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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Mushroom Scallops & Lemon Caper Sauce

By Chef Linda

As a vegan, there are things I miss sometimes, like scallops. What a delightful surprise, then, to see how the plant world can support my need for an occasional "scallop fix." Using the stems of King Oyster or Trumpet mushrooms yields something that is bite-sized, scallop-shaped and oddly enough, is close in texture to a real scallop. Crazy, I know.

Do scallops feel pain? I don't know, but you can find evidence to back up both sides of the argument. For me, I find it easier to live in black and white. Gray areas can be so vague, and they can be widened and narrowed to suit your mood or desire, I find. Scallops, like other mollusks, are considered part of the animal kingdom, so I choose not to eat them. Makes things simple. In addition, ocean ecosystems are ravaged when harvesting mollusks, so it just strengthens the case for leaving them where they belong.

You can use this scallop substitution in many traditional scallop dishes but here, I chose the combination of ingredients below because I wanted to create a light dish (no pasta or grain) and because of how each element brings something delicate and unique to the table. Celeriac and Parsnip Purée topped with Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts make the perfect bed for the Mushroom Scallops. It looks like a lot of steps, but you'll see each one is really simple and yet the finished dish looks like you spent all day cooking. Very impressive!

Ingredients

For the Mushroom Scallops
 4 wide-stemmed Trumpet or King Oyster mushrooms
 2 tablespoons vegan butter substitute (like Earth Balance)
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 Juice from one lemon
 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
 Salt
For the Celeriac and Parsnip Purée
 1 celeriac bulb, about 1/2 pound
 ½ pound parsnips
 1 tablespoons olive oil
For the Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
 1 pound shredded Brussels sprouts (if you can't find them pre-shredded, buy them whole and shred them in a food processor with the slicing blade)
 1 tablespoons olive oil
 1 tablespoon maple syrup
 ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 375ºF. To make the Celeriac and Parsnip Purée, bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil over medium heat. Peel parsnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel celeriac (you may want to use a sharp knife for peeling) and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place parsnips and celeriac in boiling water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until pieces can be easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife.

Drain water and place vegetables in a food processor with vegan butter or coconut oil and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Alternatively, you can use a potato ricer, then add vegan butter or coconut oil to the bowl and mix. Cover and set aside.

To make the Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place shredded Brussels sprouts on the lined baking tray and drizzle oil and syrup over them. Sprinkle with salt and using your hands or a spoon, toss to coat. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Brussels sprouts should be lightly browned around the edges of the pan and on the top.

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, make the Mushroom Scallops. Clean mushrooms with a clean dry towel or napkin. Remove the caps and reserve for another use. Slice the stems into pieces about 3/4 inch thick.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and when it’s hot, place one piece of mushroom flat side down in the pan to sear. It should sizzle if the temperature is right. If it doesn’t, remove the mushroom and allow the pan to heat for another minute or two, then try again. If the temperature is right, add the other mushroom pieces, allowing some room in between each one. You may have to do this in two batches.

Allow mushrooms to cook untouched for about 3 to 4 minutes on first side. Moving them will interrupt the searing process. Peek at the bottom of one mushroom and if nicely browned, flip them all over and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Check to ensure they don’t get too brown. You just want them tender enough to cut or bite into. Remove the scallops to a plate and set aside.

To the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and the vegan butter substitute. When the vegan butter has melted, add the lemon juice and capers. Stir to combine and add the mushroom scallops back into the pan. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Tilt the pan so that any extra liquid pools on one side and spoon the liquid over the tops of the mushroom scallops.

To serve, place several nice spoonfuls of Celeriac and Parsnip Purée on a plate or bowl. Spoon Brussels sprouts over so they cascade down the sides of the puree. Place several mushroom scallops on top and spoon about a tablespoon of lemon caper sauce over everything.

Mushroom Scallops & Lemon Caper Sauce
IngredientsDirections

Mushroom Scallops & Lemon Caper Sauce

DifficultyModerateCook Time40 mins
YIELDS
2 to 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Mushroom Scallops
 4 wide-stemmed Trumpet or King Oyster mushrooms
 2 tablespoons vegan butter substitute (like Earth Balance)
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 Juice from one lemon
 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
 Salt
For the Celeriac and Parsnip Purée
 1 celeriac bulb, about 1/2 pound
 ½ pound parsnips
 1 tablespoons olive oil
For the Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
 1 pound shredded Brussels sprouts (if you can't find them pre-shredded, buy them whole and shred them in a food processor with the slicing blade)
 1 tablespoons olive oil
 1 tablespoon maple syrup
 ½ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 375ºF. To make the Celeriac and Parsnip Purée, bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil over medium heat. Peel parsnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel celeriac (you may want to use a sharp knife for peeling) and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place parsnips and celeriac in boiling water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until pieces can be easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife.

Drain water and place vegetables in a food processor with vegan butter or coconut oil and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Alternatively, you can use a potato ricer, then add vegan butter or coconut oil to the bowl and mix. Cover and set aside.

To make the Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place shredded Brussels sprouts on the lined baking tray and drizzle oil and syrup over them. Sprinkle with salt and using your hands or a spoon, toss to coat. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Brussels sprouts should be lightly browned around the edges of the pan and on the top.

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, make the Mushroom Scallops. Clean mushrooms with a clean dry towel or napkin. Remove the caps and reserve for another use. Slice the stems into pieces about 3/4 inch thick.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and when it’s hot, place one piece of mushroom flat side down in the pan to sear. It should sizzle if the temperature is right. If it doesn’t, remove the mushroom and allow the pan to heat for another minute or two, then try again. If the temperature is right, add the other mushroom pieces, allowing some room in between each one. You may have to do this in two batches.

Allow mushrooms to cook untouched for about 3 to 4 minutes on first side. Moving them will interrupt the searing process. Peek at the bottom of one mushroom and if nicely browned, flip them all over and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Check to ensure they don’t get too brown. You just want them tender enough to cut or bite into. Remove the scallops to a plate and set aside.

To the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and the vegan butter substitute. When the vegan butter has melted, add the lemon juice and capers. Stir to combine and add the mushroom scallops back into the pan. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Tilt the pan so that any extra liquid pools on one side and spoon the liquid over the tops of the mushroom scallops.

To serve, place several nice spoonfuls of Celeriac and Parsnip Purée on a plate or bowl. Spoon Brussels sprouts over so they cascade down the sides of the puree. Place several mushroom scallops on top and spoon about a tablespoon of lemon caper sauce over everything.

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