Three Recipes For Kwanzaa

By Robin Everson

Kwanzaa is a week-long, non-religious holiday that celebrates African-American culture and heritage. The seven-day holiday runs from December 26 to January 1 each year. Professor and activist Dr. Maulana Karenga initiated the celebration in 1966 to inspire the Black community during the Civil Rights Movement. The name “Kwanzaa” originates from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits of the harvest.”

Each day of the seven-day celebration focuses on seven principles also known as Nguzo Saba.

1. Umoja – Unity: To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
2. Kujichagulia – Self-Determination: To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility: To build and maintain our community together make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics: To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia – Purpose: To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba – Creativity: To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani – Faith: To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

One cannot celebrate the “first fruits of the harvest” without food. Kwanzaa food usually reflects the colors of the Pan-African flag, red, black, and green.

Red for the struggle of Black people

Black for pride in the race

Green for hope in the future

Two main foods are symbolistic of Kwanzaa:

1. Black-eyed peas for good luck
2. Collard greens for good fortune

There are many other foods that people enjoy celebrating Kwanzaa and those that have roots in Africa, African-American, Caribbean, and South America are where many of these dishes originated. Don’t be surprised if you see dishes that contain beans, sweet potatoes, peanuts, plantains, ground spices, fresh herbs, and a variety of seasonal fruits like oranges and pomegranates.

Here are three recipes developed by Nija and Shad of The Vgn Way https://thevgnway.com to help you enjoy the holiday.

Easy Crispy Collard Green Chips

These collard green chips are a healthy slightly salty snack and a great alternative to potato chips or crackers.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch collard greens – washed and thoroughly dried
• Chia seeds
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 Teaspoon olive oil
• Sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees
2. Remove the ribs from the greens and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces.
3. Rinse and dry the collards thoroughly in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels.
4. Lay on a baking sheet (no parchment paper needed) and toss with the olive oil and seasoning.
5. Spread the collard greens over 2 large baking sheets (or more depending on how big the bunch of greens are). Being careful not to crowd the baking sheet so that the collards can get crispy instead of soggy).
6. Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through. Remove from oven and lightly lift from baking sheet so that they do not stick. (do not remove) Let chips cool about 10 minutes and enjoy. 

Easy & Quick Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

A twist on the classic hummus, with lucky Black-eyed peas in place of the chickpeas. This smoky black-eyed pea hummus is a wonderful appetizer or snack that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Ingredients

• 1 can 15 oz. Black Eyed Peas reserve liquid
• 3 tablespoons Tahini paste
• 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Lemon (3 tablespoons)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Water – can use reserved liquid or water if you want a thinner consistency
• ½ teaspoon Onion powder
• ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt – can add more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon Smoked paprika  – optional

Instructions

1. Drain (reserving liquid) and rinse blackeye pea under cold water. 1 can 15 oz Black-Eyed Peas
2. Place in food processor (a bullet machine can work too)
3. Add Tahini paste, water, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, onion and garlic powder 3 tablespoons tahini paste, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika , 3 to 4 tablespoons of water.
4. Blend together until creamy and smooth
5. Add more salt and pepper to taste
6. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Soup

You can’t get more Southern than this easy-to-make Black-Eyed Pea soup with collard greens. Black-eyed peas are a traditional southern dish served on New Year’s Day to bring you good luck. This recipe is a simple twist on that tradition. This is a simple, throw-it-all-in-a-pot soup recipe. The Instant Pot makes quick work of cooking your legumes and can be made in under 45 minutes. It is so good that no one will guess it is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups collard greens chopped, removed from stems
• 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1½ cups black-eyed peas dry
• 2Bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil- or olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke optional
• hot sauce

Instructions

1. Place the black-eyed peas in a colander and rinse with cool water. Drain well. Sort through them and remove any debris. Set aside.
2. Heat oil with the sauté function of your Instant Pot. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
3. Press “cancel” on your Instant Pot and add the dry black-eyed peas, broth, tomatoes, thyme, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, liquid smoke, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
4. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 18 minutes, then allow for a 15-minute natural release.
5. After the 15-minute natural release, use the venting knob to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid, remove the bay leaves, and stir in the chopped collard greens. Put the lid back on and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes, then serve with hot sauce.

As a food and wine journalist, Robin’s diet was not conducive to good health. She had Type 2 diabetes and a host of other health issues. After adopting a healthy, whole-food, plant-based diet she quickly became diabetes-free. Robin shares her interesting and unique view of the vegan lifestyle as the editor for The Only Vegan At The Table. www.theonlyveganatthetable.com

Image credit: Human Rights Campaign