By Libbie Summers

In 1997 this simple recipe helped make the toughest days aboard our 40′ sailboat, Calumet, a happier place. We were able to use up the bits and bobs of produce that was on its last legs AND enjoy a dinner that our then ten year old son said “tastes just like carryout from home”.
Pro Tip: Make this dish your own. Don’t have the produce I call for? Use what you have! Make sure there is a crunch inside and always make the brown sauce…always. 

Easy Egg Foo Young
Serves 2 (can easily scale up for 4, 6 or more)

What you need: 
For Brown Sauce
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
For Omelets
4 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup finely shredded cabbage (can substitute bean sprouts)
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions plus more for garnish
Canola oil for frying
Sesame oil for frying (optional)

What to do:
1. Make Sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients and place over a medium heat. Heat, whisking often, until thickened.
2. Make Omelet Mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, soy sauce, water and black pepper. Stir in cabbage, mushrooms and green onions.
3. Fry Omelets: In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon canola oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. Once oil begins to shimmer, use a 1/2 cup measuring scoop to add one scoop of mixture to the pan. Cook until bottom is set and beginning to brown and top is almost set. Use a spatula and flip omelet over and continue to cook until eggs are just done.
To Serve: Place omelets on plates or a platter and spoon sauce over. Garnish with green onion. Serve immediately.

By Libbie Summers

Challenge: Carrots and Kale. 
Challenge Accepted: An Indian-inspired Roasted Carrot Soup with Spiced Kale Chips. This creamy soup is packed with smooth flavor and the kale chips…well, they aren’t your average kale chip so they make the perfect garnish!

Indian-spiced Roasted Carrot Soup with Spiced Kale Chips
serves 4

What you need: 
For Kale Chips:
4 stalks kale, washed and thoroughly dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon nut butter (I used almond)
1 teaspoon oil (I used a garlic olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch sea salt

For Soup:
1 pound carrots, washed and sliced into 1/4″ rounds
1/2 onion, quartered and broken into pieces
5 cloves garlic, left in skins and lightly smashed
small sliver of jalapeno
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used a garlic olive oil)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (can sub 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger)
3 cups vegetable stock, hot
Flake sea salt

What to do: 
1. Make Kale Chips: Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet tray with foil. Place kale in the middle of the sheet tray. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Spoon mixture over kale and massage into kale with your hands, coating every piece evenly. Separate the coated kale pieces on the sheet tray and bake until crisp (about 10-12 minutes). Set aside.

2. Start Soup: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet tray with foil. Add carrots, onions, garlic, jalapeno, olive oil, garam masala and a heavy pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Spread mixture out over the tray, separating all the pieces. Roast just until carrots can be pierced with a fork (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from oven and remove skins from garlic and place garlic back on tray.
3. Finish Soup: Add the roasted vegetable mixture to a blender along with the coconut milk and stock. Place lid on blender and cover with a towel. Process until smooth. Salt to taste.
To Serve: Divide soup between bowls, drizzle with olive oil (optional) and garnish with spiced kale chips.

By Libbie Summers
Pink Linen Napkin from Yum Yum Smile Shop by Libbie Summers

I LOVE a savory oatmeal –this breakfast for lunch or dinner is everything! It’s packed with nutrients and a GREAT way to use up all those bits and pieces of vegetables you have on hand that are in danger of spoiling. I start out my recipe by making a garlic infused oil that will be spooned over the savory oatmeal at the end and it took this recipe over the top. I happened to have some greens, mushrooms and scallions getting ready to kick in my fridge, but you could use just about anything of the savory variety to make this dish. More ideas below (after the recipe).

Savory Oatmeal
(oatmeal, wilted greens, mushrooms, bacon, parmesan + garlic oil finish)
serves 2

What you need:
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
pinch of red pepper flake
2 cups prepared oatmeal (hot)
2 cups greens (I used a mix of chopped collards and spinach)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 slice thick cut bacon, diced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 scallion, chopped for garnish
Flake sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

What to do:
1. Make Infused Oil: In a small sauté pan over low heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, sliced garlic cloves and red pepper flake. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
2. Finish Oatmeal: Add greens, pinch of salt and pepper to hot oatmeal, stir and cover.
3. Cook Bacon: Add diced bacon to a cold sauté pan. Adjust heat to medium and cook bacon until crisp.
4. Cook Mushrooms: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, butter (optional), mushrooms, pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are just browned.
To Serve: Divide oatmeal between two bowls. Top each with grated parmesan, bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle each with chopped scallion and spoon a little garlic oil over each (save the rest to spoon over your eggs in the morning). Serve immediately.

Other Savory Oatmeal Combination Ideas:
•Spinach, Tomatoes and Poached or Fried Egg
•Sautéed Tomatoes and Pesto
•Bacon, Cheddar Cheese and Scallions
•Asparagus, Tomatoes and Parmesan
•Diced Sweet Potato and Avocado

By Libbie Summers

As in a lot of things in life, it’s not what you have, it’s what you can do with what you have. This recipe for Eggs Shakshuka”ish” was born out of what I had on hand, but inspired by one of my favorite egg dishes. And, I think I may like it better! BOOM!

Eggs Shakshuka”ish”
(latin style)
serves 2

What you need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
Flake sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3-4 eggs
Grated cheddar cheese (can sub cotija, Monterey Jack, goat or feta)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
4 corn tortillas, charred over an open flame (can sub toasted bread)

What to do:
1. Start Tomato Sauce: In a small skillet or braiser over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add in onion, jalapeno and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute before adding cumin, chipotle powder, a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onions are beginning to get translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
2. Finish Tomato Sauce: Reduce head to medium-low and stir in diced tomatoes and all their liquid. Bring to a low simmer and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook Eggs: Reduce heat to low. Working with one egg at a time, crack egg into a small bowl. Using the back of a serving spoon, make an indent into the tomato sauce. Slide egg into the indent. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cover the dish and cook just until the whites of the eggs are set. The yolks should still be runny. Remove from heat, add cheese and cover again as you bring it to the table (this will melt the cheese).
To Serve: I like to serve this straight from the dish on the table. Garnish with chopped cilantro if you like and serve charred tortillas or crusty toast alongside to soak up all the runny yolk and sauce. Hot sauce never hurts either.
Your family…will love it (proof below)

By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey
Chamber Apron in Green Linen from Libbie Summers Yum Yum Smile Shop

You know you’ve made a great soup when the guests get up from the table and help themselves to another helping. This happened two weeks ago when I made this for a group of health conscious, discerning and voracious professional sailors. It could have been my finest vegan moment to date. 

Spinach Soup with Basil Cream and Torn Lemon Croutons (VEGAN)
(serves 4)

What you need: For Lemon Croutons
1 baguette, torn into large pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest from 1 lemon

For Basil Cream
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed (plus more for garnish)
1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
Juice from 1 lemon
Flake sea salt

For Soup
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
10 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup vanilla coconut milk yogurt (can substitute 1 tablespoon honey for a vegetarian version)
Flake sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

What To Do:
1. Make Lemon Croutons: Preheat oven to 375º F. On a baking sheet, add bread, olive oil and lemon zest. Toss to coat. Bake just until golden brown (about 5-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.

2. Start Soup: In a large sauce pan over high heat, add onion, garlic and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer just until onions are tender and translucent (about 10 minutes).

3. Make Basil Cream: While onions are cooking, make the Basil Cream. In a blender, add yogurt, basil leaves and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Season with salt. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

4. Finish Soup: Once the onions have cooked through, add the parsley, spinach and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook just until spinach has wilted. Stir in yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add soup to a blender and puree until smooth (or use and immersion blender).

To Serve: Divide soup between bowls and add an ample swirl of Basil Cream over the top. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with Lemon Croutons.