If you are a big fan of the standard hummus this might be a refreshing change – then again, it might make you appreciate the standard version more. Try it and see.

3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 Tbsp peanut oil or other vegetable oil
3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
Juice from 1 to 2 limes, to taste
Fresh vegetables and pita bread for dipping

Put it all in the processor and make it smooth. Serve warm or at room temp.

Only the very timid might be afraid of this tasty warm dip, but even they will come around if you can coax them into trying it.

1 lb ground hot Italian or pork sausage
1 (10-oz) can diced tomato and green chiles
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Corn chips

If you want to really make a statement at your next social gathering spend about 20 minutes putting together this fabulous layered dip – remember “ET”?

Tier I
2 16-oz cans low fat refried black beans
1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped
1⁄2 tsp freshly grated lime peel
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp Chipotle Tabasco sauce, or similar
1 tsp minced garlic

Tier II
2 large, ripe Hass avocados (or a cup of bought-guacamole)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp minced red onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chipotle Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Tier III
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup (4 oz) pre-shredded Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 cups your-favorite-salsa (from a jar)

Tier I: Mix everything together and mound it in the middle of big serving plate, at least, 12 inches. With a spatula, shape into a flat 9-in. square.

Tier II: Halve and seed avocados; scoop flesh into a medium bowl (or put in your bought-guacamole). Add lime juice, red onion, salt and hot sauce and mash until you get a dip consistency. Mound in center of bean layer; spread it leaving an inch of the beans around the edges. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.

Tier III: Now spread sour cream, again leaving a border of Tier II exposed. Sprinkle with cheese, and – you guessed it - let some sour cream show. And now you fancy it up: pour off the salsa’s liquid and spoon three lines of salsa diagonally across the cheese. Put some cilantro sprigs and lime slices around it and take a bow.

This could be a bit pricy but the result will only add to your rising reputation as a Cooker.

1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise Assorted crackers or tortilla chips

In a bowl, combine the artichokes, chiles, cheese and mayo. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish and bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with crackers or tortilla chips.

Make this chunky, kicky dip for pita triangles and call it “Greek” or “Middle-East” Relish. Slap it on a piece of toasted Italian bread and it’s “Mediterranean Relish” or …I could go on, but you get the message.

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp snipped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and season to taste with tiny increments of cayenne pepper. Of course, you could “season to taste” yourself through a whole cup of this good stuff, so don’t make a career of it, okay?

This stuff is so Middle-East that it should be on my "World" recipe page, but it is a sensational dip so here it stays.

1 large eggplant
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup tahine (ground hulled sesame paste)
juice of 3 lemons
salt (to taste)
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cut 1 inch slits in eggplant so it won’t explode in your nuker while baking - I hate when that happens. Bake it about 8-10 minutes on high, or until tender.

If you don’t like nuclear cooking, boil it for 15 minutes on the good-old safe and reliable stove. When soft, split eggplant open and scoop out the inside pulp together with the juice. Place pulp and juice in a food processor, add all the above ingredients except olive oil and parsley and blend for about 20 seconds or until you have a smooth, creamy dip.

Add salt or lemon juice, if you like (I like) and place in a salad bowl. Pour olive oil to just cover the top and garnish with parsley and tomato slices.

You may wonder what a “lotsa pepper” is, but check the ingrediments, as my grandmother used to say, and you will see three, count 'em, three kinds of peppers - that's lotsa pepper.

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground Peppercorns

Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to whip up a dish of hummus, but guess what? Didn't have or couldn't find the tahine. How could I get that peanutty taste without it?

A-ha! Substitute peanut butter. Brilliant! Here's the result.

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pinch paprika
1 tsp minced fresh parsley

Place the first five ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle it with the olive oil, sprinkle it with paprika and parsley, and serve it with your head up and your chest out - you did good.

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You could certainly use nectarines if you choose, and you might try it with raisins if currants aren't "currant-ly" available.

4 peeled and diced fresh peaches
2 oz black currants
2 oz diced red Bermuda onion
a pinch of cayenne pepper(Wash "pinching fingers" after)
1 to 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and serve with just about anything: warm tortilla, burrito, pita quarters or just some kind of chip.

Ridiculous! This may be the quick-est and easy-est recipe in QuickEats Plus.

1 cup fresh or jarred salsa
1 mango, diced (about 1/2 cup)

Combine the salsa and mango. Serve with tortilla chips.

Talk about healthy – you’re dipping vegetables in a dip made of spinach, honey and yogurt! This could become your favorite.

1 cup seriously chopped fresh spinach
1 8-oz carton low-fat sour cream
1 8-oz carton plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup snipped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp crushed red pepper
Veggies, like baby carrots, zucchini sticks, jicama sticks & cucumber sticks

In a medium bowl combine everything, then put it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to chill – or if you’re in a big hurry just set it out with the veggies and watch it disappear even at room temp.

This “spread” could be a “dip” but only if you’re dipping a something sturdy like a pretzel or bagel chip; flimsy potato chips just won’t work.

1 cup canned garbanzo beans(about 1/2 of a 15-oz can)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Pita chips for dipping

Drain garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid. In a blender or food processor bowl, combine beans and 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the walnuts, basil leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and blend until nearly smooth.(Scrape sides and add additional reserved liquid if mixture appears stiff.) Serve on pita chips or oven-toasted pita triangles.

Break out of that red salsa habit. Here’s a green one one with a hint of guacamole and a real kick!

2 ripe avacado
4 tomatillos, husks removed
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup green onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 jalapeno, fresh, seeded
1 teaspoon salt
1 large garlic cloves
1/2 of a small onion

Scoop seeds from the avocado.. Remove tomatillos from husk and cut into quarters.. Chop green onions coarsely.

Process the avocados, green onions and tomatillos with the rest of the ingredients for 2 second pulses until you reach your preferred consistency. Serve with tortilla chips.

Compare the cost of 2 cups of prepared hummus (not "humus"-that's garden stuff-decayed leaves and vegetable matter) with the cost of a can of beans, tahini, etc and you'll feel even better about this easy appetizer recipe for a delicious dip.

If you make it without garlic it might need a flavor-upper such as a pinch of cayenne pepper or cumin.

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
3 Tbsp fresh or frozen lemon juice
1/4 Cup sesame or tahini paste
4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
Pita bread, sliced pie-style into 8 triangles per pita

In a blender combine beans, lemon juice, sesame or tahini paste, garlic(if used), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.

Transfer to serving bowl & sprinkle loosely with parsley and paprika.

After that five minutes of labor just serve it with little triangles of pita bread and veggies, if you like. Toasting the pita pieces makses them extra good and you can load more hummus on them.

There's crab dip and then there's CRAB DIP, and that's what we have here. A little horseradish, a little Old Bay helps turn it into one very special dip. But even if you paid a lot for the crab be sure to pick through for bits of shell before adding.

8 oz whipped cream cheese with chives
2 Tbsp whipping cream
3 Tbsp minced Bermuda or sweet onion (optional)
2 tsp bottled horseradish
1/2 to 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
3 Tbsp shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 lb fresh lump crabmeat,undrained

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Mix in the onion, horseradish, Old Bay, and Cheddar cheese. Stir in the crabmeat and its juices.

Place in a medium ovenproof dish, such as a 9-inch pie plate, and bake about 10 minutes until bubbly. Serve it hot.

Yes, you can make onion dip that doesn't utilize Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Here's the real thing, and just as easy.

1 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions/green onions
2 tsp lemon juice

Blend sour cream and lemon juice and add scallions and stir. Just rovide each person with 1/2 cup of blanched vegetables for dipping and smile proudly.

This will never be mistaken for refried beans, at least not after one taste

3 cloves garlic
2 15 oz cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

With motor running, drop garlic cloves into a food processor. Add beans, lime juice and olive oil, and puree until smooth. Add basil, thyme, salt and pepper, and pulse until incorporated.

Now, as that famous, bubbly, cheer-leader/chef would say, "How easy was that?"

Now I don’t mean that this dip is light black – that would make it “gray” dip and who would eat that! No, “light” refers to the inclusion of yogurt or low-fat sour cream. This way when you dip those wonderfully greasy potato chips into it you won’t feel so guilty

| 1 serrano or jalapeno chili,(seeded unless you want HOT)
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed, & drained
2 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp each: plain yogurt and cider vinegar
1 tsp each: cumin, chili powder
Salt to taste

Mince chili and garlic in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and puree. Easy, eh?

Even if you're not into "low-fat" don’t fight this one; we’re just talking low-fat yogurt and I challenge you to discern the difference from non-low-fat yogurt. So just make the recipe and enjoy it in good health.

1 15-oz can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Whiz the beans and garlic in a blender, adding enough water to achieve the desired consistency. Blend for 2 full minutes to make it silky-smooth. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. During the fianl half-minute add the other ingreidents.

Any easy pretty thing to do would be to put the dip - in a bowl, of course - in the midlle of a large platter surrounded by all sorts of dip-able veggies.

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"Martini" because dry vermouth is an important part of this yummy "adult" dip. It goes together quick and if you don't also eat it quick the cheese will start to set and your bread stick will get stuck and you won't be happy.

3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup dry vermouth
8 oz sliced Italian fontina,Gruyere,or Swiss cheese
Bread sticks

Preheat oven to 175°.

Butter an oven-proof platter with a raised edge because you're going to pour the vermouth into the platter and arrange overlapping slces of cheese in concentric circles on top.

Then you're going to bake it for 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese melts into the vermouth. Then you're going to quickly serve it up and tell everyone to dip their bread sticks in and e-e-eat 'em up - yum, yum.

Tastes better and costs less. So why not create a bean dip - with a kick – yourself, and leave those little tin cans in the store.

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 15-oz can pinto beans, undrained
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos
Hot pepper sauce
Diced avocado
Tortilla chips

Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Puree beans with liquid in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender. Stir into onion mixture. Stir in cheese and add hot pepper sauce to taste.

Heat dip over low heat just until hot and most of cheese is melted. Garnish with avocado. Serve with tortilla chips or whatever – love that “whatever”.

You may want to double this terrific dip if you expect more than a half-dozen eaters. If you’re lucky, you’ll have some left for tomorrow.

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 4 oz can diced green chiles

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, cheese and green chilies. Mix well and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Pretty easy, eh?

Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and serve.

The fresh garlic gives this simple but delicious dip a real kick. And that’s probably what you’ll get if you try to get romantic after consuming this traditional Lebanese dip. Serve with breath mints on the side - powerful ones.

4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, (approx.)
1 pinch salt
1 lemon, juiced

Crush garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. (What? No mortar and pestle? Ok, use your mini-blender.) Mix in oil a teaspoon at a time until the oil has just saturated the garlic.

Stir in the lemon juice. Serve at room temperature with pita bread. Add hummus and /or tabbouleh for dipping variety.

Serve this zippy dip with whole wheat breadsticks or crackers or anything – it’s so good no one will even notice what they’re dipping with.

6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 cup low-moisture, part-skim Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine cream cheese, sour cream and oregano in bowl; stir until smooth. Spread evenly into 9- inch pie plate or quiche pan. Top with combined pizza sauce, shredded cheese, pepper flakes and onions. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Hey, it's corned beef and swiss with sauerkraut and thousand island on rye - without the rye, so you've dropped at least 5% of the calories. Feel better?

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
16 oz sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
8 oz shredded corned beef
16 oz shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine mayonnaise and dressing.

Spread sauerkraut into a 9x13-inch baking dish and layer corned beef, Swiss cheese, and the mayonnaise-dressing mixture on top of the sauerkraut. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and serve.