5 things I'm currently loving | 01
Some really good shoes, an easy weeknight recipe, and a few other favorites du jour.
Welcome to a new series I’m calling “5 things I’m currently loving” - a quick curation of some things I cannot get enough of at the moment.
My Massimo Dutti ballet flats
Whoever is running Design at Massimo Dutti deserves a massimo raise. I’ve been a long time lover of the brand, but for the past couple years, they have just continued to hit the nail on the end with minimalist chic pieces (some of them could come right off The Row runway) at a more accessible price. And the quality is GOOD. I got some beige ballet flats while I was in London in April, and they actually feel like butter on my feet. The leather is so soft and there was zero break-in/painful blister period. The elasticated strap is a nod to the classic Mary Jane style but a bit more contemporary without the buckled strap. I cannot stop wearing them with everything and anything. Tragically, they are not on their website in this color but the red version is available (I am praying they come back in stock in my size), and these are quite similar too. Long live the ballet flat. Long live Massimo Dutti.
Love a shoe that makes me feel like I’m wearing slippers Phone wristlet from Ossa New York
I never thought I’d be a phone chain girl, but here we are. The millennial in me feels it is very Gen Z, but I’m leaning in. While you can absolutely get a nice and affordable phone chain on Amazon, Ossa New York is making extremely fun, “elevated” phone chains - they have different collections and themes, including a few fringed Western options and a seashell-adored chain for the summer. It’s pretty genius because you essentially buy one phone case that has the little toggles to snap the chain onto, and then you can collect as many of the chains as you want and swap them out depending on your mood. I am currently using this one, and I cannot tell you the joy these little mushrooms bring me. I also have this one, and am eyeing this one next. They have chains of varying lengths, including one you can wear cross-body for those times you want to be hands-free.
Khaite Danielle Jeans
I really hoped Khaite denim wasn’t going to be worth the hype. I saw them all over social media, I’d seen them on others in real life, but I didn’t think they could be good enough to justify the price tag. Curiosity eventually got the better of me, and in somewhat of a shopping blackout, I ordered 5 pairs of jeans from the Khaite website to try on a few different sizes and styles (it’s times like that where I am grateful my husband and I are yet to officially combine bank accounts.) I did swear to myself that I would only keep 1 pair, and fortunately I did have one Goldilocks pair that were just right. The lucky winner ended up being the Danielle style in the Prescott wash (I also tried on the Abigails and Albis, both of which I liked a lot too). Prescott is a slightly washed black, which is something I didn’t have in my closet, and can easily be worn from day to night. I did have to get the jeans hemmed (I’m 5’4 and the Danielles are long), but I have to admit… they are just perfect. They fit like a glove, the denim is sturdy but comfortable, and when paired with my favorite heeled boots, I feel like I can take on the world in them.
Note of financial responsibility: One thing I will say about Khaite denim - you can find some amazing pairs in pristine condition on sites like The RealReal and Poshmark for a third of the retail price, if you’re willing to dig a bit.
Beige cardigan from Soeur | Khaite jeans Peace Out Acne Serum
I’ve never really been one for acne serums or topicals - I have always found them to be overly drying and often times make the situation worse. That’s until my sister told me about this little miracle worker. I do not know what kind of sorcery is in this, but it truly zaps spots like nothing I’ve seen before. Any time I see some redness forming, I use this serum and by the next day it’s gone. The salicylic acid gets to work taking down any inflammation and the niacinamide prevents hyperpigmentation and brightens the skin. You can use it as an all-over serum, or just dab a little on the blemish (which is what I do), and watch the magic happen overnight. If you use the spot treatment approach, you will get really great mileage out of one bottle.
Salmon Bowls with Mango/Avocado Salsa
My husband and I got into a really good habit of cooking during the pandemic, but lately we’ve fallen into a slump of laziness and too much takeout. However, there is one meal that is our go-to, “we’re tired and don’t want to cook but also need a healthy meal” meal. It’s hardly a recipe because for the most part I just wing it, but it’s pretty foolproof. I’ve served it many times for small dinner parties too and it’s always a hit, so I figured I would share here.
Ingredients: For 2 (relatively hungry) people, here’s what you’ll need (excuse my useless attempt at weights/amounts, I’m just going in terms of how much I buy at the store)
Enough salmon that could make 4 thin-ish filets. At Trader Joe’s I get one pack of their BBQ cut salmon. We’ll usually eat 2 pieces each, but you could do less or keep some as leftovers.
1 avocado
1-2 ripe mangos — enough for about 2 cups chopped
1/4 red onion very finely chopped into tiny pieces
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (about 1 standard bag of salad mix)
2-3 cups white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice (for white rice, I get the TJ’s microwaveable Jasmine Rice which is the best thing ever and you cannot convince me otherwise. I am done with my days of trying to cook rice “fresh” on the stove - this is 2000 times better and easier.)
Coconut Aminos - I get this also at TJs, but it’s available at Whole Foods and many other grocery stores.
Optional garnishes: furikake (dried seaweed mix that is delicious, also found at TJ’s), sliced almonds / pistachios, cilantro, red chilli flakes
Steps:
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover salmon with a healthy dose of olive oil and the coconut aminos. The natural sugars in the coconut aminos turns into a delicious sweet/umami marinade on the salmon once cooked, so feel free to be liberal here.
Chop your mango into diced cubes, dice your avocado, and throw these both into a bowl with the red onion. Drizzle this with a little olive oil, splash of balsamic, and the juice of a freshly squeezed lime. Salt to taste.
Put your salmon in the oven and set timer for 11-12 minutes.
Now it’s time to assemble the bowls. Take out your serving bowls (I like to use a white shallow bowl for these because it lets you really mix everything and isn’t everything better when eaten out of a bowl). Add about 3/4 cup iceberg lettuce (or however much you’re feeling). I then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and top it with some sliced almonds - I am a texture person and need crunch on everything.
Kick off microwaving your rice (I should add if you were planning to make rice from scratch, that should be the first thing you kick off). Once rice is ready, add it to the bowl — you now have a base made up of rice and lettuce.
Once the salmon is done to your liking (11-12 minutes should get you to about a Medium - leave in oven for another 2-3 minutes if you like it a bit firmer), remove it from oven and place on top of your bed of rice. Spoon on top a healthy serving of the mango/avocado salsa.
I like to add pistachios (I need texture/crunch on anything and everything) and top it with a generous sprinkle of furikake, which is the most delicious seasoning made from nori/seaweed flakes. You could also top with cilantro or red chill flakes if that is up your alley (sadly I am firmly in the cilantro = soap camp).
And that’s it! Although it looks like a fair amount of steps, I swear this can come together in 15-20 minutes and actually has very little clean-up.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Will be sharing 5 things I’m loving every few weeks, so subscribe if you want to follow along, and let me know in the comments if you try any of these.
Neesh xx
Need to try this salmon dish!