Grilled cheese sandwiches are a nostalgic childhood food. When I hear “grilled cheese” I remember the picnics and playdates with friends. But the image that comes to mind is a sandwich made of white Wonder bread and processed Kraft singles. Yum? Maybe when I was five, but certainly not anymore. Even when I first became vegan, I just substituted Kraft with Rice cheese slices. Not great.

I decided that my grilled cheese needed a makeover . So I combined some of my favourite vegetables, Daiya cheese, and whole grain bread to create a vamped-up, healthy version of that childhood classic.

Ingredients:

(exact amounts will depend on how thick you want your sandwich to be / number of sandwiches you are making)

Thinly sliced roasted red peppers Thinly sliced tempeh (marinated with this marinade) A handful of spinach Pre-sliced mini portabella mushrooms Finely sliced onion (a small amount – the onion is just for flavour) Daiya mozzarella (regular cheese works well for non-vegans) Bread (preferably whole grain, kamut, flax, spelt, etc.)

Method:

Roast the red peppers for about 25 minutes Sautée mushrooms in olive oil and set aside Sautée tempeh in olive oil (until lightly browned) and set aside Sautée roasted red peppers, onions, and spinach until spinach is wilted and onions are browned Pile daiya cheese, then tempeh, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, onions, and finally more Daiya cheese between two pieces of bread (cheese should be on either side so that it adheres to the bread and keeps the sandwich from falling apart) Grill sandwich using panini grill or stovetop Cut and serve!

So good.