Food & Drink

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“The Queen” Burger
Pourhouse Restaurant
February 19, 2021

”The Queen" burger paired with red wine at Pourhouse restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I'm not a huge burger person, but at least when I'm doing food photography, I know the restaurants in Vancouver are going to present me with a stunner of a meal to take pics of. This was from another food and wine photo shoot that I did with Cassandra of Good Life Vancouver.
I think the colouring on the bun with the sesame seeds is my favourite part of this shot.

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Wine & Food Photoshoot with Cassandra Anderton of Good Life Vancouver
Forage, Restaurant
January 28, 2021

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Take Me Away Vegan Pastries
Cookies n' Cream Cake Jars
February 19, 2021

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Vegan Scallops
for Environment911.org
February 19, 2021

I’ve been wanting to make vegan scallops for a long time, and these turned out excellent. I combined a few recipes that I found online, using different tips and strategies from all of them.
If you’re a big seafood person and eat scallops, these are obviously not going to be exactly like the real deal, but you can enjoy them for what they are—delicious mushroom morsels!

These "scallops" would also be great in a variety of pasta dishes, so research some recipes online and see what you can create for your next Meat Free Monday!

Makes approximately 10 "Scallops"

"SCALLOP" INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large king oyster mushrooms

  • 3 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

  • 1 tbsp miso paste

  • 1/2 sheet nori

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • Thyme

PURPLE POTATO PURÉE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup purple potatoes, peeled and diced into one-inch cubes

  • Salt

  • Non-dairy milk

  • Olive oil or vegan butter


INSTRUCTIONS

For the marinade, heat up the vegetable broth in a shallow pan until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add in the soy sauce, nori, olive oil, white wine and miso paste. Stir until the miso is fully dissolved.

Clean off the king oyster mushrooms (I use a mushroom brush), and slice into approximately one-inch thick rounds. You should be able to get 3 to 4 "scallops" out of each mushroom. Discard the caps, or save them to slice up for a mushroom risotto or maybe a breakfast burrito with tofu.

Give the mushrooms a shallow cross-hatch with a sharp knife on each side—this will help them absorb the marinade better.

Put the mushrooms in a wide, container, spacing them evenly, and then pour the marinade over them. Leave them for an hour or two (or longer if you prefer), flipping them over occasionally making sure they’re getting evenly coated.

Heat a pot with slightly salted water and when it comes to a boil, place the cubed potatoes in. Watch while they boil, checking after 5 minutes to see if they can be pierced with a fork easily. It could take up to approximately 8 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.


Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add a sprinkle of salt and a splash of non-dairy milk, then begin to mash with a potato masher. Add in some vegan butter or a bit of olive oil and keep mashing.
(You can decide the consistency of the potatoes. I like them lump-free and thicker so they are easier to spread on the plate and the scallops stick to them.)
Salt to taste. Cover, and set aside while making the scallops.

Once your "scallops" are marinated, take a frying pan (I use my cast iron) and place on medium heat. Then add the vegan butter until melted and sizzling, and place the scallops into the pan.
Fry for a few minutes on each side until they are golden.

Prepare plates with a spoonful of potatoes, swirled in an arch (this obviously isn’t necessary, but the presentation points are worth it!).
Place the "scallops" 3 or 4 to a plate and garnish with fresh thyme.

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