Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pickled Red Onions

Having just been contemplating how far removed we seemed from the northern snows, winter weather was the last topic on my mind as I drove to work in the 6AM bleakness yesterday morning. As I'm now working in the OR, which is located in a central and windowless section of the hospital, throughout the afternoon I continued thinking solely of the stats I was entering into a spreadsheet - well, OK, maybe that plus wondering what I should fix for supper, but I certainly wasn't thinking about snow - until 2 of my co-workers returned to the OR from their lunch break, joyously singing "it's snowing, it's snowing!"

"It's what-ing?" I asked, momentarily wondering if my new friends had temporarily taken leave of their senses.

"It's snowing! It's really snowing!"

Sure enough, when I left work that afternoon, real, accumulated snow rose up to great me outside the hospital door, and had arrived in even greater quantities over our house and lawn!

Thankfully, at work our last case of the afternoon had been canceled, as the patient had arrived at the hospital so high on an alarming combination of narcotics and street drugs that she was in no condition to undergo surgery, so we were dispatched home post haste to avoid the majority of the snow on the roads... While I freely admit that our snow is nothing like the two to four feet of snow our friends up north have been shoveling, I will say that even with my snow driving skills acquired during my college days in a snow-filled land my car still slipped and skidded a bit during the journey home, but Zach and I both arrived safely to settle in cozily, open a a lovely Chianti, watch the flurries surround our world, and make grilled cheese sandwiches with pickled red onions... I honestly couldn't imagine a more perfect Friday night!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pickled Red Onions

*This recipe makes two sandwiches - feel free to change the quantities as needed...

2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 T light vegan margarine or butter
5 T red wine vinegar
2 T raw turbinado sugar
4 slices rustic whole grain bread
2 tsp light vegan margarine or butter
2 oz sliced Monterey Jack Cheese
1 handful baby spinach leaves
1 handful baby arugula

~ To make the pickled onions: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sprinkle the red onions with salt to taste and saute them in the vegan marg or butter, stirring frequently, for approx 10 to 15 minutes - until they're very limp and beginning to brown. Stir in the vinegar and turbinado sugar and simmer, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the onions to a storage container, season to taste with salt and pepper, and set them aside to cool. (You'll have some leftover onions for making extra sandwiches, topping salads, etc!)

~ To assemble the sandwiches, spread each slice of bread with 1/2 tsp vegan marg or butter. Place 1 oz cheese on each of two bread, topped with 1/4 cup of pickled onions, 1/2 handful of baby spinach, 1/2 handful of baby arugula, and the remaining two bread slices.
~ Coat a large skillet or grill pan with olive oil cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook the sandwiches until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts - approx 3 to 5 minutes per side. Slice the sandwiches in half, serve, and savor... :-)