The Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Hummus from EAT WELL ENJOY LIFE is a low-fat pate made with corn, pineapple, red peppers, pecans, chipotle chilies, and a medley of spices, all without GMOs. Michelle Dudash, a Cordon Bleu-certified chef and registered dietician who wrote Clean Eating for Busy Families, loves this particular flavor and admires the brand for its unique taste combinations and eco-values: The PET plastic packaging is easily recyclable, and the paperless company recycles all of its waste. About $5 for 10 ounces
The Premium Organic Sesame Butter from GOLDEN MILLSTONE is made from just a single rare ingredient: sesame seeds harvested by small organic farms in Ethiopia, slow-roasted at temperatures low enough to qualify them as a raw food, then ground on a 90-year-old millstone. The nutty, nutritious spread is packed with those fatty acids that are hard for vegetarians to get, plus protein and antioxidants. Use the sesame butter right out of the glass jar as you would peanut butter, or mix it into dips, smoothies, or salad dressings. $8 for 14 ounces
Terry Walters is a James Beard nominee whose latest cookbook is Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source. She shared her recipe for Carrot Cashew Miso Spread, which is good on sourdough, on crackers, and in a sandwich. Here's how to make 1 cups of it: Peel 2 large carrots and chop them into-inch pieces. Put them in a pot with cup of raw cashews and 1 cup of vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Scoop out the carrots and cashews and put them in a food processor. Put cup of the cooking liquid in a separate bowl and dissolve 2 tablespoons of light miso into it. Add the miso broth to the carrot-cashew mixture and process until smooth. Top with sesame seeds and serve, or put it in the fridge, where it'll keep for up to 4 days.
READ MORE:
This article originally appeared in Sierra magazine.