Soup, Salad, and Scallopini

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A totally delicious tomato soup that Liz expertly adapted from Vegan Yum Yum to fit the ingredients we had on-hand, which included fresh tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and a slightly spicy blend of seasonings. She also whipped up a lovely and hearty kale salad with big chunks of avocado, and prepared Gardein Chick'n Scallopini topped with melted Daiya. Yes, this meal pretty much combined everything we like about food.

The Goods: Lunch was awesome, and, sometimes, you have to follow an awesome lunch with something really, really exciting. Thankfully, Ms. Laura Beck came through for us with a surprise delivery of Ronald's doughnuts from Las Vegas! She personally transported the too-good treats back from Sin City for us, and we couldn't be more thankful. Um, that box is currently empty. A day of doughnuts, Daiya, Gardein, and kale? We're freaking spoiled.

Gardein and Roasted Veggies

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: Today's meal featured two of our absolute favorite things: roasted veggies and Gardein. Lyndsay roasted carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash with tons of herbs, and prepared some Chick'n Scallopini and Crispy Tenders. Um, yum. That cute little dollop on the side? That would be Caesar salad dressing, which served as a slightly mustardy dipping sauce for our tenders.

The Goods: First, for some old business from last week, congratulations to Andréa N.! She has officially won our very last copy of Vegan Yum Yum. Andréa N., send us an email with your full name and mailing address, and we'll send your book right out. Now, for the new business. You might just be seeing a few more meals with Gardein this week, as we have a bunch of their new products in the office to try out. The two we tried today were totally delicious, and we look forward to tomorrow's tasting!

Shiitake-Saké Scallopini

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: An utterly incredible, Asian-food-inspired meal. Last week we got in a surprise shipment of Gardein chick'n cutlets, and so Lyndsay served them scallopini-style over crispy udon cakes in a shiitake-saké sauce. Um, hell yes. Also, if your day is feeling slightly glum, just say "shiitake-saké sauce" a few times, and things are sure to start looking up. Is that some of the most gorgeous braised bok choy we've ever seen? Yes, indeed it is.

The Goods: It's a busy week here at the VNHQ, which means it's extra satisfying to start out the week with such a scrumptious meal. With the sun finally peeking through the clouds—something that always seems to happen after we finish lunch—it's back to our editorial grind getting ready for the November+December issue!