It is finally the end of 2021, YES! Thank goodness! What a year we have all experienced, one filled with Zoonotic diseases, floods, forest fires, and more! And what better way to celebrate the end of 2021 and ring in the new year with the best plant-based New Year’s Eve dinner you’ve NEVER had. It is time to drop our old habits and start 2022 with the environment, health, and other animal species in mind. For this New Years Eve celebration, I have made a plant-based menu filled with rich and creamy, mushroom, umami, goodness. So be sure to check out what is in store for this New Year’s Eve.
- King Oyster mushroom “Scallops” with mint pea puree recipe
- Vegan wild mushroom risotto recipe
- Maple, lemon, and thyme roasted carrots recipe
- Plant-based New Years Eve dinner wine pairing
Plant-based New Years Eve Dinner-The Main Dish
King Oyster Mushroom “scallops”
Scallops are one of those foods that are often served on special occasions. They are sweet, tender, and can merge their flavours well with other foods. Unfortunately, extracting Scallops from the Ocean results in extensive damage to the marine ecosystems and biodiversity within. Scallop fisheries often use a method called dredging, were they scrape the ocean floor for scallops. Dredging also removes key nursery and feeding areas for numerous species and organisms. But since we are moving towards a more eco-friendly future, how can we transform this dish into a healthy and plant-based alternative?
Enter King Oyster Mushrooms. These fantastic fungi provide the same meaty and umami texture of a scallop and even look identical to the real thing when sliced horizontally. We also don’t have to worry about these mushrooms growing on animal agriculture waste, as king oyster mushrooms are often grown on plant-based materials. During the preparation of these “scallops”, you can score the slices of mushrooms, to allow more flavour to penetrate in, and to further resemble a seared scallop. What better way to create your plant-based new years eve dinner than with a dish as elegant as this!
Mint pea puree and Crispy Capers
What better accompaniment to King Oyster mushroom “Scallops” than a puree made of peas, fresh mint, and some vegan parmesan cheese. The mint brings out the freshness of the peas, and the vegan parmesan adds to the depth in umami flavours. Lastly, peas pair with “scallops” like bread pairs with (vegan) butter. The last item to add is the crispy capers and these are deliciously salty and crispy which adds that “bacon bits-like” kick to the dish. Garnish the dish as you like, with fresh whole peas, pea shoots, edible flowers, the world is your vegan oyster!
King Oyster Mushroom “Scallops” with Mint Pea Puree and Crispy Capers
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Scallops
- 6 King Oyster Mushrooms
- 2 cups vegetable stock (gluten free)
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tsp tamari
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp white mild miso paste
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
Mint pea puree
- 2 tbsp fresh mint
- 1.5 cups frozen peas defrosted
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegan parm (I use violife parm wedge and finely grate)
- salt and pepper to taste
Crispy capers
- 1/4 cup capers drained and patted dry
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
Mint pea puree
- If using frozen peas, ensure peas are defrosted
- Add all ingredients to a food processor
- Puree until smooth, set aside
Crispy Capers
- Drain capers onto a towel and pat dry
- Add olive oil to a skillet
- Add capers when oil is at temperature for frying
- Fry capers for approximately 5 minutes or until crispy.
- Carefully remove capers from oil and set onto a paper towel to absorb residual oil.
Scallops
- Slice the king oyster mushrooms horizontally along the stem into 1" thick medallions
- Score the top and bottom of each medallion
- Add broth, wine, oil, miso paste and salt and pepper to a medium bowl
- Add "scallops" and marinate for at least one hour, I like to marinate for 3-4 hours, (this is at maximum).
- After marinating, drain your mushrooms
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F
- In a skillet on medium-high heat, add 3-4 tbsp of vegan butter and melt. (I like to use Miyokos vegan butter)
- Sear mushrooms for approximately 6-7 minutes on each side or until a nice golden brown color
- Put mushrooms on a baking sheet in the oven to remain warm while plating the puree
- Add a scoop of puree to each plate, and place 3-4 "scallops" on puree
- Sprinkle crispy capers and fresh peas for garnish
Notes
Vegan Wild Mushroom Risotto
Next up is a delicious go-to recipe that is so easy to make plant-based. Vegan wild mushroom risotto! If you have never had risotto before, it is a delectable and creamy rice dish that is sure to please. It can be made with many different infusions of flavours, but my favourite is to use a selection of wild mushrooms. This brings a level of umami to this creamy dish and of course pairs wonderfully with the vegan parm I add in as well. The selection of mushrooms I like to add in is oyster mushroom, cremini, shitake, lobster, and chanterelles. You certainly don’t have to use this assortment, and this recipe really allows you to play with the mushroom flavours.
This dish will require the most effort and attention during cooking, as risotto can often become overcooked, so take in your kitchen for this recipe. For this recipe, I like to use a lightly oaked chardonnay for the liquid portion. It will ad in its own mushroom aromas, along with a bit of sweetness and butteriness from the oak. You can use a mushroom-based broth if you like, but I actually just use a low sodium vegetable stock to allow me to control the sodium to my liking and also allow for other mixtures of flavours in the dish.
Vegan Wild Mushroom Risotto recipe
Maple, Lemon, and Thyme Roasted Carrots
This recipe is incredibly easy and also pairs really well with the main dish. The sweetness of the carrots and maple syrup will pair well with the salty and umami flavours in the “scallops” and risotto. Likewise, the Thyme goes very well with mushrooms, so this dish is sure to please the palette. Using maple syrup instead of honey keeps this dish vegan, and also provides a nice depth of flavour that I think honey lacks.
Carrots are a great root vegetable for the winter months, they are always available and you can try different kinds as you like. For this recipe I like to use rainbow carrots if they are in season, to add to the colours in the dish. Otherwise simple and elegant orange carrots will work great. Look for smaller carrots that have the tops attached. I think it is a very elegant way to cook and serve carrots with a small portion of the stem attached to not only show freshness but add in colour.
Maple, Lemon, and Thyme Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 3 bunches carrots with tops
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash and peel carrots leaving a short stem top
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit
- Add olive oil to a skillet, and bring to med-high heat
- Add carrots and saute for approximately 6-7 minutes or until golden brown
- place carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- drizzle with olive oil
- Pour maple syrup, thyme, salt, pepper, zest, and juice over top of carrots and move around to coat
- Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked to liking
Notes
Plant-based New Years Eve Dinner Wine Pairing
After all that hard work, you have to ensure that you pair your plant-based new years eve dinner with a wine that is sure to bring out the flavours in each dish. So what are the main flavours that we can focus on our wine pairing for? Well, we have rich mushroom umami flavours in the “scallops” and in the risotto. We also have a creamy richness from the risotto and cheesy parmesan flavours within a few of the components. We also have some earthiness from the pea-mint puree and citrusy sweet lemon from the carrots.
My top pick for red wine with this dish is an earthy and fruity Pinot Noir. Check out the 2019 Quails Gate Pinot Noir. This wine is filled with flavours and aromas of red fruits, herbs, and earthy forest floor, and the acidity will be sure to accompany this mushroom-packed and creamy dish very well.
If you like whites, I would definitely go with a lightly oaked Chardonnay. My favourite styles of Chardonnay are from Sonoma California, known for their minerality and salty undertones, and flavours of Meyer lemons. I would pair this dish with Rodney Strong 2017-18 Chardonnay Chalk Hill. This wine has those amazing flavours of Meyer lemon and minerality with notes of wet stones. This wine also has a nice nuttiness that will pair very well with the creamy and nutty flavours of the parmesan.
Be sure to check out more sustainable lifestyle blog posts to start 2022 off in the right direction!
The post The Best Plant-Based New Years Eve Dinner You’ve Never Had appeared first on The Social GOOD Posse.
