Vegetable Hummus Turkey

 

Bring some fresh veggie sticks to your Thanksgiving dinner party! This easy, cute-as-a-button appetizer is sure to please.

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Ingredients:

 

• Celery sticks (about 1/2" wide)

• Red pepper slices (about 1/2" wide)

• Orange pepper slices (about 1/2" wide)

• Yellow pepper slices (about 1/2" wide)

• Baby tomatoes

• Cucumber circles (1/4" thick)

• ​Radish slices (very thin)

• Carrot circles (very thin)

• 8 oz. hummus (store-bought or make your own; see recipe below)

• 2 small black olive pieces or 2 black beans

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Method:

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1. Starting from the outside of the platter, arrange a layer of celery sticks.

2. Arrange the red, orange, and yellow pepper slices.​

3. Continuing to work inward, make a horseshoe shape with the cucumber slices. Add radish slices.​

4. Pipe the hummus in the center to create the body and feathers of the turkey.

5. Add baby tomatoes and tuck in carrot circles.

6. Finish by making the turkey's face with an end piece from a pepper and two small black olive pieces for eyes. Use more pepper pieces for the beak and wattle.

 

Homemade Hummus:

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Ingredients:

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• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas  (drained)

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice  (from 1 large lemon)

• ¼ cup well-stirred tahini

• 1 small garlic clove  (minced)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• Salt

• 3 tablespoons cold water

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Method:

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Combine all ingredients except water in a food processor; pulse for 30 seconds. Add water and pulse again to "fluff" the hummus. Taste test and add additional salt if needed.

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