Recipes — The Renata Collective

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!

Quick Sausage, Broccoli and Red Pepper Rice

When you need dinner on the table quickly and you want it to be delicious and nutritious, this rice dish is perfect! It’s ready in a half hour! It’s also good anytime, not only when time is of the essence! And the flavours mix together beautifully.

Did you know that minute rice is regular brown rice that is cooked to JUST before being done, so that’s why it takes much shorter a time to cook. Yes it is processed but the good news is that brown minute rice is not that nutritionally different than if you cooked brown rice!

Cold Coffee Smoothie

Cold Coffee Smoothie! Do you have leftover brewed coffee from this morning or even yesterday? Hope you didn’t throw it out! Next time you’ll know better! Prep this smoothie ahead by freezing coconut milk into ice cube trays and slicing a banana and freezing it too. This is SO yum, anytime of year!

BeverageRenata RichardsonSeptember 29, 2021Cold Coffee Smoothie, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, antioxidantComment

Fusilli with Chicken and Veggies

Need a quick pasta dish that’s delicious and nutritious and where the veggies provide the flavour so no additional sauces are necessary? This fusilli chicken and veggies is a go-to for me! It cooks up quickly – in the time your pasta water gets boiling and the pasta cooks, the rest is done too and it’s on the table! I don’t add parmesan to this pasta dish – you can, of course, or for extra nutritional benefits, sprinkle some nutritional yeast on instead!

Dinner, Light Supper, LunchRenata RichardsonSeptember 27, 2021Fusilli with Chicken and Veggies, Pasta dinner, Quick DinnerComment

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.

Whipped Feta with Kalamata Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I have discovered Whipped Feta this summer, and what a lovely treat it is. Easy to whip up (pun intended!), so delicious and with so many uses, we have had this recipe on repeat! Simple ingredients, a few minutes and you have a wonderful appetizer and a topping for just about anything – sandwiches, salads, pasta, veggies… Topped with the kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs, this whipped feta is next level in deliciousness.

Mixed Berries Tea Cake

This wonderful gluten free and dairy free (use a chia egg in place of the egg in the recipe) tea cake is amazing both served warm from the oven or at room temperature, on it’s own or drizzled with Tahini Maple Syrup Caramel and a bit of coconut cream - this is a heavenly sweet. And it makes up and bakes up quickly which is a bonus in my books! The beauty of this cake is that the crust can be used for any berry or fruit combination – strawberries, blackberries, apple, pear. Each is so different, healthy and delicious!

One Dish Delish Saucy Chicken and Veggies

Here comes a one dish baked chicken recipe – chicken thighs, veggies, spicy goodness! The sauce pulls this dish together and it’s one baking dish for easy clean-up! Serve it with some rice noodles or if you have meal prepped and have rice or quinoa already cooked – a quick reheat and you are ready to serve dinner.

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.

Donuts: Gluten Free and Dairy Free

These donuts are healthy, gluten and dairy free, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and banana and made two ways – one peanut butter and chocolate and the other tahini vanilla.

Dairy Free, Baked Goods, Dessert, Gluten Free, SnacksRenata RichardsonAugust 30, 2021Donuts, Gluten Free Dairy Free Donuts, healthy snackComment

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!

N'ice Cream

My vegan, no-ice-cream-machine-required, no churn, no banana, N’ice Cream recipe! It’s super easy to make, only 5 ingredients, and is such a delicious treat for dessert! Plan this a day or two ahead to allow for the freezing time. Yum!!