The menu at one of the brunch spots the cast of “Harlem” enjoys features shrimp and grits, so that’s what I am going with for my pairing.

This vegan recipe makes 4 “servings.” If you use a gluten-free vegan bacon, it can also be gluten-free.

Shrimp Ingredients
2 14-ounce cans hearts of palm (28 ounces total)
0.25 cups vegan oyster sauce or vegan fish sauce
0.25 cups sesame oil
2 teaspoons furikake

Grits Ingredients
0.75 cups quick grits
2 cups vegan chicken broth
2 cups soy milk
3 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine
1 cup vegan shredded cheese

Topping Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 slices vegan bacon
28 ounces marinated vegan shrimp
1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine
0.5 cups vegan chicken broth

Instructions
Drain and rinse the hearts of palm. Slice them in half lengthwise and across the middle.

In a sealable container, add the sliced hearts of palm, oyster sauce, sesame oil and furikake. (You can use tamari if you can’t find vegan oyster or fish sauce, but these will give your shrimp more of a seafood flavor.)

Seal your container and shake it so all of the ingredients mix and coat the hearts of palm.

Refrigerate the marinating shrimp for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours before you are ready to make shimp and grits.

The grits are next: bring the 2 cups of broth, soy milk and 3 tablespoons of butter to a boil.

Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to a simmer. Constantly whisk for 10-15 minutes, until they thicken.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cup of shredded cheddar.

Crisp up the bacon in small crumbles with oil in a skillet. Remove the bacon from the skillet but leave the grease for the shrimp.

Add the “shrimp” to the skillet, along with the 1 tablespoon of butter and 0.5 cups of broth. Let the ingredients simmer together for 2-5 minutes.

Start plating by adding a quarter of the grits to a wide, shallow bowl. Top with a quarter of the shrimp mixture, being sure to spoon on some of the liquid, too.

Top with a quarter of the bacon crumbles.

Repeat the plating instructions for each serving.

Serve and enjoy with an episode or a season of “Harlem!”

The Easy Route
You might be able to find pre-made grits, pre-made vegan bacon bits or a more prepared vegan shrimp. Any of those are valid substitutes for making this more from scratch.

Know of a restaurant or brand that makes vegan shrimp and grits? Please share those details in the comments.

The Pairing
I quickly got drawn into the lush lives of these four friends as they go through highs and lows in their careers, relationships, friendships and family lives.

Some might be quick to call this the Black “Sex and the City,” but the truth is this is a romcom show with its own merits and storytelling, a more complex and in-depth account of the lives of these four women.

The four ladies at the center of “Harlem” are Camille (Meagan Good), an anthropology professor who just got out of a long-term relationship; Angie (Shoniqua Shandai), a singer who is struggling to find a steady career and living situation but has no problem finding flings; Quinn (Grace Byers), a fashion designer who is struggling to get out from under her parents’ thumbs; and Tye (Jerrie Johnson), a career-driven and serial ladies’ woman who is thinking about changing her ways, especially as she is navigating health issues.

These women are great in all of their scenes together, but they are all given adequate screen time to properly develop their characters and make you care about what happens to them. I already knew Good and Byers could bring the drama and the laughs from previous roles, but Shandai and Johnson deliver star-making performances in “Harlem.”

I have only seen the first two seasons of “Harlem,” but I’m eagerly looking forward to watching the third. I am already sad it is the last season, though, as I would love to have seen these ladies have a longer run.

If you decide to make shrimp & grits and/or watch “Harlem,” let us know! Tag us in your Instagram posts & stories, threads, TikToks and/or tweets: @veg_out_recipes. We’re also on Bluesky as @vegoutrecipes.bsky.social.