muh_ree_uhs_garden
Plant based recipe developer
Just in time for fall!🍁🍁🎃Did you try my pumpkin & kidney bean burgers yet? They were served on micro greens and topped off with creamy guacamole 🥑
29/08/2023
Hey there! Just wanted to pop on here and introduce myself to you since I have some new faces on my page.
I’m Maria, and this is what I look like when I’m not wearing some kind of hat on my head, or cooking in the kitchen smelling like food or better yet, in my garden covered in dirt, bugs and sweat😂 I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your constant support, messages and love. It never goes unnoticed. As much as I hate to label, I would describe myself these days as a self empowered plant based pescatarian. I started out completely vegan and have occasionally slipped. There are times when I don’t feel like I belong in the vegan space. I sometimes struggle with eliminating fish from my diet like salmon, grouper and flounder. And there’s honey which is hard for me to eliminate. I know these products are technically not the most ethical to consume, but I’m not perfect. I’m a work in progress. When people ask me about my dietary choices, I turn the conversation into a broader topic like being more mindful of what I put in my body. My lifestyle and choices are mainly shaped by the desire to avoid cruelty and suffering to animals at all practical costs. And the obvious…feeling good on the inside and out.
The reason why I became vegan 6 years ago was because my husband was sick and was not able to get food down. After changing his diet to a vegan, I was amazed at how I cured him with a plant based diet eliminating all meat and dairy. It was a miracle. And so I decided I would start this journey with him.
My page is not about attacking the way people eat, or attack their beliefs. There’s enough negativity in this world. My goal is to calmly and effectively plant seeds so I can have further
communication with others and share some of my cooking and ideas with you. This can look the way you want it to look. This is not a one size fits all. To me it’s a lifestyle of abundance and creativity. I just want to help everyday people see how delicious, satisfying and beautiful food can be when cooking with plants. The way God has moved in my life in the last several years, all I can say is WHEW HOO!🙏🏻
Quick easy peasy stuffed peppers 🌶️
I didn’t measure…. but I’ll share what I concocted 😜
1. Brown rice cooked in vegetable broth
2. Tomato sauce
3. Onion chopped
4. A ton of fresh Italian herbs
5. Kidney beans
6. Garlic powder
7 onion powder
8. Sweet peas
9. A ton of garlic cloves smashed
10. Chopped carrots & celery
11. Go veggie plant based grated Parmesan
12. Smoked paprika
13. Cayenne pepper
Prepare rice and saucy base. Cut peppers in half & lightly oil and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Spoon filling in peppers and drizzle with sauce. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
That’s it!
Rice paper rolls with spicy peanut butter dipping sauce 🤩
So easy and fun! Whip up a dipping sauce with chunky peanut butter, tamari sauce, garlic, water and sriracha sauce. Cut avocado, carrots, mango, mint leaves, cucumber and red cabbage and simply roll them in some rice paper!
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09/02/2023
Check out my pizza burger!
Lemon & olive oil cupcakes with toasted coconut 🍋🥥
Check out this beautiful pan of pasta! It’s made with a ton of garden vegetables and chickpeas . It’s easy, healthy and delicious 😋 Want to give it a try? 👇🏻
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes or more sliced in half, seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil & roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
1 onion finely chopped
1 container of mushrooms very finely chopped
1 pepper finely diced
5-6 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes ( canned)
1 - 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
Directions:
Cook your pasta and reserve some pasta water. Add all your onions and mushrooms to a large pan with some oil , salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Add chopped pepper and continue to cook. Add garlic, roasted tomatoes, pasta water, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add chickpeas and spinach. Toss to incorporate everything together. Turn off the stove top and stir in fresh lemon juice and pepper flakes.
Delicious!
01/09/2022
No- bake banana cream pie with caramel sauce 🍌
It’s naturally sweetened & raw. I served this with homemade coconut cream. Want to give it a try? 👇🏻
Crust
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
12 soft and pitted medjool dates
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Place walnuts and oats in food processor and process into a course meal. Add coconut, dates and salt. Process until a dough forms and everything is sticking together. Crumble dough and press into a 9-inch pie plate that is greased with some coconut oil and lined with parchment paper ( I use 2 pcs. About 4 inches wide and arrange as an X in the bottom and up the sides). This will make it easy to pull your pie out when ready to serve.
Filling
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cups raw cashews soaked and drained( soak in boiling water for 1 hour).
1 large ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp almond milk
Put all the above ingredients in a ( high- speed) blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth. Cover and place flat in the freezer until ready to serve( I take this out 30-45 minutes before I’m ready to serve.
Caramel sauce
1/2 cup chilled coconut cream( take a can and pop in fridge over night until it hardens. Use only the hardened cream on top not the water from the bottom of the can).
1/4 cup coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond butter.
Add coconut cream in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add coconut sugar and cook, whisking until bubbling forms. Remove from heat, and whisk in salt, vanilla and almond butter. This can be re- heated when ready to serve your pie.
For the coconut whip cream
Using a hand blender, blend 1 can full fat coconut milk,that has been refrigerated overnight, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt.
When ready to serve, slice pie and garnish with coconut whip cream, caramel sauce and banana slices.
Delicious! 🥧 🍌🥥
What was the food you grew up with? For me, it was Cucuzza 🇮🇹❤️
Delicious homegrown squash made into Italian stew, and it was always garden to table.
Cucuzza is a favorite squash of Sicilians. You can cook it just like any other summer squash- grilled, stewed, fried, stuffed or roasted. They are easy to grow and timing is everything. One day the fruit is a couple of inches long and two days later it’s 2 feet long! I like picking them when they are smaller because they are softer and you can leave the seeds in.
Here is how we make Cucuzza and my favorite way to eat it! Hot and steamy and topped with a ton of ricotta salata. For a vegan replacement in my stew, I used vegan feta from Trader Joe’s. It’s very similar in texture and in taste. I don’t measure anything, but I can give you an idea of what I put in it. I start by sautéing the onions and garlic for 5- 8 minutes adding water to the pot if needed so the pot doesn’t get dry. Then I add the tomatoes and cover for 4-5 minutes. Add Cucuzza squash that has been cut, peeled and cubed, along with basil. Cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes, then add potatoes. Cover and simmer until potatoes are soft. You don’t need to add water as the squash gets waterey. I serve this with crusty bread.
3-4 small Cucuzza, a bowl of tomatoes cut into quarters, 2-3 large onions, 4-5 garlic cloves smashed, 3-4 potatoes quartered, a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste.
Do you grow Aloe Vera?
If you don’t, you can still purchase Aloe at any grocery store in the produce section. Aloe is very water-dense, so it’s great to help prevent or help with dehydration. Aloe Vera juice is packed with nutrients that optimize your body’s organ output . If you have issues with constipation, plain Aloe Vera pulp blended with some water can act as a natural laxative. The outer portion of the plant contains compounds called anthraquinones that have that laxative effect. Here is a juice that I make if you would like to try! 🍋🥒🍎
Lemon & Cucumber Aloe Vera morning drink….
The best time of day to drink this concoction is on an empty stomach or at least 20 minutes before a meal. Want to give it a try? 👇🏻
Simply mix 1 apple (cut and pits removed) 1 cucumber, 1 lemon squeezed and 1 aloe Vera leaf cut (pulp out) in a high speed blender. Scroll to see how I cut the leaf. In order to use the flesh, the leaf has to be peeled and then the flesh or gel needs to be extracted. Don’t forget! Aloe Vera is not only good for you internally, but fantastic for you externally!
Who says eating collard greens is boring? Check out these stuffed collards with red beans and rice😎
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cooked red beans
2 celery ribs chopped
12 collard green leaves blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes (and dried )
5 garlic cloves minced
1 pepper chopped
1 large onion chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1-15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup brown rice cooked
Tabasco sauce
Black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste
Directions: heat a skillet with some olive oil. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt. Add pepper and celery and cook adding a bit of water as pan drys out. Add garlic and cook until all veggies are tender. Remove 3/4 cup of the sautéed veggies and add to a bowl with fire roasted tomatoes. To the skillet, add your cooked rice, red beans, seasonings and 1/4 cup veggie stock. Cook for an extra 10 minutes. Dry collard greens. Pour a little sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Stuff collards and roll. Place all in casserole dish and spoon the rest of the sauce on top. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Delicious!!!!
Check out this delicious addition to your summer BBQ! Pineapple salsa 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍
Want to give it a try? 👇🏻
Ingredients:
1 pineapple cut into small cubes
1 tomato (seeds out) cut into small pieces
A few orange, red and yellow small peppers chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño seeds & ribs removed, then minced
1/3 cup minced ted onion
Salt and black pepper
Directions:
Place the pineapple cubes and all the other ingredients in a bowl. Stir and adjust seasoning witj salt & pepper. Refrigerate or serve immediately 👍🏻
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood ☀️🌱
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