Recipes — The Renata Collective

Secret Ingredient Absolutely Fabulous Smoothie

A smoothie in October? Sure! A smoothie is for any time of year! I came up with this simple, nourishing healthy and delicious recipe when I started seeing a trend of *this* healthy secret ingredient included in smoothie recipes and I thought How Brilliant! I believe it replaces the banana that is the healthy thickening constant in SO many smoothie recipes! What is this secret ingredient? Frozen Cauliflower! Yup! Give this healthy smoothie recipe a try and tell me how absolutely fabulous it is!

In a Pinch ‘Turkey’ Gravy

I love how a rich gravy enhances the flavour of turkey, or roast chicken, perfectly and how it’s the gravy that keeps the meat hot on your plate as it cools so quickly when sliced and served. As much as I make gravy from the defatted pan drippings, depending on your bird you may not have a lot of drippings to make that rich gravy. And, honestly, it’s the butter (or ghee), the onion and garlic and the spices that make a flavourful gravy. This recipe is great to make and serve with roast turkey breast or turkey roll throughout the year, and it makes a fabulous topping for a hot turkey or chicken sandwich!

Dairy Free, Dinner, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Mix, Side Dishes, VegetarianRenata RichardsonOctober 8, 2021In a Pinch Turkey Gravy, Gravy, ThanksgivingComment

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Whole roasted cauliflower is quite a fabulous side dish! Basted with the Lemon Tahini Sauce and roasted until tender, it’s easy to prepare, impressive when presented and delicious when served and devoured. This will be on our Thanksgiving menu! Trust me, you will want it on yours too!

.This is a great dish to serve for those who are vegan and sharing your table! The cauliflower is toothsome and with this sauce – it’s just so delicious! Leftovers are so good reheated or eaten cold, so have them as a snack, add to a salad or as a side to dinner the next night!

Hearty Spinach Salad with Grains, Roasted Red Peppers and White Beans

I enjoy salads year-round and especially ones that double as a whole meal – for lunch or a light dinner. This recipe fits the bill. If you have some leftover rice, as in this recipe, or quinoa, include them in your salad to make it hearty and delicious. I love that this salad has the balance of protein, carbs and fat, and is so fresh and full of wonderful nutrients to nourish your body and to satisfy your hunger and your taste buds!

Quinoa Veggie Pilaf

I love this recipe! It’s one that I have used at workshops for a couple of years now, and a recipe I make and share with friends, to demonstrate how you can pack a lot of plant-based nutrition into your meal, how balanced it is with protein, carbs and healthy fat, how quick and easy it is to make, and to turn those who don’t like quinoa into liking quinoa! Really, it truly is delicious and nutrition packed, gluten and dairy free, a one-pan recipe that is quick and easy to make. It is also super versatile – use whatever veggies you have in your fridge, and during our long Canadian winters, you can use frozen veggies.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This is a simple, only 3-ingredients, recipe that is fun to make and delicious to eat. I’ve cooked these both pan-fried and boiled and both are fabulous. Drizzle with some olive oil on top, or the sauce of your choice, and let the flavour of the super healthy sweet potato shine through. Plus the orange looks so pretty on your plate.

Lemon Honey Dijon Dressing

Lemon Honey Dijon Dressing recipe - a wonderful summer salad dressings – or for any time of year really. It’s very flavourful and all you really need are some spring greens, one or two salad veggies cup up and I LOVE this with fresh blueberries. I have a jar of this in the fridge ready to go so a salad can be a side dish for dinner or a quick lunch in a flash!

Refreshing Watermelon Strawberry Cooler

A delicious refreshing slushy drink that is wonderful on its own or, if you are so inclined, add a shot of gin or a splash of coconut rum to turn it into a cocktail. I like mine without, so it’s a mocktail! I keep a pitcher in the fridge and it’s such a welcome drink – tastes like a decadent treat when it’s really low calorie and the ingredients pack such powerful nutritional goodness so healthy for us! Make up a pitcher and enjoy!

Pesto Topped Smashed Potatoes

A great any-night side dish or even an appetizer for your next get together. You can use store bough pesto but I prefer to make pesto fresh: Pesto in a Jiffy. The photos show fingerling potatoes – you can make this with any kind or colour of baby potatoes or roasted sweet potato rounds are also delicious! Mmmmm!

Pesto in a Jiffy

Fresh, flavourful, delicious and so quick and easy to make – this pesto recipe is made with a couple of secret ingredients that increases the nutritional goodness and ups the deliciousness – I know this recipe will be something you make often!

Roasted Mushroom Polenta

Polenta – I’m sure you are familiar with this wonderful dish made of cornmeal but perhaps have not tried to make it. I encourage you to make this recipe and it is so simple and so delicious. I love to make extra polenta, store in the fridge and then fry it up with an egg on top for breakfast or a light dinner with a side salad. Polenta is a wonderful base for so many toppings – a hearty stew, chili, sautéed or roasted veggies as in this recipe – mushrooms!

Nourishing Summer Chill Bowl

Summertime! Long, hot summer days that turn into lazy warm summer nights are the best. A quick cold snack or dessert in the summer is so very welcome and when it’s healthy and nutritious as well as delicious, who could ask for more! This Nourishing Summer Chill Bowl is what you are looking for!

Dairy Free, Dessert, Snacks, Vegan, VegetarianRenata RichardsonJuly 14, 2021healthy fat, probiotic, gut healthy, summerComment

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

Homemade sauces, like my hoisin sauce recipe, are quick and easy to make and add more nutrition to your meal. I prefer to make my own sauces so I can control the ingredients, making sure they are top quality, limit the amount of sugar and salt that goes into it and leaves out the commercial additives that our bodies don’t need, like preservatives, chemical colour and thickening agents and they taste so fresh and flavourful!

Dairy Free, Dinner, Egg Free, Tip, Vegetarian, VeganRenata RichardsonJune 21, 2021Homemade Hoisin SauceComment

Cocoa Fudge Bliss Bites

It’s time for another Bliss Bite recipe! This time with chocolate and filled with healthy ingredients!

I drizzled some of my Tahini Maple Syrup Caramel over these and it made them next level – that caramel sauce does that every time and to everything it is used in or used on! Make a batch of these Bites to share with someone special!

Baked Goods, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Dessert, Snacks, Vegetarian, VeganRenata RichardsonJune 16, 2021Cocoa Fudge Bliss BitesComment

Sweet Potato, Cauliflower and Walnut Veggie Burgers

These gluten-free, dairy-free (they do have an egg) veggie burgers can be a delicious alternative burger to add to your offering of meat burgers or a grilled stuffed portobello mushroom burger - SO good!