Air Fried Extraordinary Grilled Cheese (Vegan)

From Monson Made This

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 1 Sandwich 

I had some Roasted Tomato Soup from veggies I bought at the local farmers market that I needed to use up.  And what goes with tomato soup?  Grilled cheese, of course.  This is no ordinary grilled cheese, I can tell you that.  When I first saw the YouTube video showing how to make it, I thought to myself, this is either going to taste fantastic or horrid.  Well, we tested it and it definitely is fantastic!  Whoever thought of putting cheddar cheese, fig jam and nut butter together was a genius.  My husband said I could keep these sandwiches coming. ;-) I just purchased an air fryer and made this recipe using it.  But, I’m sure these would work perfectly fine on a griddle.

Thick Sliced Sourdough Bread

Vegan Mayonnaise 

Cashew Butter (I used Kirkland’s Mixed Nut Butter with Seeds because that’s what I had on hand.)

Fig Jam

Vegan Cheddar Cheese (I used Violife Cheddar Shreds.)

Spread a generous layer of nut butter onto one slice of bread. Flip the bread over and spread a thin layer of the mayo on the other side of that slice of bread.  (Mayo works well because it’s easier to spread than butter and it browns up nicely.) Place the mayo side down on the air fryer basket.  (I use a silicone mat on the bottom of the air fryer basket to help with clean-up.) Sprinkle a generous helping of the vegan cheese onto the nut buttered bread that’s in the air fryer.  Spread a layer of fig jam on the remaining slice of bread.  Flip it over and spread a thin layer of mayo on the opposite side.  Place the fig jam side down onto the cheese/nut buttered bread so that you have a complete sandwich.  There should be a mayo side down against the bottom of the air fryer and a mayo side facing up at you.  Air fry at 390F or 400F for about 4-5 minutes or until toasty brown on top.  Carefully flip the sandwich over and air fry for another 4-5 minutes or until toasty brown.  Remove the sandwich from the air fryer.  Be careful, because the jam inside gets really hot.  Allow to cool just a bit before slicing the sandwich in half for serving.  

Arugula and Orange Salad with Fig-Orange Dressing

Serves 4

Recipe from Raising the Salad Bar

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We had guests for dinner the other night and I served this pretty salad.  Of all the dishes I prepared, this was the big hit of the night.  We all loved the contrast in textures and flavors of the peppery arugula, the tangy cheese and the sweet dressing.

Salad:

6-7 cups arugula, washed and dried

Orange segments from 2 naval oranges or 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles (goat cheese would also be yummy)

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons prepared fig jam or spread (I used F.R.O.G. Preserves* from Dillman Farms.)

4 Tablespoons fresh tangerine or orange juice

¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch of Kosher salt

Place the arugula in a serving dish and top with the orange sections.  Top with the walnuts and blue cheese.

Place the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid (or whisk together in a small bowl) and give it a good shake.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss.

Notes: 

If the fig jam/spread has large chunks of fruit in it, put the dressing ingredients in an electric mini food chopper and whir together until smooth and completely blended together.

Dillman Farms F.R.O.G. Preserves is a yummy mixture of figs, raspberries, oranges and ginger available at Lost River Market & Deli.