4. Add salt, giving one easy turn, and continue cooking until thermometer reaches 200 degrees. This doesn't take very long, though the temperature may drop slightly when you drop in the salt.
5. Once your mixture reaches 200 degrees, gently stir in the buttermilk-vinegar mixture. 
6. During the next 30-40 minutes, let the temperature rise to 200 degrees again, reducing heat to low if necessary. Gently give the mixture one turn at the 15-minute mark.
7. Remove the thermometer and allow the mixture to separate on low heat (~30 min). Do NOT allow mixture to boil!
8. Turn off heat, and leave pot alone for two hours.
9. Line your colander with cheesecloth, and with a slotted spoon lift out the curds from the pot into the colander (you may taste the curds at this point - I thought I died and went to heaven).

10. Cover your colander with wax paper and aluminium foil to form a tight seal. Place into refrigerator overnight.
11. The following day, the cheese can be removed from the colander and placed into containers or cut into pieces and frozen. If stored in the fridge, the cheese will become more firm as the days pass.

You can enjoy your cheese with eggs for breakfast. Place some cheese on a skillet on medium-high heat for a few moments. Add a cracked egg and wait until desired level of done-ness, serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa
  
• ½ yellow onion, chopped (1”)
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• ½ red pepper, chopped
  
• 3 baby portobella mushrooms, chopped
  
• ¼-1/2 cup frozen peas
  
• 4 chunks crystallized ginger, chopped
  
• 2 tsp minced ginger
  
• ¼ cup cashews, toasted
  
• 1-2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1-2 tsp ground cardamom
  
• 1-2 tsp curry powder
  

Instructions:

1. Boil 1 cup of water, add quinoa, and reduce heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until no water remains.
   
2. Heat 1-3 tsp olive oil over medium heat in sauce pan.  Sautee onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and peppers and stir. Add peas and ginger. Stir in spices. Toss in quinoa and continue heating/sautéing over medium-high heat. Mix in toasted cashews or reserve to be placed on top when serving.

It’s a butter! It’s a spread! It’s a sputter!

This isn’t a combination that would normally cross my mind, but carrots, cashews, and apricots taste excellent on a whole wheat sesame cracker! And it’s super easy too! (Recipe adapted from Whole Foods)

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, chopped 
  
• 3/4 cup raw cashew pieces 
  
• 1/2 dried apricots, quartered (10-15 apricots) 
  
• Crackers!
  

Directions

1. Put carrots into a small pot and cover with 2 inches of water
   
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low
   
3. Cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes 
   
4. Add cashews and apricots. Cover and continue to simmer until carrots are very soft (5 to 7 minutes more)
   
5. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and then drain well. 
   
6. Transfer carrot mixture and reserved water to a food processor (or Magic Bullet) and purée until smooth
   
7. Either chill for at least an hour or eat while still warm…
   
8. Put it in a bowl and garnish with extra cashews
   
9. Spread onto or dip crackers
   

If you’re anything like me, your winter break was filled with a little overindulgence, especially in the sweets department. My mom is an excellent cook overall, but she really hits her stride when it comes to Christmas cookies. Every year, my family enjoys a variety of treats, including chocolate cherry kiss cookies, nut-butter balls (yes, the name is hilarious), mint squares, and ginger snaps. As I shared the remnants of the cookies with my friends on New Year’s Eve, it seemed that one type in particular was receiving a lot of attention: chocolate chip orange shortbread. Fortunately, this isn’t a holiday-themed cookie: you can make it all year round!

Before the new semester started, I stayed at a friend’s house in Jackson, where I suggested we try recreating the chocolate chip orange shortbread. After finding a recipe online and confirming it with my mom, we began seeking out the ingredients. But, we soon discovered that we didn’t have mini chocolate chips or icing sugar (otherwise known as powdered or confectioner’s sugar). Shrugging, we figured we’d just go with chopped up bar chocolate and a combination of granulated sugar and cornstarch (a recommended substitute for icing sugar). The chopped chocolate worked well. However, the granulated sugar, while not ruining the recipe, did produce a different consistency than what we had hoped. As shortbread, these cookies are meant to be light and crispy. Though the recipe isn’t complicated to make, little things—such as poking each slice with a fork three times—can greatly impact how the shortbread turns out. By adding granulated sugar, we created a much denser cookie, which was delicious, but not what we were aiming to achieve. 

So, Wolverine Cuizine readers, I provide you with a lesson. Sometimes substitutions work. Sometimes they don’t. It’ll take a bit of experimenting before you figure out which ones will best replicate their original ingredients. But, while you’re doing that, enjoy this recipe for chocolate chip orange shortbread. A buttery, sweet and slightly citrus-infused treat, it’s something a little off the beaten path of the cookie world. 

Chocolate Chip Orange Shortbread

COOKIES
1 Cup Icing Sugar
1 Cup Butter, Softened
1 TBSP Grated Orange Peel
1 ¾ Cups All-Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Cornstarch
¾ Cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

GLAZE
½ Cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
1 TSP Shortening

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift or stir flour & cornstarch together—set aside
   
2. In a large bowl, beat icing sugar & butter until light & fluffy
   
3. Add orange peel & blend well
   
4. Stir in flour mixture—mix well
   
5. Stir in chocolate chips
   
6. Divide dough into 4 equal parts & shape each into a smooth, round ball
   
7. On ungreased cookie sheets, press or roll each ball of dough into a 6” circle ¼” thick
   
8. With a long knife, score each circle into 8 wedges
   
9. Leave in place on cookie sheet & prick each wedge about 3 times with a fork
   
10. Bake for about 17-20 minutes until the edges are very lightly brown (IMPORTANT: They should stay pretty pale, or else they’re hard to cut later)
    
11. Cool on cookie sheets for five minutes
    
12. Prick again & cut into wedges
    
13. Place on wire racks to cool completely
    

GLAZE

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips & shortening, stirring constantly
   
2. Dip rounded end of each shortbread wedge into chocolate
   
3. Place on cooling rack or wax paper. Let stand to set

Ingredients (adjust quantity based on how many hors d’oeuvres you want to make)

• Lemon juice
  
• Olive oil
  
• Apple(s)
  
• Goat cheese
  
• Bacon

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crisp
   
2. Cut apple(s) into thin slices and toss in lemon juice and olive oil, so they do not brown.
   
3. Top each slice with goat cheese and a piece of bacon.

For the Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons eggs beaten with cold water

For the Filling
2 pie pumpkins, cooked and pureed
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Prepare the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse twice. Add the butter and pulse until it forms small pieces. Add egg mixture and pulse twice. Place dough onto plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap tightly and place in refrigerator for one hour.
   
2. Preheat over to 350. Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Place rolled out dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp overhanging edges and pierce bottom with a fork all over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
3. Place dough in oven for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
   
4. Prepare the filling: Whisk all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into crust and bake for an hour or until the edges are firm but the middle is slightly wiggly. 

Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!