Recipe: Yogurt with honey, Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Cold Chinese Noodles With Spicy Honey Peanut Sauce

Adaptable for any number of servings.

Note: From Steve Hoffman.

• Plain yogurt, Greek-style, homemade or other

• Raw walnuts

• Honey

Directions

For each serving, sprinkle a handful of raw walnuts on 1 cup of Greek yogurt, and drizzle with honey.

Consume with relish.

For a non-instructional but enjoyable look at making homemade yogurt, including a version of the recipe above, watch this video created by the Hoffman family.

Makes about 3 dozen small cookies.

Note: From "A Taste of Honey," by Marie Simmons.

• 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 c. honey

• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda, sifted

• 1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

• 1/2 c. raisins

• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Place brown sugar, honey and butter in large bowl of a stand mixer and beat for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well blended.

In separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda, and then blend into the batter on low speed. Stir in the oatmeal, raisins and walnuts with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown and cookies are set. Cool slightly and transfer to wire rack.

Nutrition information per cookie:

Calories68Fat3 gSodium37 mg

Carbohydrates10 gSaturated fat1 gCalcium8 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol9 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ bread/starch, ½ fat.

Serves 4.

Note: Honey replaces the sugar that would be in the sauce. Use a more neutral flavored honey, as the peanut butter will overwhelm any delicate honey. From "A Taste of Honey," by Marie Simmons.

• 1 lb. fresh wheat-flour Chinese noodles or dried thin spaghetti

• 4 tbsp. toasted Asian sesame oil, divided

• 4 tbsp. soy sauce, divided

• 1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

• 1/4 c. honey (see Note)

• 3 tbsp. Chinese sesame paste

• 3 tbsp. unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

• 2 to 4 tbsp. warm water, divided

• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

• 3 green onions, cut into thin diagonal slices (green and white parts)

• 1 large carrot, coarsely shredded

• 1/2 crisp seedless cucumber, cut into thin strips (1/4 by 1 in.)

• 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Directions

Half fill a large pot with water and bring to boiling. Place noodles in water and cook for about 4 minutes for fresh noodles and 8 minutes for dried spaghetti, or until tender. Drain well and rinse with cold water, lifting cooked noodles with tongs to prevent sticking. Shake in colander to remove excess water. Put noodles in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons each of sesame oil and soy sauce. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.

To make peanut sauce, combine remaining 2 tablespoons each of sesame oil and soy sauce, along with the peanut butter, honey, sesame paste, vinegar, 2 tablespoons warm water, salt and red pepper in a blender or bowl of food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and red pepper, if desired.

Adjust thickness of sauce with more warm water, adding it 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Set aside at room temperature.

When noodles are chilled, add peanut sauce and toss with tongs to distribute evenly. Spread noodles on deep platter and top with green onions, carrots, cucumber and cilantro.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories705Fat29 gSodium1,510 mg

Carbohydrates92 gSaturated fat6 gCalcium100 mg

Protein26 gCholesterol57 mgDietary fiber7 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 4 bread/starch, 2 other carb, 2 high-fat meat, ½ fat.