The Union of Opposites: A Salad & Grilled Cheezly

You may not have noticed but I've been on a bit of a comfort-food kick lately. I blame finals... and the snow... but mostly finals. Also there's a sadness surrounding this whole time because not only must I be cooped up with a blinking word doc as my only friend (okay, exaggeration), but these last two weeks are my last two in London (for now!), what am I doing in the library?!

Good question, and that's why I abandoned the library in favor of better fayre this past weekend: the Animal Aid Fayre that is. Besides the plethora of sweets I stocked up on (I know, I know, but there's just so many vegan options in one place!), I also grab some of the infamous Cheezly, London's go-to vegan cheeze brand.

I've heard mixed reviews, some raving that I need to try it, others believing Daiya would be a better alternative (I say people think the grass is just greener in the other country). QuarryGirl posted a good review of these cheezes back to back & I generally agree with her: I came down on the side of Cheezly.

Ultimately I think Cheezly melts betters, is slightly cheaper (at least over here!), and it doesn't try to be something its not. No, Cheezly's Gouda does not taste like Gouda (in fact, don't get that one, it was my least favorite, too sweet!), but its Edam style has a taste of its own and is delicious both in a grilled cheeze or topping a fresh spinach & fruit salad.

Though I will admit, for many Daiya is a healthier alternative, free of many common allergens, to me Daiya cheese is a bit too sweet and, unfortunately, doesn't offer a variety of flavors yet. Mostly people can find one Cheezly style groove with. And that's exactly what I plan to do for the next few weeks here. Fulfill my comfort-food needs with Cheezly!

You can also order it online, but unfortunately most places don't yet have my favorite Edam style--if you find it let me know! The mozzarella & cheddar is also great though! If you get your hands on some, I suggest trying this easy, epically delicious (not-so-healthy) sandwich & pair it with vegan tomato soup (trust me, this is crucial):

Monsterous Grilled Cheezly

Ingredients

* 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
* 1/3 onion, sliced into rings
* 1/4 cup fresh spinach
* 1 T, veganaise
* 2 slices from Cheezly's block (style of choice)
* 2 slices wholewheat bread
* 1 T, Earth Balance, softened

Directions

1. In a frying pan, heat canola oil over medium, then add sliced onion. Set to medium-low and saute until soft & translucent (I did it a little over this to give them a nice grill). Remove from heat and transfer onions to a separate plate.
2. Now to assemble your sandwich. Spread half of the Earth Balance on one side of one of the slices of bread. Place it in the frying pan and add the slices of cheeze on top. Bring the pan back to the stove and grill on low--this is going to be a slow grilling process so all the cheeze can melt but the bread won't burn (carcinogenic toast is not comforting). This will vary from stove to stove but if it starts to toast too quickly, lower heat or add a little extra oil.
3. As the cheeze is melting, butter one side of the remaining piece of toast and set aside until the stovetop cheeze has almost completely melted (approximately 3 minutes). At this point, top the melted cheeze with the grilled onions and spinach. Spread the veganize on the unbutter side of the remaining slice of bread and place atop the spinach, mayo side down.
4. Carefully flip the sandwich and allow the slice of bread to slowly grill (add a little extra oil if needed). Remove from heat when thoroughly toasted & try dipping it in some warm tomato soup! Enjoy!

Want to make this sandwich TRULY epic? Add in one of Redwood Food's VegiDeli Organic Schnitzel, pure fried food heaven. Lucky for us Heather Mills (ex-wife of Paul McCartney and model turned animal rights charity campaigner) has bought out Cheezly and is bringing it to America; you may have seen their products around the US already, being sample in places like the Boston Vegetarian Festival. Expect to be seeing Cheezly & other great products in local stores soon!