Cauliflower 'n' Cheese

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: Leftover cauliflower mac on a bed of spinach

The Dish: A few days ago, my cauliflower-loving roommate and I were trying to think outside the skillet (the two of us cook stir-fries more often than we care to admit). In a stroke of inspiration, we decided to bake up some cauliflower with the cheese sauce from VN's Allison Rivers Samson's Vegan Macaroni and Cheese, aka the best mac 'n' cheese on the planet. After one more tweak to the recipe was made (Daiya shreds on top instead of breadcrumbs), we waited 20 minutes to see if our culinary experiment was successful. And boy howdy, was this stuff mm-mm good. Its cheesy, salty, filling deliciousness is the perfect prep for SF Vegan Drinks, where I will be celebrating some awesome San Francisco weather with $5 vegan White Russians. Live nearby? Come party with us tonight!

Sushi Galore

The Chef: Anna and We Be Sushi

The Menu: Three sushi rolls: grilled tofu, vegetable tempura, and spinach with toasted sesame seeds.

The Dish: You know what I love? A good Groupon. And sushi. And when the two combine it's nothing short of magical. I met one of my roommates for lunch today and we gorged ourselves on a tableful of tasty sushi, seaweed salad, and veggie tempura for half off! All I can say is this: If gorging yourself on delicious food for half off is wrong, then I don't want to be right. The VN staff has also been throughly enjoying* This Week's Must Have—Dave's Killer Bread's Sin Dawg cinnamon roll bread. I will obviously have my eyes peeled for any Groupons regarding that delectable loaf.

*I didn't think I should use "gorging" a third time even though it's totally appropriate.

A Bowl of Whole Foods (Almost)

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: A bowl filled with spinach, brown rice, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, almonds, black beans, homemade hummus, and a sprinkling of Parma!

The Dish: Whether it's because I'm sick or I just spent a weekend gorging myself on Mexican food (thank you, Houston, for both), I wanted a seriously whole-foods lunch. The combination of fresh vegetables with simple grains and beans was supremely satisfying, and the Parma! (fine, I guess there was some processed nosh in there) added a little extra flavor. It might be a week of simple, get-better-soon meals for me, but it doesn't have to be for you! Check out our list of 10 new vegan restaurants across the country and make a reservation stat. I have my eye on Vegeria for the next time I'm in the Lone Star State.

Salad & Bagel

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A spinach salad with roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts, and a whole-wheat bagel topped with vegan cream cheese, capers, red onion, and tomato.


The Goods: After a truly exquisite meal at the home of Associate Editor Jennifer Chen last night—she made an all-star lineup of VN recipes, all of which were phenomenal—it was really tough to decide what to have for lunch today. Nothing, it seemed, would compare, and indeed, this salad-and-bagel combo, while delicious, just couldn't stand up to the memory of Beer-Battered Tempeh Fish with Tangy Tartar Sauce, Hot Chocolate Ice Cream, and Mac 'n' Cheese. Until we meet again, tartar sauce...

Pizza with Fiona Ma

The Chef: Anna and Patxi's Chicago Pizza

The Menu: Patxi's deep-dish vegan pizza, filled with spinach, red onion, chopped garlic, and quite a bit of Daiya mozzarella cheese

The Dish: Today I and the rest of the VegNews staff received a double treat: Patxi's deep-dish vegan pizza delivered by none other than California Assemblymember Fiona Ma! We all had a tasty and thought-provoking lunch, discussing topics such as the pros and cons of ballot initiatives, the use of social media in politics, and whether or not there is a better slice of vegan deep-dish out there (the consensus was no). For dessert, I'm already dreaming about the popsicles on this week's VegNews TV. Orange creamsicle? Yes please.

The VegNews staff with Assemblymember Ma!

Veggies, Tofu, and Strawberries

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: Stir-fried vegetables in a tamari-peanut sauce and baked tofu on a bed of spinach, plus a side of fresh strawberries

The Dish: It's a very dreary day here in San Francisco, so I decided to go with a big bowl of warm veggies  and my favorite homemade baked tofu. While it's not the prettiest meal, the peanut sauce and perfectly seasoned tofu (tamari, a hint of stevia, onion powder, and garlic powder is all!) really hit the spot. Considering the meal took me about 20 minutes to make was just a bonus (and adding some delicious in-season strawberries for dessert didn't hurt, either). Check out more super simple summer dinners, snacks, and more in our new featurette, Easy Vegan Meals. 

Spinach & Kale Pesto Pasta

The Chef: Jennifer Chen

The Menu: Spinach and kale pesto with Jovial whole grain Einkorn pasta, topped with Parma.

The Goods: This is a meal I love making because it's a recipe from a dear friend and it's the perfect meal to make a big batch to have for lunches during the week. Since I make this pesto a lot, I have stopped looking at the recipe, but here's the general breakdown. In a large pan, I sauté one head of spinach and one head of kale (you can sub-in a bag of frozen of each green) until cooked. In a sauté pan, I warm a few tablespoons of olive oil and add chopped garlic, and cook until the garlic browns. I add the spinach and kale to the olive oil and garlic mixture and toss until coated. My final step is using my immersion blender to create the pesto. Of course, I also cook pasta and then combine the pesto and pasta. After a fantastic weekend in Los Angeles with VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria attending the 25th Genesis Awards, this warming meal was a perfect way to feel like I was back at home.

Vegan Breakfast Casserole

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A delicious breakfasty bread-pudding casserole, with cubed bread, winter squash, a tofu cream sauce, spinach, and leeks.

The Goods: First, I apologize for the quality of this photo. Sometimes a cell phone really is actually more of a phone than a camera, especially in the case of my flip phone. Yes, I said flip phone because they do still exist and I do still have one. Internets, schminternets. Though today's photo isn't terribly exciting, we have a bunch of super-snazzy news to perk up your reading experience. First, tonight is our very first ever Twitter Chat, featuring our gorgeous cover gal Kris Carr. Could we be more excited? No. We're also starting to see responses to our Vegan Bucket List feature in the brand-spankin' new March+April issue, which is highly exciting. And, if all that wasn't enough, this week we'll be hosting SF Vegan Drinks with Vegansaurus! Do we love an excuse to drink on a weeknight? Mayhaps!

Green Juice and Green Pasta

The Chefs: Jennifer and Evolution

The Menu: Evolution's Essential Greens juice and green pasta—made up of spinach, kale, olive oil, and garlic—on top of spinach pasta.

The Goods: Last week I tried raw kale for the first time and this week it's green juice. I've sipped green juice before, but I avoided it because to be honest, I didn't love the taste. After reading a few chapters of Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr, I decided that I needed to get over my hangup (I dare you to read her book and not try green juice). So I drank it and I actually liked it. The green pasta is a recipe from a cookbook my fabulous friend Diana made me as a gift. I secretly think she was tired of me bugging her to make the green pasta for me. The pesto is made up of blended spinach and kale, olive oil, and garlic. Greens are good and delicious (like seaweed snacks from the January 25th blog post on This Just In). Want your very own copy of Crazy Sexy Diet? We've got a great Crazy Sexy Life giveaway, which ends January 31st, so enter now. Free stuff is where it's at.

Tomato Soup, Fluffy Bread

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A hearty bowl of Campbell's Select Harvest Tomato Basil soup sprinkled with fresh black pepper and spinach leafs. To accompany my bowl of soup toasted two slices of whole-grain Dave's Killer Bread—perfect for dipping.

The Goods: This is my favorite accidentally-vegan soup ever, as unlike many Campbell's soups, it uses clean ingredients and steers clear of unpronounceable preservatives. This satisfying soup offered a nice lunchtime break from an otherwise chaotic day here at the VNHQ—moving day! Yes, that's right, as of Monday, September 27, the VN staff will be working out of our new offices in San Francisco's Mission District. We're totally excited for the big move, and in the spirit of cleaning house beforehand, we'll be closing the office tomorrow, and hosting our first-ever Great Big Vegan Garage Sale this weekend. Stop by, meet the staff, and pick up a piece of VegNews history!

Semi Pad Thai

The Chef: Gabrielle

The Menu: A lovely, VN kitchen take on pad thai sans the peanuts, with rice noodles, tofu, and spinach marinated in a lovely, tangy sauce of lemongrass, garlic, onion, ginger, lime juice, and Braggs Liquid Aminos.

The Goods: Today, Ms. Gabrielle turned out her first meal in the VN kitchen, and lets just say we're pretty darn happy she did. As ardent fans of all things noodles, we were pretty much in heaven with this flavorful, gluten-free feast. In addition to preparing her first lunch at the VNHQ, Gabrielle also posted her first Press Pass entry today! Read all about her adventures touristing the city, and find out which doughnut shop she recommends you check out, asap. Today's balanced meal was exactly what we needed on this chilly Thursday, but we're hoping for brighter skies tomorrow when award-winning vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli stops by the VNHQ to generously cater us a homemade meal. We're totally thrilled to catch up with Chloe and her equally fantastic mom, Shelley. That is, assuming we don't die of anticipation before lunch. We'll work on that.

Golden Soup, Kale Salad

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: An old-fashioned veggie soup filled with russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted onion and garlic, spinach, and spices cooked and blended in the Vita-Mix. Liz paired this silky soup with a fresh salad overflowing with kale, spinach, diced tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, cucumber slices, chickpeas, shredded carrot, and avocado.

The Goods: It's been awhile—read: more than one week—since we've dined on a crisp, crunchy kale salad, and lets just say that no one is complaining about its return. It's a quiet day here at the VNHQ, with operations slightly slowing after sending our July+August Anniversary issue off to press last Thursday. Don't worry, we're definitely not celebrating by eating our weight in dairy-free Mango Custard. That would be an absurd, delicious waste of time.

Garden Variety

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A heaping helping of roasted veggies including broccoli, sweet potatoes, green bell pepper, eggplant, onion, and garlic, marinated in vegetable broth, rosemary, and oregano made up our hearty, herbivorous main. Liz served these perfectly cooked veggies over a savory mixture of brown rice and brown basmati rice with a fresh green salad brimming with mushrooms, avocado, spinach, and kale on the side. Yep, this lunch couldn't have been more chock-full of whole foods goodness if it tried.

The Goods: Today's lunch was satisfying and tasty, but our favorite part may have been the inclusion of kale. Yes, everyone in our office is pretty much a die-hard kale fan, so we were equally excited to read about Savvy Abby's latest entry detailing the fine art of making homemade kale chips on the cheap. If your appetite for salty snacks is anything like ours, we're sure that this recipe will become a fast favorite. Need some new reading material to keep your brain busy during snack time? Be sure to check out our May newsletter between bites, jam packed with fabulous news, eats, and events.

Cinco de Mayo Vegan Fiesta!

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Some very highly delicious Chorizo-Spinach Sopes, recipe courtesy of VN columnist Terry Hope Romero's latest book, Viva Vegan! While the recipe itself calls for handmade, fat tortillas, we were a little crunched for time and so substituted blue corn ones. The sizzling SoyRizo and spinach combination were completely wonderful, and the added bonus of shredded cabbage and fresh guacamole made us feel highly celebratory. Also there was salad. Woot, salad.

The Goods: Since this isn't the type of blog where we keep all the goodies to ourselves, we'll be giving away one copy of Viva Vegan! Does anything say "Happy Cinco de Mayo" better than 200 recipes for Latin-food lovers? Nope, didn't think so. To enter to win this stellar cookbook, tell us in the comments: What is your favorite variety of Latin food? We'll pick a winner before tomorrow's post!

Sukhi's Smorgasbord!

The Chef: Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods

The Menu: Do you know what a naanwich is? We'll tell you what it is: It's delicious! The very lovely Francesca came over from Sukhi's today with an assortment of their vegan offerings, which we happily devoured. The enormous spread included both the Spinach and Tofu and Channa Masala Naanwiches (naan folded over with incredible fillings), Vegetable Biryani, a Roti Roll with mixed vegetables, Mint-Apple Chutney Dip, and Cilantro-Lemon Chutney Dip. Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed all of it!

The Goods: We absolutely love getting to try new food, especially when it means that someone else is doing the cooking! You know what else we love? Giving stuff away! Congratulations to PB and Jess from yesterday's comments, who's won our coveted copy of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness! Jess, send us an email, and we'll mail your prize right out!

Tri-Color Pasta

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A perfectly prepared pasta meal. Whole-wheat penne with diced tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and garbanzo beans. If there's anything better than a simple pasta lunch, we pretty much don't want to know about it. Colleen did improve on her hearty main with a lovely green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.

The Goods: Colleen is one of the nicest people on the planet, in case you didn't know that. After her two-week trip to New York City, she generously offered to take over cooking for this whole week! Just another reason why we love her. Oh, and did we mention that she and Joseph brought back the biggest box of Sweet & Sara goodies we've ever seen? We're up to our eyeballs in marshmallows, s'mores, and biscotti! Yes, things are pretty good here at the VNHQ.

Hot Pizza, Cold Soup

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: Definitely not the exact same menu as what she made last week! Oh no, this time Elizabeth used a couple Amy's Single Serve Rice Crust Roasted Vegetable Pizzas with melted Teese on top, to complement her extremely garlicky gazpacho. This meal could basically not be any more different from last week's offering. And, as always, we had salad.

The Goods: Hey, did you know that taxes are due tomorrow? Yep, they sure are. If maybe you need a little stress release from, oh, say, we don't know, filing more forms that any human should have to, here are a few of our favorite freak-out fire extinguishers.

Bright Green Soup!

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A delectable, raw Spinach Thyme Soup that included loads of green veggies, herbs and spices, hemp oil, agave, meat-free chicken bouillon, and a subtle kick of garlic. Elizabeth paired this nutritious, bright green bowl of soup with a similarly hued side salad complete with mixed greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and diced bell peppers. Were there also slices of sunflower seed bread to dip into our soup? Indeed there were.

The Goods: In case there were any doubts, this lunch acts as proof that we are still obsessed with making soup in five minutes in our new Vita-Mix. People, it's bright green soup! In five minutes! It will never get old. This light and fresh vegetable-filled lunch was exactly what we needed after a week of over-indulging in sweets. So, in true VN style, we followed our cleansing, healthful lunch with to-die-for desserts from Sticky Fingers Bakery. Yes, our publisher's did generously order us Valentine's Day treats from Sticky Fingers, and yes, we know that they are the best.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

The Chef: Liz

The Menu: A rich, delicious, blended cream of broccoli soup that featured potatoes, cashews, garlic, onions, carrots, and, of course, broccoli, which Liz topped with toasted breadcrumbs. A spinach salad with grated carrots and halved cherry tomatoes, toasted baguette slices, and a helping of brown basmati rice made mighty good sides to our mouthwatering main.

The Goods: As you might have read recently, the VNHQ is now home to a shiny, new Vita-Mix. We pretty much spend every spare second here talking about what foods we want to blend up, and the ideas so far have spanned from the ridiculous (burrito soup, anyone?) to the ridiculously delicious, like today's lunch. Yes, you can pretty much expect every meal this week to have some sort of soup, smoothie, or other blended item. Feel free to tell us your favorite recipes!

Veggie Stir-Fry

The Chef: Abby

The Menu: Veggies galore! Abby whipped up a vegetable-filled trifecta, starting with a main dish of stir-fried veggies and tofu, including broccoli, carrots, peas, green and red peppers, and mushrooms, served over brown rice. Garlicky homemade hummus dressed up raw carrots and broccoli, and a huge salad rounded out the plate. Complete with spinach, kale, cucumber, red pepper, and a sweet vinaigrette, our daily leafy-greens requisite added balance to its richer, savory counterparts.

The Goods: Sometimes going back to the basics of plant-based cooking can be delicious—like today. A filling, vitamin-packed meal was just what the VNHQ ordered, especially with a bout of the sniffles making its rounds again. Fighting off your own flu-like demons? Check out our top foods for feasting to keep you healthy and happy this February!