Tacos, Part Deux

The Chefs: Anna and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: Rice and bean tacos (one black, one pinto) topped with salsa and avocado, plus a heaping handful of tortilla chips

The Dish: I've been craving tacos ever since since last week's taco-filled celebration of the 1,000th Café VegNews post, and I'm happy to have caved into my craving. These tacos are totally delicious and super cheap to boot—I got everything for less than $5! After a weekend of rain and temps in the 40s, the sunny 60s have returned to the City by the Bay, so I enjoyed my delicious, cheap meal on the deck with my coworkers, where we discussed ways to make our dollars stretch at our favorite neighborhood lunch spots. Want more money-saving tips from the VN editors? Check out Savvy Vegan, our blog for smart vegan penny pinchers.

Seitan Sandwich and Salad

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A delicious spinach salad with grated carrots, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, roasted red peppers, and Organicville Vegan Caesar Dressing, plus a delectable sandwich of seitan, hummus, and avocado, all smushed between two pieces of fluffy rosemary foccacia.

The Goods: As is already well-established, I love Valencia Whole Foods' stellar salad bar. I pretty much go there every single day, sometimes more than once. Imagine, then, my surprise when I discovered that I could save time (and cash!) by hitting up the store once, buying a huge salad, and then eating it over the course of two days. I don't want to brag, but I definitely felt like a Savvy Vegan at this discovery (also like a bit of a dope for not realizing this sooner!).

Quick & Easy Black Bean Tacos

The Chef: Colleen and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: My favorite local vegan tacos—soft corn tortillas filled with with black beans, seasoned rice, chopped onion, cilantro, and large slices of avocado—plus a young coconut water from the coconut truck guy

The Goods: Some days, I can barely last until lunch because I'm so hungry. Today was one of those days, and, having not packed a lunch, I ventured out to my favorite taqueria for a basket of tacos. And, as always, they were both delicious and filling. I also visited the nearby coconut truck guy, who sold me a young coconut for $3 and then proceeded to hack up the fruit into small snack-size pieces after I finished slurping the water. A lovely lunch indeed, especially on this gorgeous San Francisco day. Unfortunately, I missed sitting out on the VegNews deck with my colleagues, who were getting ample Vitamin D from the very ample sunshine. What I could really go for right now is some homemade banana ice cream, which Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino chats about over on our Savvy Vegan blog this week. Since we're also putting the final touches on our July+August edition, summer is definitely on our mind—inside you'll find stories on vegan budget living, animal sanctuary road trips, and an all-vegan ice cream truck you have to see to believe. Let the countdown begin!

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Louie Castoria

The Menu: A delicious bowl of (what else?) Bachelor Soup, accompanied by a big shredded kale salad with carrots, shredded beets, cucumbers, and avocado, and vegan eggplant Parmesan with Daiya and the best homemade marinara sauce on the planet.

The Goods: One of the best parts of Mondays is that they come right after the weekend, which often means that you get to relive part of your work-free revelry by lunching on leftovers. Today, I got to enjoy not only my favorite soup (I've seriously had it six times in the last week. Send help.), but also dined on leftover eggplant Parmesan made by my very own dad! He's a genius when it comes to translating Italian classics into vegan versions, and this crispy, delicious dish leftover from Easter dinner was no exception. Here's hoping that everyone had a wonderful weekend, and that we all get to enjoy the week ahead.

Vegan Pozole and Greens

The Chef: Alexandra and Gracias Madre

The Menu: A bowl of pozole filled with spices, beans, and cabbage, and topped with crispy tortilla chips and cashew nut sauce. Plus, a large side of kale.

The Goods: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly offered to take me out to lunch, and let me pick the dining spot. I haven't been to Gracias Madre in a couple months and thought it would be the best way to ease into a sunny, beautiful weekend. The pozole was exactly what I needed, a belly warming and filling soup. It was also the perfect amount of food, which is surprising since I usually tend to eat enough for two or three. I even got a box (I honestly cannot remember the last time I had leftovers to take home) to keep my kale for later. Perhaps this is me turning a new leaf. Less indulging + more saving = savvy vegan. Or maybe I'll just go eat a Sjaak's candy bar in a couple hours. Who knows?

Lemongrass Tofu and More

The Chef: Lyndsay and Sunflower

The Menu: A gigantic lunch for cheap, including lemon grass tofu, hot and sour soup, an imperial spring roll, salad, and brown rice.

The Goods: I haven't been to Sunflower since last year (too much Gracias Madre, I suppose), and boy did I miss it! So I begged editorial assistant Alexandra Chang and VN volunteer Robin Webb to go with me today. The dishes are full of flavor and totally satisfying, and do you see how much food is on that plate? This vegetarian lunch special is only $7.95! I don't know about you, but I'm impressed—and full, with leftover food to spare. I'll stop gushing about this great restaurant now, but speaking of cheap, check out some great decorating tips over at Savvy Vegan. Decorating on a budget is always a good thing.

Carb-Crazy Feast

The Chef: Anna, Elizabeth, and Jennifer

The Menu: A heaping dish full of VegNews' Macaroni and Cheese, Abby's biscuits from the VN Savvy Vegan blog with honee and caramel agave on top, Alicia Silverstone's Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips, Oreos, and Nutter Butters

The Goods: I'm finished with Kris Carr's 21-day cleanse, so it's only natural that I relish in a meal made from nothing but wheat and sugar, right? Right. While I do worry that green-juice fans everywhere feel a pain in their souls today, I was so happy with this spread that I could have face-planted into the dish of mac and cheese. After finishing off my lunch with a Frankencookie (trademark Elizabeth), an Oreo sandwiched between a Nutter Butter, the office played a game of Head1Liners, which quickly digressed as a carbo-haze clouded our brains. [Insert clever quip about carb-induced comas here].

Kale Salad and Lentil Soup

The Chef: Alexandra and Jeff (the boyfriend)

The Menu: A giant Marinated Kale Salad with Parma! sprinkled all over and a bowl of hearty lentil soup.

The Goods: With it raining so much in San Francisco I was very happy to stay indoors today with a home-cooked meal. I brought a huge kale salad that I let marinate overnight and then some, leading to the perfect texture (none of that toughness kale can have, and since it's so thick, no sogginess either). As per Managing Editor Elizabeth's advice, I also sprinkled a generous amount of Parma! all over the leafy goodness. Along with the salad I had a bowl of lentil soup—full of brown lentils, carrots, celery, onion—that Jeff made last night. Though he usually adds chicken to the recipe, he thoughtfully left it out so I could enjoy the soup as well (I personally think it's much better without!). If you're in the mood for making your own giant salad on the cheap, check out Elizabeth's Savvy Vegan post for some handy tips. Or if you're in the mood for puppies, take a look at the VNHQ dog mania going on right now!

Raw Lunch with Kris Carr

The Chef: Alexandra, Colleen Holland, and Kris Carr

The Menu: An entirely raw menu of green juice galore, marinated raw kale salad with avocados and mushrooms, almond paté to use in a veggie wrap with lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, and sprouts, and decadent coconut truffles.

The Goods: The entire VN staff has been looking forward to this glorious Tuesday, because today, we were graced with the lovely Kris Carr's presence. Yes, the New York Times bestselling vegan author of Crazy Sexy Diet, Kris Carr. And yes, she is as glowing, funny, and knowledgable as you'd imagine! We celebrated her visit with a massive raw feast—Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria made a giant jug of green juice, enough to get the Crazy Sexy flowing through our pH-balanced bodies. There was also plenty of marinated kale salad and almond-based paté in lettuce wraps to go around, all courtesy of our amazing in-house chef for the day, Associate Publisher Colleen Holland. Finally, the coconut truffles for dessert had our God pods glowing, as Kris would say. I could seriously go raw for this lunch (see photos here)! Other reasons we're totally in love with today: VN is giving away boxes of Vegan Sugar Cookie Mix to a lucky winner, just in time for Valentine's Day; our Savvy Vegan blog is up with great couch potato tips; and last, but certainly not least, Oprah is airing an episode entirely dedicated to veganism, and we're partying! Watch out world—vegans are rising to the top.