Fava Bean Mash Ricotta Toasts

I love any excuse to eat bread, especially since I'm currently on a diet-thingy which prohibits anything fun a.k.a. grains.  Sometimes, especially when given the right excuse, rules are meant to be broken and a few days ago when the fava beans at the market were looking super cute, I decided it was time to live on the edge.

I'm not gonna lie, favas are a bit of a commitment in terms of preparation. They require two shuckings: the first one is to take the beans out of their pods. The second is to peel away the outer layer of the favas. Both can happen quickly but I encourage you to enlist some help, especially when making big batches.

Since favas take a bit of preparation work, I always make sure the rest of the dish is simple and easy. This dish falls into that category. It's perfect to eat for a snack by yourself or to serve at a get-together. The favas are buttery and delicious, while the mint, salt, lemon and olive oil are nice additions. I topped it with a bit of sumac but feel free to use red pepper flakes for a bit of spice.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She's a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.