Miss Rachel's Vegan Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Don't let the thought of long hours in the kitchen stress you out. Have Miss Rachel prepare your vegan Thanksgiving meal this year!

Miss Rachel kindly dropped me off a sneak peek of her delivered Thanksgiving platter (it was delectable, comforting, and generously portioned). Each $22 individual dish includes:

• 'Turkey’-style seitan with mushroom-red wine gravy (or herbed tofu if you are gluten free)
• Garlicky mashed potatoes
• Green bean casserole
• Rosemary-thyme stuffing with cranberries (or rice stuffing if you are gluten free)

Plus, you can add an individual size homemade pumpkin pie to any order for just $8.

Deliveries will take place on the evening of Tuesday, November 22 and all day/evening on Wednesday, November 23. Pickup is also available from 2-6pm on Tuesday, November 22 at Greensgrow Farm Market.

The Deadline for ordering is Sunday, November 20.

For more details, and to place an order, visit Miss Rachel's site. Orders can also be placed by emailing missrachelspantry@gmail.com, or calling 215-285-7622.

Vegan Lunch Delivery

Miss Rachel's Pantry is now delivering $10 vegan lunches every Friday to wherever you work or live in downtown Philadelphia. Each week there will be three vegan options (including a gluten-free option), which includes a sandwich, soup, fruit, and sweet treat.* It's like having a mom who lovingly packs you a brown bag lunch! Just be sure to get your order in by the day before Friday.

This week's options are:

• The Jim - Tofu “chicken” salad sandwich - creamy with a zippy Dijon mayo and crisp romaine on a local roll, a cup of veggie-noodle soup, a local apple and a chocolate chip cookie
• The Bubeleh - Seitan Reuben with slaw, gazillion island dressing, homemade pickles and crisp romaine, a cup of veggie-noodle soup, a local apple and a chocolate chip cookie
• The Silly Yak - (gluten-free option) Sweet Korean-style BBQ tofu tacos with shredded romaine and slaw, a cup of veggie soup, a local apple and a crisp rice treat

*Cookie Monster ate my cookie before the photo shoot.

Miss Rachel's Pantry

So, I'm sending Twitter messages back and forth one day with Rachel Klein of the blog Miss Rachel's Pantry, and she says, "Hey, I have a little extra food left over today. How about I drop some off for you?"

Why does Miss Rachel have extra food? Because she's cooks up batches of vegan food that is sold locally at Green Aisle in South Philly, and at Greensgrow's Saturday farmer's market in Fishtown. Miss Rachel is also a personal chef, offering in-home vegan cooking or meal delivery. She caters special events, and has holiday meal packages, too, like the over 50 vegan Thanksgiving dinners she recently prepared!

Miss Rachel dropped off for me baked beans, collards, and mashed potatoes. It was like she knew all my favorite foods!

The skin-on, mashed red potatoes are home-style chunky, and lightly seasoned with garlic and truffle oil, letting the potatoes really shine through.

And, this Southern girl gives a huge thumbs up to Miss Rachel's tenderly cooked collards with just a hint of spice and sweetness. Studded with a few bits of sweet potato, I think I'm going to steal that trick the next time I make collards.

Man, oh man! Those slow baked beans in thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce with caramelized onions are a religious experience. These are not canned baked beans! As I went to wash off my plate before opening the dishwasher, I licked my plate instead of turning on the water. Yep, I licked my plate, that's how good Miss Rachel's baked beans are!

Miss Rachel is your girl, if you've ever wished to come home to a healthy, home-cooked vegan meal, or have someone else prepare a full vegan spread for an upcoming party. Miss Rachel even caters to bands on tour, so what ever you need, she can probably do it.

Check out Miss Rachel's site for details on meals and catering. And, for a quick fix, duck into Green Aisle for Miss Rachel's soups, or Greensgrow on Saturdays for Miss Rachel's sandwiches, casseroles and other sides.