AFROVEGAN

Contents
Permission to Speak, by Jessica B. Harris vii
Introduction 1

Spices. Sauces. Heat. 7

Berbere 8 Blackened Seasoning 9 Creole Spice Blend 12 Basil Salt 13

Jamaican Curry Powder 14 Zaatar 15 Chermoula 16 Pomegranate-Peach Barbecue
Sauce 18 Chipotle-Banana Pepper Sauce 19 Hot-Pepper Vinegar 20 Mango-Habanero
Hot Sauce 21 Smoky Pili Pili Sauce 23 Harissa 24 Spicy Mustard Greens 25
Okra. Black-Eyed Peas. Watermelon. 27

Crunchy Bean and Okra Fritters with Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce 28 Blackened Okra
with Red Rice 30 Berbere-Spiced Black-Eyed Pea Sliders 32 Texas Caviar on Grilled Rustic
Bread 34 Chilled Watermelon Soup and Quick-Pickled Cucumber with Mint 36
Strawberry-Watermelon Salad with Basil-Cayenne Syrup 39
Soups. Stews. Tagines. 41

Simple Vegetable Stock 42 Corn Broth 43 Hominy and Spinach in Tomato-Garlic

Broth 44 Sweet Corn and Ginger Soup 46 Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup 47 Creamy
Coconut-Cashew Soup with Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes 48 Black Bean and Seitan Stew 50
Peanut Stew with Winter Vegetables and Cornmeal Dumplings 52 Stewed Tomatoes and
Black-Eyed Peas with Cornbread Croutons 53 Tofu Curry with Mustard Greens 54
Sweet Potato and Lima Bean Tagine 57

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 4

1/23/14 6:07 PM

okra black-eyed peas watermelon

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 35

35

1/23/14 6:07 PM

Texas Caviar on Grilled Rustic Bread

black-eyed peas, tomato, bell pepper, crispy garlic

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yield 4 to
6 servings

Soundtrack Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean (featuring Earl Sweatshirt; Slim K. Chopped and Screwed Remix) from Channel Purple

Book The Cutting Season:

A Novel by Attica Locke

____________________________________________________________________________________________
2 whole sun-dried
tomatoes, or scant
14 cup diced sundried
tomatoes
23 cup dried blackeyed peas, sorted
and soaked in water
overnight
134 teaspoons coarse
sea salt
34 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
16 large cloves garlic,
thinly sliced
2 tablespoons freshly
squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine
vinegar
112 cups diced seeded
heirloom tomatoes, in
14 -inch pieces
1 cup diced green bell
pepper, in 14 -inch
pieces
12 cup diced yellow bell
pepper, in 14 -inch
pieces
14 cup diced red onion,
in 14 -inch pieces
2 jalapeo chiles, seeded
and diced into 14 -inch
pieces
12 cup packed minced
cilantro
Freshly ground black
pepper
1 large loaf rustic bread,
cut into about twelve
12- to 34-inchthick
slices

34

one of the many creative ways that Southerners use black-eyed peas is to combine
them with tomato, bell pepper, and onion and tossing with a tangy vinaigrette to create Texas caviar. Although often eaten as a dip with chips, as one would enjoy tomato
salsa, I spoon mine on thick slices of rustic bread that have been grilled or toasted and
garnish each slice with crispy garlic and garlic oil, which makes for a party-perfect
appetizer. This recipe yields a large quantity with summer gatherings in mind. Red
Summer cocktails (page 195) would be the perfect accompaniment.
Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a small
heatproof bowl and add boiling water to
cover. Cover and let soak for 5 minutes.
Drain the black-eyed peas and rinse them
well. Transfer to a medium saucepan and
add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a
boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to
medium, skim off any foam, and partially
cover. Cook until the beans are softening
but still firm, 40 to 50 minutes. Stir in
1 teaspoon of the salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold
water for 1 minute, and let cool.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a medium
skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and
cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy
and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain
the garlic oil through a fine-mesh sieve
into a bowl and reserve the garlic and
the oil separately.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, chop finely,
and put in a blender. Add the lemon juice,
vinegar, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon

salt and process until smooth. With the

blender running, pour in 1/4 cup of the
garlic oil in a slow stream and process
until creamy.
Transfer the blended mixture to a large
bowl. Add the black-eyed peas, tomatoes,
green and yellow bell peppers, onion, jalapeos, and half of the cilantro. Stir gently
until well combined, then cover and let
rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Season the
black-eyed pea mixture with black pepper and, if desired, more salt.
Lightly brush each slice of bread with
garlic oil, saving any leftover for drizzling. Put the bread on a large baking
sheet and bake, without turning, until
lightly browned and toasted on top, 6 to
10 minutes. Top each slice with 2 heaping
tablespoons of the black-eyed pea mixture. Garnish with a few slices of crispy
garlic and a scattering of the remaining
cilantro. Drizzle with garlic oil and enjoy.

Afro-Vegan

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 34

1/23/14 6:07 PM

90

Afro-Vegan

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 90

1/23/14 6:08 PM

Glazed Carrot Salad

cinnamon, raw cane sugar, peanuts, cilantro, mint

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yield 6 to
8 servings

Soundtrack Sweet Bite by George Duke from The Inner Source

____________________________________________________________________________________________
114 pounds carrots
(about 10 medium
carrots)
1 tablespoon plus
12 teaspoon coarse
sea salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon freshly
squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,
toasted (see sidebar,
page 9)
14 cup packed chopped
cilantro
2 tablespoons roasted
peanuts, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh mint

this dish is a mashup of glazed carrots, which are popular in the South, and
Moroccan carrot salad. The savory coating is rich, intense, and delicious, and as you
can see in the photo, this is a gorgeous dish.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large
roasting pan with parchment paper.
Put about 12 cups of water in a large
pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
While the water is heating up, cut the
carrots into sticks by cutting them in
half crosswise, trimming away the edges
of each piece to form a rough rectangle,
then quartering each rectangle lengthwise. (Compost the scraps or save them
for another use.)
When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of the salt, then add the carrots
and blanch for 1 minute. Drain the carrots well, then pat them dry with a clean
kitchen towel.

Put the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup,

cinnamon, garlic, cumin seeds, and the
remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large
bowl and mix well. Add the carrots and
toss until evenly coated. Transfer to the
lined pan (no need to clean the bowl).
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for
10 minutes. Remove the foil, gently stir
with a wooden spoon, then bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the carrots start to brown.
Return the carrots to the bowl. Add the
cilantro and toss gently to combine. Serve
garnished with the peanuts and mint.

{ continued }

greens squashes roots

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 91

91

1/23/14 6:08 PM

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 173

1/23/14 6:08 PM

Cocoa-Spice Cake with crystallized

Ginger and Coconut-Chocolate Ganache
nutmeg, cayenne, coconut milk, avocado, Jamaican rum, crystallized ginger

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yield 8 to
16 servings

Soundtrack Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear

from Marcus Garvey/Garveys Ghost

Book The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir by

Staceyann Chin

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Cake
14

cup coconut oil,

melted, plus more for
oiling
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
fine raw cane sugar
34 cup whole wheat
pastry flour
34 cup unbleached allpurpose flour
6 tablespoons
unsweetened natural
cocoa powder (not
Dutch-processed)
114 teaspoons baking
soda
12 teaspoon fine sea salt
Scant 12 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
14 teaspoon ground
nutmeg
12 cup plus 2 tablespoons
coconut milk
14 cup packed mashed
ripe avocado (about
12 medium avocado)
2 tablespoons plus
1 teaspoon dark
Jamaican rum
1 tablespoon apple cider
vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
3 ounces crystallized
ginger, finely chopped
(about 12 cup)

174

whenever i serve this cake, folks cant believe its vegan, and they always get a
kick out of it when I tell them that I include avocado to add moisture and natural creaminess. My assistant, Amanda Yee, came up with the idea of pouring a coconut-chocolate
ganache over the cake. You can stop there and enjoy chocolaty bliss, or take it to the next
level by pairing it with Vanilla Spice Rum Shakes (opposite). (Pictured on page 172.)

Ganache

5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate,

finely chopped
34 cup coconut milk
5 tablespoons raw cane sugar
18 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dark Jamaican rum (optional)
12 thin slices crystallized ginger

To make the cake, preheat the oven to

375F. Oil an 8-inch round cake pan with
2-inch sides.
Sift the sugar, flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg into
a large bowl and stir with a whisk until
well blended.
Put the coconut milk, oil, avocado, rum,
vinegar, and vanilla extract in a blender
and process until smooth (or put them in
a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth). Make a well
in the center of the dry ingredients and
add the wet ingredients and the ginger.

Fold together until uniformly mixed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan
and spread in an even layer. Bake for
30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Slide a
butter knife around the edge, then invert
the cake onto a rack and let cool to room
temperature.
To make the ganache, put the chocolate
in a medium heatproof bowl. Put the
coconut milk, sugar, and cayenne in a
small saucepan and heat until steaming hot (avoid boiling), stirring often,
until the sugar has dissolved. Slowly pour
over the chocolate and let stand until
the chocolate is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the rum and whisk until completely
smooth. Let stand at room temperature,
stirring occasionally, until slightly cooled
but pourable, about 5 minutes.
To glaze the cake, pour the ganache evenly
over the cake and let stand until the
ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Garnish
with the ginger slices.

Afro-Vegan

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 174

1/23/14 6:08 PM

Copyright 2014 by Bryant Terry

Photographs 2014 by Paige Green
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House LLC,
a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon
are registered trademarks of Random House LLC
All photographs by Paige Green with the exception
of the following:
Photograph on page viii by Kristy May
Artwork pages viii, 3, 200 courtesy Nick James
Photographs on pages 2, 58, 114 by Margo Moritz
Photograph on page 3 by Frank Stewart
Photo-montage-on-wood pieces on pages 83, 100,
144145, 182 by Keba Konte
Photograph on page 178 by John T. Hill
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
on file with the publisher
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-531-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774-532-7
Printed in China
Design by Toni Tajima
Food styling by Karen Shinto
Prop styling by Dani Fisher
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

Terr_9781607745327_5p_all_r1.indd 216

1/23/14 6:09 PM

AFROVEGAN