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The ultimate cheese toastie

<p>Golden, pan-fried toastie oozing with cheese and jalapeno chillies can be stacked full of roasted broccoli and wilted kale, silverbeet or spinach, to become something almost good for you.</p> <p>It’s fine to add bacon or smoked ham to it as well – as long as you insert those greens.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p> <ul> <li>500g broccoli, cut into small florets</li> <li>4 tablespoons olive oil</li> <li>250g curly kale leaves (de-stalked)</li> <li>8 thick slices dense sourdough bread</li> <li>2 tablespoons dijon mustard</li> <li>1 avocado, peeled and roughly mashed</li> <li>1 tablespoons pickled jalapeno chillies, chopped</li> <li>8 slices emmenthal, gruyere or fontina</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method: </span></strong></p> <p>1. Heat the oven to 200C. Toss the broccoli florets with sea salt, pepper and two tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft.</p> <p>2. Massage the kale leaves with one tablespoon of olive oil. Season well and add to the oven tray for five minutes or until wilted. Remove and roughly chop.</p> <p>3. Arrange the bread on the bench, and spread four of the slices with mustard. Spread the remaining slices with crushed avocado.</p> <p>4. Top the mustard with jalapeno chillies, kale and two slices of cheese. Pile the broccoli onto the avocado-topped slices, then gently press the two halves together.</p> <p>5. Brush both outer sides of each sandwich with remaining olive oil and place in a heavy frypan over gentle heat. Fry for two minutes, then turn and fry the other side for three minutes or until golden outside and hot inside (use a flat saucepan lid to press the sandwiches down into the pan).</p> <p>6. Cut each toastie in half and serve immediately.</p> <p>How do you enjoy your cheese toasties?</p> <p><em>Written by Jill Dupleix. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Jill Dupleix / Stuff.co.nz</em></p>

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The best cheese to make the perfect cheese toastie

<p>Is there anything better than a good old-fashioned cheese toastie? Or a deliciously cheesy pizza? If anyone knows the secret to the perfect melted cheese, it’s chef and author of <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fchefs-eat-toasties-too-darren-purchese%2Fprod9781743793053.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Chefs Eat Toasties Too</span></strong></em></a>, Darren Purchese. In the book, he reveals which cheeses are the best for melting – depending on what you’re making, of course! Here are his favourites.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Montgomery cheddar</strong> – Hailing from Somerset, England, this rich, beefy-flavoured cheese has “the perfect melting texture”, according to Purchese.</li> <li><strong>Bay of Fires cloth-bound cheddar</strong> – This traditionally-made cheddar is created by 13th-century cheesemaker, Ian Fowlers. The cheese is made and matured in repurposed shipping containers in St Helens, on Tasmania’s east coast.</li> <li><strong>Asiago </strong>– There are two types of this Italian cheese, depending on the flavour and texture you want. Young pressato is slightly sweeter and great for melting, as it becomes very stringy. Matured asiago, on the other hand, is deeper, denser and aged like parmesan.</li> <li><strong>Gouda </strong>– This classic aged Dutch cheese is rich, slightly caramelly and a little crunchy. Be careful, though – gouda separates during melting, leaving a clear liquid behind.</li> <li><strong>Emmental </strong>– As one of the main ingredients in fondue, this is one of the best melting cheeses; it becomes gooey and stringy but still manages to hold its shape.</li> <li><strong>Bulgarian feta</strong> – Unlike its crumbly Greek counterpart, Bulgarian feta is softer, creamier and sweeter, with a hint of citrus.</li> <li><strong>Gorgonzola piccante</strong> – Made in Lombardy, Italy, this aged blue cheese is slightly crumbly with a very unique taste. Make sure you don’t overcook it, though – it has a very low melting point.</li> <li><strong>Parmigiano Reggiano</strong> – Purchese suggests Reggiano aged for no more than 18 months to get the perfect sweet, rich flavour. It melts in a similar way to gouda, separating slightly with the fats becoming liquid.</li> <li><strong>Gruyere </strong>– A Swiss favourite, this is a perfect melting cheese, giving that amazing stringiness when pulled. It’s rich, nutty and ideal for toasties.</li> <li><strong>Raclette </strong>– The Swiss love this cheese so much, it’s a dish in and of itself. Smelly and savoury, make sure you use the delicious rind of this hard cheese. Scrape it over potatoes or onto a toastie for a taste explosion.</li> <li><strong>Fontina Val d’Aosta</strong> – Think of this as an Italian take on raclette. Cooked the same way, it’s ultra-savoury, slightly sharp and has a great melting texture.</li> <li><strong>Comte </strong>– Comte is the most popular cheese in France, thanks to its gorgeous, floral aroma and sweet, nutty flavour. Part of the gruyere family, it’s the ultimate melting cheese.</li> <li><strong>Taleggio </strong>– An Italian cheese with a sweet, milky, slightly yeasty flavour. Unlike raclette, you should avoid the rind of taleggio as it can leave an unpleasant bitterness when melted.</li> <li><strong>Fresh mozzarella</strong> – Silky and sweet, it’s no surprise that this cheese is a favourite around the world. Stringy and viscous, it’s great on toasties, in salads and on pizzas.</li> <li><strong>Burrata </strong>– Purchese describes burrata as “a pimped-out mozzarella”. It’s a stretched-curd cheese, richer and creamier than mozzarella. It melts quickly, so it’s best used in sandwiches that require light toasting.</li> </ol>

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5 toasties under $5

<p>Food at its best is fast – think lazy Sunday nights or days when you just want sit in the backyard with a book and lunch on something quick and easy. Behold the toasted sandwich. What’s more, just because you’re having a sandwich, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. These toasties – which you can make for under $5 – all pack a tasty punch! There’s even something for those with a sweet tooth. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>1. Ploughman’s toastie </strong></span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 slices of fresh white bread</li> <li>30g butter</li> <li>1 tablespoon pickle</li> <li>2 slices ham (thick slices are best)</li> <li>2 thick slices cheddar cheese</li> <li>¼ apple, grated</li> <li>A few lettuce leaves</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat sandwich press or jaffle to medium-high heat. Butter both sides of the two slices of bread.</li> <li>Layer all ingredients between slices.</li> <li>Grill sandwich for three minutes or until toasted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately.</li> </ol> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2. Cheese and gherkin toastie</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 slices of bread</li> <li>30g butter</li> <li>2 thick slices tasty cheese</li> <li>2 to 3 gherkins, sliced lengthways</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat sandwich press or jaffle to medium-high heat. Butter both sides of the two slices of bread. </li> <li>Layer all ingredients between slices.</li> <li>Grill sandwich for three minutes or until toasted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately. </li> </ol> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>3. Chicken and basil toastie</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 slices sourdough bread</li> <li>30g butter</li> <li>2 to 3 fresh basil leaves</li> <li>5 semi-dried tomatoes, drained</li> <li>½ cup shredded barbecued chicken</li> <li>40g bocconcini cheese, thinly sliced</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <p>Preheat sandwich press or jaffle to medium-high heat. Butter both sides of the two slices of bread. </p> <p>Layer semi-dried tomatoes, basil, chicken and bocconcini on one slice of bread. Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with remaining bread slice.</p> <p>Grill sandwich for three minutes or until toasted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>4. Banana split toastie</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 slices of bread</li> <li>30g butter</li> <li>50g Nutella</li> <li>½ a banana, sliced </li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat sandwich press or jaffle to medium-high heat. Butter one side of the two slices of bread.</li> <li>Spread the Nutella on both of the non-buttered sides of the bread. On one slice layer the banana slices on the Nutella. Place the other slice on top Nutella faced down.</li> <li>Grill sandwich for three minutes or until toasted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately.</li> </ol> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>5. Mediterranean toastie</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 slices of fresh white bread</li> <li>30g butter</li> <li>40g bocconcini, sliced</li> <li>2 to 3 fresh basil leaves</li> <li>1 small vine-ripened tomato, thickly sliced</li> <li>1 artichoke heart, sliced</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat sandwich press or jaffle to medium-high heat. Butter both sides of the two slices of bread.</li> <li>Place the bocconcini, basil, tomato and artichoke on one slice, top with the remaining slice of bread and gently squeeze the edges of the bread together.</li> <li>Grill sandwich for three minutes or until toasted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately.</li> </ol>

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