a lot around these parts lately, with everything from lasagna to cookbooks ditching the stuff. Want to give gluten-free cooking a shot? Check out these 5 Spring-Friendly Gluten-Free Recipes from VN contributor Allyson Kramer!

Portabello-Tofu Sandwich

The Chefs: Rashida and Duc Loi Supermarket

The Menu: A humungous tofu-portabello sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, stewed onions, and a generous helping of avocado

The Goods: A couple weeks ago, one of our local produce markets, Duc Loi, premiered its new sandwich menu—complete with a sizable veggie sando (hold the mayo) that I've been eager to try. In venturing out to grab this handheld feast, I risked being victim to the grey clouds looming overhead, but one bite of the sandwich, with its slabs of juicy portabello and marinaded tofu, would have been worth every soggy step in the event of a downpour. Luckily, I only felt a few drops, but if your weekly forecast is looking gloomy, soak up some culture (while staying dry) at the movies. Check out 7 Can't-Miss Films of 2012 for ideas!

Big Ol' Veggie Burger

The Chef: Rashida

The Menu: An adzuki-bean burger with green chili from Hilary's Eat Well, topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, Wild Brine pickles, and Chipotle and Tartar Sauce Vegenaise, and a Fentimans Victorian Lemonade.

The Dish: When your office's fridge is packed full of vegan burger patties, pickles a-plenty, and condiments of all shapes and sizes, you definitely can't take it for granted. With that in mind, I scoured through our supply of gourmet goodies at lunchtime and whipped up a sandwich featuring what I'm now certain is the holy trifecta of burger toppings: chipotle mayo, tartar sauce, and dill pickles. My burgers will never be the same! Grilled pineapple and avocado mash more your burger-topping style? Check out our guide to Southern California's Top 3 Veggie Burgers and start salivating!

Vegan Pizza Forever!

The Chefs: Rashida and Paxti's Chicago Pizza

The Menu: Vegan deep-dish pizza with spinach, red onions, and melted Daiya cheese, topped with crushed garlic.

The Goods: There are few things better than a steaming-hot vegan pizza delivered to your doorstep, especially when the view outside your office looks like this and all you want to do is have a dance party to '70s hits indoors, where it's dry and warm (true story—this just happened). I promised myself that I would abstain from anything but salad and greens for at least a week following our trip to Expo West, at which I definitely overstuffed myself sampling our Best of Show contenders … but one mention of Patxi’s gooey, cheesy, spinach-and-onion-loaded pizza had me abandoning my ascetic intentions faster than you can say “juice cleanse.” Health shmealth, pass me another slice!

Taco Friday

The Chefs: Jennifer, Colleen, and Hilary

The Menu: A taco bar with freshly made guacamole, green chile tortillas, salsa fresca, black beans, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Bonus bar: nachos topped with Galaxy Mexican shreds, tomatoes, and black beans and quesadillas filled with Galaxy Mexican shreds and Daiya Jack and Cheddar Cheese.

The Dish: Editorial Assistant Rashida Harmon is a genius. She came up with the idea of combining the Galaxy Mexican shredded cheese with the black beans we got in with the EZ Bean Cooker. And that's how Taco Friday was born. Combined with a beautiful day on the deck, it was the best way to celebrate not one, but two different types of vegan cheeses (Daiya's new wedges and Galaxy's new shreds) that both melt and taste great. I'm also impressed that the EZ Bean Cooker made a batch of black beans in 50 minutes (no pre-soaking required!). It doesn't get better than this, friends. Have a great weekend!

Soup, Soul, and Salad

The Chef: Hilary and Gracias Madre, Souley Vegan, and Herbivore

The Menu: Mexican-style cream of butternut squash soup from Gracias Madre, macaroni and cheese and yams from Souley Vegan, and leftover kale salad from Herbivore.  

The Dish: As we near the end of the week, leftovers are plentiful. As you may have seen in Rashida's delectable post from yesterday, Souley Vegan hath bestowed plentiful bounty upon our grateful office, and even post-ginormous feast there was still much to be enjoyed. I also had some remnants of one of my many, many, many Herbivore-derived kale salads, and then I had to throw in the soup for good measure because it's raining. The key to a successful lunch is balance, so check out 7 Steps to Becoming a Healthier Vegan for tips on how to maximize your meals. Or, you could always go the opposite route and stock up on vegan Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs. Tis the season!

So Much Soul Food!

The Chefs: Rashida and Souley Vegan, with help from Lyndsay

The Menu: Barbecue tofu, mustard greens, vegan mac and cheese, mashed brown-sugar yams, black-eyed peas, red beans and rice, okra gumbo, and biscuits

The Dish: In an astounding turn of events, one of my favorite veg restaurants in the Bay Area sent the entire VN staff several bags full of its famed soul-food sides—including the deliciously creamy mac and cheese and the black eyed peas, both of which are always on my must-order list. Word has it that these dishes are hitting freezers in coming months, when Souley Vegan debuts its new line of frozen entrées, giving vegans and frozen-food aficionados something to celebrate. Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig was kind enough to whip up some fluffy vegan biscuits for lunch as well, thereby topping off an already-delicious meal and stuffing my stomach to capacity. If you're looking for like-minded food fans with whom you can share a big bowl of barbecue tofu, check out our suggestions for Creative Ways to Meet People!

Vegan Jambalaya and a Huge Cookie

The Chefs: Rashida and her mom

The Menu: Vegan jambalaya with seitan, Field Roast's Smoked Apple Sage sausage, collard greens, and tons of Cajun flair, and a chocolate chip cookie from the Veggie Grill for dessert.

The Goods: Happy Fat Tuesday, friends! My mom was feeling festive last night, so she whipped up some vegan jambalaya, jam-packed with faux-meat and greens. I'm happy to report that this piquant concoction tastes even better the next day—which is a good thing, considering test driving recipes from our upcoming Greek food feature left me too full to eat all my leftovers (hence the tiny lunch portion). Though my meal was sadly lacking in King Cake, Jennifer Chen, VegNews’ lovely associate editor, just returned from Southern California with Veggie Grill chocolate chip cookies in tow, thereby kickstarting my requisite Mardi Gras overindulgence. Partake in some indulgence of your own tonight by following our advice on How to Throw a Great Vegan Mardi Gras Party. Seitan Creole and veg Muffaletas? Don’t mind if I do!

Glorious Vegan Valentine's Day Lunch

The Chefs: Rashida, Lyndsay, and longtime VN friend Peter

The Menu: Negimiso hot dogs topped with miso sauce, crunchy cabbage, and fresh scallions; wasabi fries; cheesy vegan pizza; and a fresh veggie salad

The Goods: Maybe it’s the sun, which is finally shining after days of rain, or maybe—just maybe—it’s the vintage Alanis Morissette (who, might I add, is vegan!) playing on our '90s Pandora station, but this Valentine’s Day is shaping up to be as sweet as can be. Love and romance are great and all, but the real cause for celebration is today's amazing lunch spread, which includes both a heart-shaped vegan pizza and VN columnist Terry Hope Romero's take on New York latest culinary sensation Japadog (a franchise from Vancouver), as prepared by Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig using an upcoming recipe from our May+June issue. Whether you’re getting into the holiday spirit today or not, these incredible facts about farm animals are sure to put a smile on your face. For example, did you know pigs are as good at video games as primates? Me neither! And if picturing a pig kicking butt at video games isn’t enough to get you giddy, I have three words for you: red panda embrace. Consider that a Valentine's gift from us to you!

No-Chicken Noodle Soup

The Chefs: Rashida and Amy's Kitchen

The Menu: Savory vegan noodle soup with a splash of OrganicVille Foods Sriracha hot sauce

The Goods: A humble bowl of soup may not the most glamorous lunch, but the weather is crummy and the trek out into the land of delicious veg food (aka the Mission) seems completely unbearable. What better to warm me up than a delicious bowl of Amy’s soup? The No Chicken Noodle soup was soothing and filling—especially after devouring the raw veggie burrito Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig prepared using an upcoming recipe from our May+June issue, hitting newsstands in May. Sadly, the summer months feel a world away, but there are plenty of great things on the horizon this spring. For one thing, our March+April Man issue will be hitting newsstands March 1. Can’t wait that long? You can preorder an advance copy from the VegNews Store today! While you wait for it to arrive, take a cue from me and stay warm with one of Robin Robertson’s internationally inspired soups!

Tempeh-Stuffed Pepper

The Chef: Rashida

The Menu: Bell pepper stuffed with tempeh, portabello mushrooms, rice, and cheddar-style Daiya, a side salad, and an apple.

The Goods: If you ask me, tempeh’s got a bit of a bad rap. Some tofu-loving omnivores won’t touch the stuff (case in point: my mom), and I’ve even seen vegans shy away from this soy-based delight. Well, I’m on a one-woman crusade to prove that tempeh is an excellent addition to any veg meal. With that in mind, allow me to present the remnants of my dinner last night: a scrumptious tempeh-stuffed bell pepper bathing in tomato sauce. Not only is the tempeh stuffing tasty enough to sway even the most skeptical, it’s also a good source of calcium, which is crucial for healthy bones. If my zealous tempeh-preaching didn’t make a convert out of you, there are still plenty of ways to increase your calcium intake without animal products. Check out our tips here!

Kale-Edamame Salad with Vegan Lemon-Herb Dressing

The Chefs: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Kale-edamame salad with lemon-herb dressing, almonds, tomatoes, and dried cranberries, topped with some Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: Kale salad seems to be a lunchtime fixture here at VNHQ, so it was only a matter of time before I hopped on the kale-salad train. This one from Trader Joe's was a healthful midday meal that tasted especially delicious covered in a heaping spoonful of Parma. Admittedly, my tummy was rumbling soon after the meal was over, but that may have more to do with my failure to eat breakfast this morning than the salad's level of satisfaction. If you're looking for a satisfying read this afternoon, check out 10 Reasons We Need Dennis Kucinich in Congress!

Lentil Soup

The Chef: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Lentil and quinoa soup topped with Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: I originally trekked to Trader Joe's to track down some of the famous Cookie Butter with which, thanks to my VegNews colleagues, I'm now completely obsessed. Since unfortunately Cookie Butter on its own doesn't count as lunch, I also grabbed a generous cup of TJ's Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains. This warm soup was the perfect antidote to San Francisco's brisk weather, which has been going strong this week despite deceptively sunny skies. My soup-topper, Garlicky Green Parma, is a mostly raw parmesan substitute that pairs well with just about everything. If you're interested in the raw food movement, check out Associate Publisher Colleen Holland's interview with raw-foods pioneer Victoria Boutenko, who dishes about her decision to bring cooked foods back into her diet.

Vegan BBQ Chicken Sandwich

The Chefs: Rashida and Rhea's Deli

The Menu: A faux-chicken sandwich smothered in chili-garlic sauce and loaded with cabbage slaw and pickled onions

The Goods: I accidentally slept through my alarm this morning, which means that my plan to bring lunch from home was unfortunately foiled. Rhea's Deli to the rescue! I had been daydreaming about Rhea's Vegetarian BBQ Chicken sandwich ever since VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig endorsed it in the VegEscape section of the January+February issue. The mouthwatering faux-drumsticks drowning in sweet-spicy chili glaze were so satisfying that I may 'accidentally' sleep through my alarm tomorrow morning too! In non-sandwich news, tomorrow is the deadline to subscribe to VegNews in time to get the action-packed March+April issue. I won't give too much away, but let's just say that Potato Chip Chocolate Truffles may be involved...