Meatless Monday: Mac ‘n’ Cashew Cheese with Collard Greens

One of my favourite comfort food meals is from Hogtown Vegan on Toronto’s Bloor West (and not just because it’s two minutes from my house). They’ve perfected southern cooking, vegan style – which is amazing considering southern cooking involves a lot of fried chicken. Appropriately, my favourite option there is the Southern Combo, which I’ve made many attempts to re-create at home. This attempt is the closest I’ve come, and it’s delicious.

Ingredients

3 cups brown rice macaroni noodles

Cashew Cheese

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight or for at least an hour
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 garlic cloves
Juice from one lemon
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp mustard

Garlic Collards

2 cups collard greens
1 tbsp margarine (I used Earth Balance)
2 cloves garlic

Directions

In a pot of boiling water, add macaroni noodles and cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, combine cashew cheese ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, heat margarine on medium heat and add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes and add collards. Let cook for another 10 minutes, or until collards are cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and combine with cashew cheese. Serve with collards on the side. I also added a side of meat-free crispy tenders from Gardein, and served them with a side of barbeque sauce.

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor