[lauren] this is a Valentine's Day video!
[john] so we spend- how do we spend our Valentine's Day?
[lauren] making videos. [john] making videos for you cos we love you and you are our valentine.
[lauren] what's up? it's lauren from hot for food and it's the beginning of february,
[lauren] which means we're prepping for V-day. Valentine's Day, the day of love.
[lauren] and i say, skip the chocolates, the wine, the roses, so cliché.
[lauren] you know, don't even go out for dinner. just get your person, your human that you like the most together and make dinner together!
[lauren] that's what we're gonna do. today i'm gonna show you how to make a dish of ours.
[lauren] it's VEGAN SCALLOPS WITH SPAGHETTI, crispy kale and pomegranates.
[lauren] it's a gorgeous looking dish! i feel like it looks kinda pretty for Valentine's Day.
[lauren] now oysters and pomegranates are aphrodisiacs, which means they get the juices flowing ;)
[lauren] i don't know if oyster mushrooms are but that's what we're using to make these vegan scallops.
[lauren] you've probably seen this if you've watched any chef-y type shows on television.
[lauren] um
[lauren] and maybe you've had them at a vegan restaurant.
[lauren] you take the stems of an oyster mushroom and they look like scallops when you fry them up.
[lauren] it's pretty crazy and it's also very tasty in a pasta dish!
[lauren] so let's get started! it's not that hard to prep, just a couple different components
[lauren] and then you'll have a tasty meal on your hands and you can enjoy with the one you love.
[lauren] so you're gonna trim the little bit of the bottom so that you have a flat end.
[lauren] these are king oyster mushrooms, not regular oyster mushrooms.
[lauren] this is what you need cos they come with the big fat stem.
[lauren] now you can cut off the top but those don't really look like scallops
[lauren] so you can save them for another recipe or you can cook them as well.
[lauren] you're gonna cut 1 inch pieces like this.
[lauren] and when these fry up and the edges get brown, they look like scallops!
[lauren] you need between 14 and 18 medallions, which is about 6 king oyster mushrooms for two people.
[lauren] so obviously, of course, these are not scallops.
[lauren] and if you wanna start debating, the fact of the matter is the texture is like a scallop and the look is like a scallop
[lauren] and the way that you trick your senses is by cooking it in the same flavours as a scallop.
[lauren] and because a mushroom's pretty neutral, and a scallop it in itself is pretty neutral.
[lauren] you wanna create a kind of marinade or brine for these
[lauren] and so what we're gonna do is we're gonna soak them in hot water mixed with rice wine vinegar.
[lauren] if you don't have rice wine vinegar, you can just mix rice vinegar with white wine vinegar.
[lauren] and it's that acidity and hot water that kind of soaks into these little scallop stem things
[lauren] and it creates more moisture. they're like a sponge so they're going to absorb some of this.
[lauren] and when we cook them, they're nice and juicy.
[lauren] so in a bowl, you wanna combine the hot water with the vinegar.
[lauren] and you wanna let these submerge in there for about 30 minutes.
[lauren] they're gonna float so you can take another dish and set it on top of your bowl
[lauren] so that it pushes the little medallions into the water.
[lauren] so this dish is all about texture.
[lauren] that's why we've got the spaghetti, we've got the scallops which are an interesting texture
[lauren] and that's why i chose to do crispy kale on top.
[lauren] instead of sautéing the kale into the sauce and pasta, we cook it separately by baking it.
[lauren] so the best kale for this is the dark, leafy, lacinato kale. i think it's how you pronounce it.
[lauren] as opposed to the ruffled, sort of green leafy kale.
[lauren] so you just have to roughly chop it,
[lauren] and then we're gonna coat it in a tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice.
[lauren] of course you have to massage the kale which is just practice for later ;)
[lauren] so don't be afraid.
[lauren] the kale bakes at 350F and make sure you watch it closely. it takes only 6 to 8 minutes.
[lauren] when it comes out, it should still be bright green and slightly crispy.
[lauren] so once the mushrooms are done soaking, you're ready to make the sauce and your kale's also done,
[lauren] you wanna get your pasta boiling and for god's sake, don't overcook it!
[lauren] so just before you drain your pasta, ensure that you reserve some of the pasta water cos we're gonna use it for the sauce.
[lauren] i've drained the brine from the oyster mushroom scallops.
[lauren] we're heating up a pan over medium-high heat so sear these
[lauren] and i'm using olive oil but you could also use vegan butter if you want it to be slightly richer.
[lauren] so you're gonna sear these on the first side, anywhere between 3 to 6 minutes.
[lauren] about halfway through, add some salt and pepper.
[lauren] when you flip, they should be nice and golden brown around the edges like this.
[lauren] and then you're gonna sear them on the other side for about 4 to 6 minutes.
[lauren] about halfway through the other side, just add a pinch more salt and pepper.
[lauren] then remove them from the pan into a dish, and cover them to keep warm while you prepare the sauce in the same pan.
[lauren] turn the pan's heat lower cos it's gonna be way too hot.
[lauren] and add some olive oil to the pan along with shallots,
[lauren] leek and garlic and you're gonna sauté that for a few minutes until it's soft and fragrant.
[lauren] then add dried oregano, dried basil and chili flakes.
[lauren] now you're gonna add a cup of white wine and bring it to a simmer.
[lauren] then add the pasta water, that's gonna help it thicken.
[lauren] and let it reduce.
[lauren] then add salt and pepper.
[lauren] and we're gonna toss in the spaghetti.
[lauren] and now we're ready to plate!
[lauren] so how fancy! VEGAN SCALLOPS WITH SPAGHETTI, crispy kale and pomegranates.
[john] one of the pomegranates looks like a heart.
[lauren] how you like that Valentine's Day dinner?
[lauren] two thumbs up!
[lauren] bye! love you!
[lauren] i think this is a fabulous Valentine's Day dinner and the thing is,
[lauren] there are multiple components to make at once so it is something you should make together
[lauren] if you are with somebody on Valentine's Day.
[lauren] and they can help you out, you can create the dinner together,
[lauren] not just have one person make it then serve the other person.
[lauren] so this is part one! next week as we get closer to Valentine's Day,
[lauren] i will show you how to make a delicious vegan dessert for two!
[lauren] for Valentine's Day as well so make sure you're watching next wednesday here on our channel.
[lauren] subscribe if you're not already!
[lauren] and also, notification squad! apparently, you gotta click that bell.
[lauren] if you're not clicked to the bell, that means you don't get notified when we post.
[lauren] cos you have to enable notifications. i know there's a lot of confusion going on right now in the youtube space
[lauren] about not getting notified, etc etc so it's all about clicking the bell.
[lauren] alright, so that's it from me. i hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day and you're thinking ahead and preparing for the big day.
[lauren] just kidding, it's not that big of a day, i don't really like Valentine's Day but you know, it's all about food, really.
[lauren] at any occasion so it's just another excuse for me to make and eat good food!
[lauren] follow us on social media @hotforfood!