Thanksgiving Veggies and Dip

Thanksgiving is just a few days away! If you are still looking for an appetizer, try serving something light, such as vegetables and dip. I know veggies and dip are so cliché for an appetizer, but for this holiday, you don’t want your guests filling up on snacks before the big dinner!

To make this appetizer stand out, create a little turkey using vegetables. This may even get little picky eaters interested in snacking on a few veggies before dinner.

Your Kids Can Help by:

  • Pressing the button on the food processor or blender to make the hummus.

  • Scraping the hummus out into a bowl.

  • Scooping the hummus into the turkey.

  • Sticking toothpicks into the carrot beak, broccoli head, and cauliflower feet.

  • Gluing the eyes with hummus.

  • Assembling the turkey.

  • Assembling the vegetable platter.

How to Assemble the Vegetable Turkey

Ingredients:

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, top and seeds removed
  • 1 carrot, cut to make a beak
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 broccoli stem for the feather head
  • 2 cake decorating eyes
  • 2 cauliflower stems for the feet
  • Favorite vegetables for dipping
  • 4 toothpicks

Instructions:

  1. Cut top off of yellow bell pepper. Remove the seeds.
  2. Cut the carrot into a beak and use a piece of red bell pepper for the snood (the flap of skin that hangs down from the beak).
  3. Press a toothpick into the carrot and red bell pepper, and push through the yellow bell pepper where the turkey’s beak and snood will be.
  4. Press a toothpick into the broccoli and push into the top of the yellow bell pepper.
  5. Using hummus, press the eyes onto the yellow bell pepper.
  6. Push a toothpick into each cauliflower stem. Then, press these into the yellow bell pepper where the turkey’s feet should be.
  7. Fill the turkey with homemade hummus. Cut up favorite vegetables for dipping. Enjoy!
Print
Homemade Hummus
Serves: 1½ cups
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ½ garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 (15 ounce can) or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Dash of paprika for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a food processor or blender, pulverize ¼ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup tahini for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Process for an additional 30 seconds to really cream the tahini.
  2. Add ½ minced garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Process for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides.
  3. Add half the amount of garbanzo beans to the mixture. Pulverize for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Add the remaining beans and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides.
  5. Add 2 tablespoons water and process until creamy and smooth.

~Recipes and photos by Katie Romey, MS, RD, Foodstirs Chef

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