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  The ordinary toasted sandwich gets a makeover with the delectable Mexican combo of Refried Beans,Peppers and Cheese in about 30 Minutes.



Toasties have been a treaty snack at home , ever since I have known. When the weather gets a bit gloomy, a bit chilli or may b rainy, Amma ( as I fondly call my mum) would make us Potato Masala Toastie or  Paneer Toastie or Sugar Toastie and what not for a wholesome evening appetiser.

One evening ,sometime around my 11th Grade , a friend of mine invited me to the local cafe that was newly opened , just down the street. Probably that was the very first time , I actually went out on a date with friends. It was really exciting and a bit worrying as it was among my first few ventures alone. Pretending to be all bold not coy, casually putting my wallet by the table, I picked up the menu card.

Stepping out my comfort zone, I flipped through pages and ordered my favourite dark chocolate fresh cake pastry. One of my other friends who had accompanied me ordered for a Chilli Cheese Toast. Others ordered samosa's , puff and so forth. We all decided to dig in and taste all the appetisers and the junky snacks on our table. Chilli Cheese toast was absolutely delicious - a bit spicy,cheesy !! It was one absolute fun evening, I still cherish.







 I had been talking about that fun evening at home for a couple of days and eagerly awaited for the next , outside school :) . As I kept yapping about all the delights we had , I was mentioning about the chilli cheese toast to Amma. She instantly said - Why don't you make it for us .. The very same Sunday evening , I made it for everyone at home, the very same week. Appa and Amma totally loved the pan toasted, cheesy spicy delight.  As years passed by,  toast got an upgrade to a toastie in my pantry . Its all about small change and the big difference !
Sometime earlier last week, I was sent across a package in a wicker hamper basket and a challenge note to make a delectable toastie with Arla's Lactofree Mature cheddar cheese as the primary ingredient.

About the product:
Arla's Lactofree Grated Mature Cheddar Cheese is a quick and convenient option ,brought to British household with a lactofree choice at hand. It is perfect for anything from cheese sandwiches to a finishing touch on top of Macroni cheese ,providing a quick fix option people need.

Lactofree Grated Cheddar Cheese is made with real cow's milk, so holds all the taste and nutritional benefits of standard cheddar. At it deliver's so high on taste, those catering for friends and family with lactose intolerant, no longer need to cook two variations of the same meal. They can simply use Lactofree and other guests will be equally delighted .

The Lactofree range includes Lactofree Skimmed dairy drink alongside whole and semi skimmed ( ESL and UHT),chocolate dairy drink,mature,hard and soft cheese, fruit yogurts, UHT portion packs, cream and spreadable.



The challenge got me thinking for the next two days as to what new recipe could I create.. And I turned out to be lucky !! Our Chef friend visited us that week, when I had my thinking hat on. I was casually mentioning about the Cheese Toastie Challenge and he came up with this innovative recipe  - Refried Beans, Peppers and Cheese Toastie  and more . I am hoping to share the rest in the following blog posts. First question that I posed to him was Where can I find refried beans ? And he had a big smile on his face.. He said 'Refried Beans' can be kidney beans too. And I was like - how is that? Refried means - Cooked Twice and not fried !! Man.. there are soo many terms in the culinary corners that there is scope for new feed any day !


As he was telling me about this, he casually scribbled the ingredients in steps and I noted the measurements in my head ! I put away the recipe card safe, waiting for the right day to come to life.
It was Sunday morning and we were in no mood to have any regular lunch - No Antipasti , No Indian elaborate meal, No pancakes , No Pizza's ! And this is it ! Menu finalised , recipe card on the kitchen counter, carefully picked the ingredients and arranged it on the kitchen counter. Since its a new recipe , I had to follow the recipe,  just as per instructions.
The mixture for this toastie is classic take to the Mexican Taco's . Since the filling is all cooked, it can be rolled inside a tortilla for a quick grab.



REFRIED BEANS , PEPPERS AND CHEESE TOASTIE 

Makes 4

For the Refried Beans
1 Can of 400gm Kidney Beans
1/2 of Large White onion , chopped finely
1-1/2 Tsp of Tomato Paste
1 Tsp of Taco Seasoning Mix
2 pinches of Ginger Powder
3 pinches of Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp of Paprika Powder
3/4 - 1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of oil

For the colorful peppers mix 
1 each of Red,Yellow and Green Pepper, chopped lengthwise
1/2 of Remaining Large White onion,chopped lengthwise
3/4 Tsp of Taco seasoning mix
1/2 tsp of Cumin powder
2 tsp of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp of oil

For the Toastie
Lactofree Grated Mature cheese as desired
Red Onion Pickle ( Optional)
Spreadable Butter/Margarine
8-10 slices Bread
Toastie Machine

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 2 minutes . When they turn translucent , add in drained Kidney beans and saute. Using the back of the spatula or a potato masher, gently mash a few of them ,while leaving a few of beans in whole. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add in Tomato paste, ginger powder, garlic powder ,taco seasoning, paprika powder and the remaining salt. Mix well and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Once well combined, turn off the flame and transfer them into a bowl.
• In the same pan , heat some oil . Add Onions followed by Peppers and saute them in high heat. Pop in cumin powder, taco seasoning and the needed salt. Give it a good stir. Idea is to keep the peppers/onions crunchy. Transfer them into another bowl.
• To make the Toastie , lightly butter the slices of bread and place the butterside on the chopping board. Spread the red onion pickle, top it with kidney beans mixture followed by peppers mixture and a good amount of cheese. Now place the second piece of bread on top , buttered on the top. Repeat the process for one more bread pair. 
• Place the bread pair on a preheated Toastie maker. Clamp the lid and toast for approximately 4-6 Minutes until the green light glows. The top of the toastie would be golden and crispy. 
• Serve the golden crispy toastie , by cutting the triangles - just on its own or with some ketchup.

NOTES

This toastie could be made a little more spicier , adding some cayenne pepper or chilli powder to the refried beans mixture or peppers mixture.
For a variation , you could spread a cilantro chutney onto one of the bread slices instead of onion chutney .