Mint, feta, fava bean, and pea guacamole with turnip chips

I have fond memories of my mom making large batches of fava beans on the weekends in the summer. The smell was very distinct and only rose the anticipation for when we would finally get to dig in. I could barely wait till they came out of the boiling water before we all dug in peeling off the skins for the soft beans. I've seen a lot of recipes using fava and peas to spread on toast. I figured adding a little avocado would make it creamier, and I decided to do a twist on guacamole. I tried guacamole with feta and corn this weekend, and I loved the bite the feta had so I gave it a go here.

Root chips are pretty simple, but to be honest unless you're super talented at thinly slicing you really need a mandolin. The goods news is that they're really cheap and would make a great addition to your kitchen. Then again, you can always go for a classic corn tortilla chip and call it a day.

Serves 2
6 fava beans (take the beans out of the inside)
2/3 cup of peas
1/2 avocado
Light squeeze of lime juice
Black pepper
Red chili flakes
10 chopped mint leaves
Crumbled feta cheese (make it vegan without the cheese)
1 large turnip (or other root vegetable like beets)

1. Prepare your root chips. This tutorial is really good and actually makes them crispy.
2. While your chips are crisping (don't forget about them though), heat a saucepan of water to a boil.
3. Add the peas and beans (not the pod just the beans) into the water.
4. Remove the greens once they're really easy to mash. Take the fava beans out of that casing; they should be easy to squeeze out.
5. Begin mashing your peas and beans till they are at a paste. If you want it to be a bit creamier you could throw it into a food processor, but I prefer it chunkier.
6. Add the avocado, lime juice, and black pepper and continue to mash and mix.
7. Add the mint leaves and feta as the finishing bit and mix.
8. Top with red chili flakes and serve with your chips.

Vouching for Jumpsuits

Jumpsuit- Nasty Gal, sandals- Dolce Vita (similar here), ankle brace- Walgreens (I'm so funny I know), bangle- vintage, necklace- Bauble Bar

This really isn't a fashion post, it's more of a persuasive argument to get you to buy a jumpsuit. For one jumpsuits are a mystery. How do you get into them and how do you get out of them? It's a mystery for everyone to figure out, and an accomplishment when you can master the art of getting in and out of a jumpsuit. Also the article of clothing is a mystery. Is it a monotone two-piece, a maxidress, smock? At first glance people are very confused why you have two pant legs, but there is no separation from top and bottom. After a few minutes they realize you're wearing this magical onesie, and either are really intrigued by you or have stared long enough for you to start a conversation with them. An icebreaker and outfit in one, two birds with one stone.

Secondly, jumpsuits allow for free movement. Walking over subway vents (no Marilyn moments), running marathons, and doing backflips are all possible in a jumpsuit. In fact, the style itself almost begs you to start doing some acrobatics. I used to wear unitards in my modern dance pieces, (see picture below, and I apologize for putting Sami through the equal embarrassment) and I suddenly felt obligated to jump around and do high kicks; same goes for jumpsuits. If you want the ultimate comfort the jumpsuit is the way to go. Finally, you can wear them for any occasion. Brunch with the girls, date night, SoulCycle class, jumping off an airplane...the list goes on and on. Think of it as the ultimate investment that you will wear literally everyday no matter what you're doing.

I will admit the above points are true (even if they are a little comedic), but most of all I'm vouching for jumpsuits because they're so flattering on every body type and that's something worth celebrating. They elongate your legs, make your waist tinier, and come in so many different styles that you can still accentuate your favorite body part. I've yet to see anyone look bad in one, and while they're still a hot piece for the summer I suggest you look at some of my favorites from Three Floor, Band of Outsiders, and Pixie Market for inspiration for your next purchase.

Seared scallops with leek, parsley pesto

I had the most peaceful and delicious terrace lunch at Iron Gate Inn last weekend, and if you haven't been to the historic spot since its reopen in the winter, you must. We started with a trio of dips including a pesto that may have been leeks, kohlrabi, kale... it was unclear. Leeks sounded like an interesting twist, and since they're so in season it made for the obvious choice to pair with my scallops.

The trick to searing scallops is drying them and then cooking them on really high heat. Once the scallop hits the pan DO NOT touch until they are seared, then flip to the other side till you are ready to remove and plate.

Serves 2
12-14 large sized scallops
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Pink salt
Black pepper
3/4 leek
1/2 bunch of parsley
Juice 1/2 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Make your pesto:
1. Chop up the leeks and pull off the leaves of your parsley.
2. Add the greens with lemon, garlic, and cheese (optional) into a food processor. Pulse till mixed well.
3. Slowly add olive oil either while it's slowly mixing or in batches till you get that creamy pesto consistency.

Make your scallops:
1. Clean your scallops and feel around for any tougher stringy parts to remove. You'll know what I mean when you feel them.
2. Dry well by patting them down with paper towels. Add salt and pepper.
3. Add coconut oil to your pan and put on high heat. When you see a bit of smoke coming from the pan you are ready to add your scallops.
4. Place your scallops on the pan (be careful of splashing hot oil). Leave on the pan until you see the edges are browned. You may also need to move the pan from side to side to distribute the oil.
5. Season again before flipping to finish.
6. Remove to plate serve with pesto.

Stripes, leather, and Watermelon House

Skirt- Zara, tank- Vince (similar here), scarf- mom's, shoes- London Sole (old but I'm feeling these)

Something is so right about stripes and leather for summer, and even better if you can go with a navy stripe and a nude leather skirt version. But a classic black leather baggy short and boxy black and white striped T are a great fallback. For day: do a funky oxford sole; for night: a clean pointed toe pump and an obnoxious sized necklace. The Watermelon House in Logan Circle has been on my list of places to see in DC for some time, and by now I think you know I can't resist posing against a funky wall.

Women Can't Have It All

Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi was recently ranked #13 on Forbes' Power Women's list, but that's not the only reason her name is coming up in the news. She recently got personal and proclaimed that women can't have it all, and suddenly people are "shocked." Why? Cause someone is saying what we're all afraid to really say, or going against what society programs us to believe. Sorry, kill that dream right now cause women can't have it all. But neither can men. The real problem lies in setting some expectation that women have to be the ones balancing their personal and professional lives, but men have the same problem. A man who is the breadwinner spending long hours at work and missing his children grow up does not have it all either. Something's gotta give, for women and men.

We all have this pie chart in life with different sections. The different section sizes correspond to how much time in our lives we allocate to that part of it, and the sections can grow and shrink depending on the different phases of our life. Sections? Generally my work/school section is about 75% of my chart squeezing in the fitness or social life sections is usually next, and everything else fits only depending on the way my life is going. If you decide to start a family, (whether you're a man or a woman,) your pie is going to change; or maybe it isn't- either you're going to be taking away time from other parts of your life for your children or you're not going to be giving enough time to your very important new additions. You won't have it all: equal sized sections of the pie. However, that's just part of life, trying to figure out how to arrange pieces in the best way that works for you.

Nooyi also comments that your biological clock and career clock are conflicting, and I can totally agree with this. While you're supposed to be developing your career and working hardest in the beginning, your 35 year-old alarm clock is waiting to go off and every birthday after 21 is a scary reminder of that. Life is a balance, it's a struggle, and nothing will be perfect. Get over that picture perfect image of your life and how it's supposed to look. Don't get me wrong, the dreams you have either personally or professionally can most definitely come true. However, they're not going to all happen at once. All the cosmos aren't going to align and you aren't going to be some superwoman in Choos running from the office to greet your perfect children and whipping up a Le Cordon Bleu worthy meal. Women can't have it all, men can't have it all, humans can't have it all. But that's ok, we're not supposed to have it all figured out. That's the beauty of it all: I don't have it all, you don't have it all, and Nooyi doesn't have it all.

Salmon bento bowl

Eating out of bowls is not as formal, but it's so much better than a plate. Balancing protein, carbs, and fat is really easy by just throwing the ingredients into a bowl while maintaining a general theme. Usually it depends on what I have leftover in the fridge, and if I don't have easy protein ready usually I throw a poached or fried egg on top. Craving lighter flavors for the summer? This Japanese inspired bowl is just for you.

Salmon: (can be prepared ahead of time)
1 salmon filet (I used sockeye)
1/2 tsp. miso paste
Drop of sesame oil
Splash of soy sauce
Lemon juice

Bowl:
3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
1 sheet of nori
1 shredded small sized carrot (I used a bright green rainbow version)
1/2 sliced avocado
1/8 sliced English cucumber
Sesame seeds

Dressing:
Rice vinegar
Lemon juice
Drop of sesame oil

1. Set your oven to bake on 350, clean your fish, and set aside on a baking sheet.
2. Mix the miso paste, seasme oil, and soy sauce together.
3. Squeeze some lemon over the fish, but not too much.
4. Spread the miso mix on top, and allow to cook approximately 20 minutes.
5. Line a bowl with your sheet of nori and fill the bottom with quinoa.
6. Arrange the vegetables and fish on top of the quinoa.
7. Sprinkle on sesame seeds and extra shredded nori if you would like.
8. Mix together ingredients for dressing and pour on top of bowl.
9. Enjoy with chopsticks, and be sure to leave some of the filling to wrap up the nori into a mini sushi roll.

Gre/ay

 

 Skirt- Massimo Dutti, lace top- Beyond Vintage, shoes- Bass (similar here and on sale!), belt- mom's, bag- Marc by Marc Jacobs

Today I wore metallic gold trousers to work. My metro ride there got me about 9 stares and 3 compliments, improvement I would say. This outfit got the stares, but not so much the compliments. I guess I was trying to prove that wearing a tutu in broad daylight is appropriate, but I don't think DC was quite ready for that...yet.

I've wanted to try a monotone grey ensemble for some time, but to make it look less drab and more dreamy. The metallic shoes and bag are comfortable go-tos, and the shoes are probably the only things that fit my brace right now (besides my trusty Chucks of course). Asking for a lot of positive energy in the coming weeks that this ankle heals for a super exciting project coming up. Please send me your good vibes Avis readers!