Melt for You

Santa Fe Turkey Melt

Finally, a yummy, buttery tasting, dairy-free mozzarella! For those of you who don't do dairy [because of an allergy, intolerance or for personal reasons] let me introduce you to Daiya, your new best friend. I found it at my local supermarket after trying several other non-dairy products, none of which were really good in pizzas, nachos or, my favorite ooey-gooey application, grilled cheese. So basic, but there's really no substitution. After all, there's really nothing left but buttery toast if you take away the cheese. So try it in a grilled cheese or in the recipe below.

Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

2 slices Scali bread
2 ounces Daiya Mozzarella Cheese [Vegan + endorsed by Oprah so you know it's good]
1/4 cup shredded organic cabbage

2 ounces of turkey breast, thinly sliced
2 thinly sliced tomatoes [press lightly between 2 paper towels to soak up excess moisture]
1 scallion, ends trimmed, thinly sliced on the diagonal

pinch of all purpose seasoning
freshly ground black pepper
canola margarine

hot sauce for dipping, optional

Note: I know what you're thinking... Cabbage in a tukey melt? Yes. It's delicious, just trust me. I decided to substitute cabbage for lettuce after having a hard time getting a good [non-akward] bite from my grilled sandwiches. Lettuce has a tendency to wilt and get a bit slimy if it gets too hot... but cabbage softens only slightly and will retain its crunchy goodness.

Directions

1. Heat a small cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat. Prepare ingredients on a clean working surface for quick and easy assemblage.

2. Layer bread with 1 ounce cheese, cabbage, turkey, tomatoes, scallions, seasonings, and the remaining 1 ounce of cheese. Top with bread.

3. Spread outside of bread slices with canola margarine.

4. Place sandwich in skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes per side.

5. Cut sandwich in half and serve.

Make sure to keep the hot sauce handy and enjoy!