An old-but-new quick appetizer, a homemade hummus that's perfect for a light holiday appetizer with a few veggies but also, of course, for year round. I use three special techniques that yield an extraordinary hummus – even without added oil. (Yes, you read that right, this hummus recipe has no oil!) Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free. I've made plattersful of hummus over the years, always with canned chickpeas. But once I discovered an easy cooking technique that tenderizes the chickpea skins, creating an ultra-smooth, ultra-rich (but lower-calorie) hummus, it became a kitchen staple. The fridge rarely is without a batch of hummus! THREE SIMPLE BUT SPECIAL TECHNIQUES Jerusalem Chickpeas , dried chickpeas cooked especially for hummus. Long runs in the food processor, one or two ingredients at a time. Using water, not oil, to finish the hummus – and while we don't mind skipping all those calories, we do

An addictive mix of roasted eggplant and chickpeas, a dip, a spread, a sauce, a scoop-it-by-the-spoonful-straight-from-the-fridge somethin'. It's the result of a happy accident, a last-minute leaving-on-vacation decision to throw separate batches of hummus and baba ganoush into the food processor together. Together. My notes from that day call it "Smoothest, Creamiest Most Amazing Hummus Ever" with three exclamation points. Three!!! And almost three years later? Ever since, I make it this way on purpose! Quick & easy. Low Carb. Weight Watchers friendly. Naturally Gluten Free. There's just one thing hard about today's extra-special recipe: what to call it. IS IT HUMMUS? Well, technically "no" since hummus means "chickpeas" – and even though it does call for chickpeas, it has no tahini and the texture is much much lighter and smoother than hummus, airy, almost. IS IT A DIP and a SPREAD? Yes! It's so easy to use as a dip with

Chickpeas aka garbanzo beans are the legumes we love to eat, especially in hummus, that creamy middle-eastern spread. And sure, chickpeas come pre-cooked in inexpensive and ever-so-convenient cans. But can we do better, by cooking dried chickpeas at home? Yes! Read on ... MAYBE TEN YEARS AGO? My friend Ann asked, "Which is better for hummus? Is it okay to just open a can of chickpeas? Or is it better to cook dried chickpeas?" I was happy to have the answer, quoting not personal experience but a long-ago blogger who'd done side-by-side comparisons and decided, canned chickpeas were as good for hummus as dried and cooked. A NEW DAY FOR HUMMUS! That was then. THIS is now. Pretty-good hummus is everywhere, even in tubs at the grocery store. But extra-good hummus? That, friends, is harder to come by. It's found at some Middle-eastern restaurants, crazy good, that stuff, and crazy smooth. When I ask the chefs, their secret is olive oil, lots of olive oil – not what I

Ready to create a real sensation at a Thanksgiving gathering? Turn your favorite raw and blanched vegetables into a Thanksgiving turkey! Welcome to November at A Veggie Venture, where ever since 2006, it's tradition to collect new Thanksgiving recipes throughout the month, adding new recipes to this huge collection of Favorite Recipes for Thanksgiving's Favorite Vegetables . (Who remembers the #1 favorite Thanksgiving vegetable?!) This year, I'm focusing on simple appetizer recipes, just small healthy bites to stave off hunger while gathering for the big dinner. If you have an idea that's special to your family gathering, I would totally love to know! But in the mean time, I'm starting off November with inspiration from one of my very favorite young cooks! Oh how I love these girls! That's Kayla you see pictured. There's also Kayla's big sisters Erika and Niki (not forgetting their uber-talented brother Matt), kids when we first met seven years ago. (