Author: Kaluhi (Page 13 of 23)

Siba Mtongana: Strength, Charisma, Grace.

August 17, 2016 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

If you have been following my blog since its inception you know very well just how much I look up to Siba. I always talk about her and admire how effortless she is with her craft. I first met her on Thursday the 12th during “This is Africa Launch” and had the honor of once again getting a once in a lifetime chance of getting a one on one interview with her the following Saturday. I was sooooo nervous. I was just praying not to stumble over my words or make a fool of myself in the presence of my role model LOL. After arriving ~~embarrassingly~~ a little bit late I found a warm, calm crowd cracking in laughter while keenly listening to Brian speak as she looked on and chipped in. After the meet and greet, we took our selfies and got to chat with the power couple. “You are doing a fantastic job! I love your work & I love your site!” Siba told me. My soul literally left my body! Hearing that from someone I look up to is among the most validating things I have heard since I started this journey. We spoke about so many things. She has this warm demeanor that makes anyone feel at ease. She is very humble despite her constant rise and rise. Born and raised in Africa, and still living in Africa, she is very proud of being part of this continent’s story and is a strong believer that we can rewrite our narrative and that in whichever field we are in we can be just as good as, if not better than, people born in other parts of the globe.

Here is how our one on one interview went down:

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Strips

August 12, 2016 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Let me admit: I struggle to make my chicken breast moist. Be it through frying or baking, somedays it comes out nice and juicy, other days it comes out dry. And when I say dry I mean as dry as kuni :DD. It is something I am yet to master, but in the cooking world, one never knows everything and each day is a chance to learn, yes? I still however almost always have chicken breast in my freezer, just in case I need to whip up something in a short amount of time. To go around the problem of dry chicken breast, I always make chicken strips with some kind of sauce. Chicken strips take such a short time to cook and having them drenched in a sauce gives them much needed juiciness. Cooking my chicken breast this way has never failed me.

Today I give you my third chicken strips recipe; this time drenched in a rich cheesy lemon rosemary sauce. So so easy you can cook it with your hands tied and eyes shut! Lets do this!

Grape and Tree Tomato Jam

August 9, 2016 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

I love the energy Nairobi exudes in the evening. I get energized by the fast moving crowds and by the soft glow of dusk. The city really comes alive after dark! By 7 p.m, the sidewalks are crowded with hawkers selling all kinds of things, from wallets to clothes, to shoes, watches, to fruits and vegetables. Some people may consider this a nuisance, but to me it is part of what gives Nairobi its character and benevolence. During these times, my eyes are usually fixed on the ground. I eye all the merchandise laid before me, hoping that I would land on a good bargain. After getting a (really!!!) good pair of thrifted shoes, I then bought some fruits before finally heading home. Among them were tree tomatoes, which I had been searching hard for and finally found on the streets of Nairobi! I ate most of them (duh!!) and with those that remained, I decided to make a jam together with the grapes I had purchased that evening. Guys, this one you have to try out!

Karafuu and Rosemary Carrot Soup

August 5, 2016 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

August started with such a huge burst of sunshine and warmth. Glorious month it is, even more so that it is my birth day month! Unlike this year, last year or the year before it always has the first two weeks of August still shaking off the July freeze. This year has been different. Warmer. I however feel we have one more week of cold temperatures before we finally move on and enjoy beautiful sunshine. I prepared this carrot soup in anticipation of cozy cold nights in, but the weather decided to surprise us with some warmth. But in all honesty, soups can be taken in any weather. And I believe my soothing karafuu and rosemary carrot soup will warm your body and keep you comfy.

Ghee and Paprika Spicy Muhogo

August 2, 2016 / Kaluhi / 15 Comments

I often reminisce about all the fun we had in Lamu over their Food festival held April. If you are yet to read my Lamu posts, you can check them out here and here. We had the time of of lives on that Island paradise. Not only did we discover plenty of cultural activity the residents proudly preserve, but we got to indulge in their food which has just as heavy cultural influence, with majority of the recipes passed down from generation to generation. We got to eat plenty of mahamri, viazi karai, bhajia ya kunde and a ton of sea food. It was in Lamu that I learnt that the locals enjoy having their muhogo (cassava) fried and sprinkled with some masala. This was the inspiration for today’s recipe, but of course, I had to do it #TheKWay! With abit of modification and giving it my own touch, you are going to love this just as much as I did <3

Savory Rainbow Chicken Chili Sandwich

July 28, 2016 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

When I think about incorporating the word ‘rainbow’ into a recipe, mind first drifts towards creating a sweet dish as opposed to a savory one. Blame skittles for that :DD. How ever this time, I decided to make something savory using a word that invokes thoughts of a sweet dish. Also, I did not have enough ingredients to make a sweet rainbow inspired dish and felt too lazy to get some. I felt so lazy, that I transformed leftovers into one hell of a sandwich! Who said left overs are boring?? :DD

This sandwich takes no more than 15 minutes to make. It has a ton of character and a even more flavor. Thank heavens you can get all these ingredients right in your fridge! Lets get to business!

2 Years Down, Many To Come!

July 27, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

On July 27th 2014 I literally woke up and decided that I am starting a blog. Being a very resolute person, once I had decided to do something I go hard and I get it done. I thought no one would even read my blog :DD. I thought after three months, I would get tired, put my blog in the back burner and move on. I never thought I would have such amazing readers from all parts of the world who I’d enjoy creating for. Even though at that point I did not have a clear growth plan, I knew I enjoyed cooking and sharing my recipes. Two years later and 200 posts down, we are here! * waves pom poms in the air *

I have learnt plenty along the way, I have grown a great deal too. And the learning and growing never ever stops. Its has been the most fun roller coaster ride, and I am so excited for the years to some and the great things we are going to achieve and experience together.

Rosemary and Garlic Tilapia Fish Fingers

July 22, 2016 / Kaluhi / 30 Comments

“Nibakishie kitu tamu!” (Save me something tasty) My eldest sister Cheredi exclaimed as she spotted me in the kitchen cooking as she was on her way out to do her errands. You see, whenever I am developing new recipes for you guys, my sisters anticipate a feast. For me, that is a good and a bad thing. A good thing since I can make them happy through the great food that comes from the kitchen, and a bad thing since recipe development is usually so susceptible to serious failure! I hoped that this recipe would turn out great so that my sissy would come home to delicious food; to ‘kitu tamu’ as we always say. Lucky for me, this was a good recipe development day since these tilapia fish fingers were a 10/10.

I will show you how to make them, infuse flavor and incorporate spices to give you the best fish fingers you will ever make, with the littlest effort ever!

Green Mango and Ginger Cocktail

July 19, 2016 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

Whenever mom comes back to Nairobi form her trips out west, she usually brings with her a bounty of goodies. For her most recent trip, she brought with her plenty of green mangoes, which are among my favorite kind of mango due to their very sweet unique taste. I shared this story with you guys on Instagram on Sunday as I pondered on what I would make with the newly brought fresh produce.

I decided to make a cocktail. All the flavors in this green mango and ginger cocktail married beautifully and exploded with such fullness with each seep. And in true K fashion, it so easy to make and delivers on taste too :)).

Crispy Sweet Potatoes with Orange Rosemary Syrup

June 29, 2016 / Kaluhi / 33 Comments

I have always loved indugent food. But even though I am not one to gain weight easily, I still know that I have to take care of my body and try keep it as healthy as I can but still keep the flavor. As I always say, healthy does not have to be boring, right? :)) One way of keeping it flavorful but still very healthy is to substitute something which is not too great with something that has equivalent qualities but overall better for your body.

On the day I made these, I wanted something sweet but still keep it healthy so sweet potatoes were obviously the go to :D. With this recipe, I decided to think outside the box and explore more with substitutes that are often overlooked. Are you ready? Lets make magic!

Cinnamon Breakfast Crumb Cake

June 28, 2016 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

My second ever baking post on the blog. People usually say if you love to cook, you don’t love to bake. But I absolutely don’t believe that since I actually have a knack for baking. It is just that, my oven has not been working for almost 2 years now. Remember this post where I told you all about it? :(. But whenever I can, I shall be sneeking in baking posts for you guys.

As we move closer and closer to the colder months of July and August, I am usually more into really indulgent foods. I like having my sweet cake with while enjoying rainy foggy Sunday afternoons in. One of my favorite cakes to have is my crumb cake with some strungi of course. Let’s whip some up and hopefully you’ll be into it too :))

Banana and Cardamom Oat Pancakes

June 23, 2016 / Kaluhi / 15 Comments

When I hear the words food and layers, what will automatically come to mind is something with actual layers. Several food and lifestyle bloggers including myself challenged ourselves to creating blog posts revolving around layers. Instead of making something with actual layers, I decided to make something with layered flavors. Something where you get note after note of the different ingredients that went into it. For me, that is my banana and cardamom oat pancakes. I will be sharing the links to the posts by fellow food bloggers taking up the same challenge on my social media channels so keep it K :))

Not only are the flavors in these pancakes beautifully layered and balanced, these pancakes are so much healthier than the wheat alternative. These will definitely rock your world!!

Choma Galore at Brothers of the Grill

June 21, 2016 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

Let me first start by saying, nyama choma induced commas are a very real thing. This past weekend, we had our very first Brothers of the Grill at Nairobi Arboretum. Judging from how this went, I think I will go for every other single one in the future. The very moment I entered the grounds, I could smell all the meat that was roasting from different restaurant stands and I just wanted to start eating. I am so so glad my expectations were exceeded! The the mood was right, the music was mellow and the food was more than enough. I am telling you we ATE!!! Nothing beats good food and lovely company! I now understood the meaning of this:

“Nilikula hadi nikaskia mjinga”

Kenyan Proverb

Here is how it went down:

Orange and White Chocolate no-bake Cheese Cake

June 17, 2016 / Kaluhi / 25 Comments

Is it just me or the more you don’t want your mom to find out about something, the more likely she is to find out about it? I don’t know it that sentence makes sense, but if you get what I mean, I think you can relate. Moms have a inbuilt “mischief sensors” that kick in whenever we secretly do what they tell not to do. My mom is TOTALLY against food wastage. I had bought some strawberries to make this cheese cake with. I got so busy in between and I kept postponing. Slowly but surely, the strawberries got spoilt. I felt guilty, but knew I had to throw them away before mom saw them. I hid them amongst some veggies so that I could throw them away when she was not around and guess what, she found them in just a few minutes. Did she sense I was up to something? I think she did. One lecture on food wastage later, I realized that was stupid of me and decided to use oranges instead. The result: stellar as always. I will show you what to substitute a bread or biscuit crust with to give you the same A+ results.

Garlic Chicken Breast with Whiskey BBQ sauce

June 14, 2016 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Nothing excites me more than a good choma! Regardless of weather, or location or mood, I will almost always be present where there is a good choma. To make a choma really good, preparation that goes in plays a key role. This Saturday at the Arboretum, we are being treated to the best mbuzi choma at ‘Brothers of the grill’ where the best restaurants will serve us the best of their choma, while sipping on Jack Daniels cocktails and just hanging out. I spoke about this on Instagram but I will explain more about this at the end of the post. Let me tell you, I just cannot wait!!!!! But since Saturday is still a couple of days away, I decided to make this garlic chicken breast with whiskey bbq sauce as a prelude of whats to come. Feast upon this, and hope to see you all on the 18th for good mbuzi choma and fun in the sun.

Strawberries and Coconut Cream Oats

June 9, 2016 / Kaluhi / 21 Comments

I always love it when I get feedback from you guys on social media. I usually try my very best to answer as soon as I can, the best I can. One of my readers asked me on Instagram how to make their oats a lot more palatable. I gave an answer based on what I had in mind at that time and with help of some of my readers.

After some thought and landing on the best brand for oats, I think I have landed upon a gold mine of flavors for your oats. @muthonirene, this one is for you <3, and everyone else. I personally love oats, and I do not know why many people don’t. I think their flavor make the perfect canvas for adding more flavor and character. For this recipe, I maximized on that and made my oats super indulgent, creamy and fruity. An easy oat recipe that is a #MUSTTRY!

Amarula and Lime Zest French Toast

May 31, 2016 / Kaluhi / 15 Comments

Am I the only one who cooks according to their mood? Sometimes I just want something rich and sweet sometimes laziness doesn’t even allow me to step next to the cooker and I settle for leftovers. On this day, I was feeling the former. I woke up with the sole goal of having something absolutely delicious for breakfast. And since I had nothing sweet ready for me, that meant some experimentation and lucky for us, a new recipe :)) Side note: Have you subscribed to my YouTube channel? You should!!!

Since I had had a tiny bit of Amarula Creme Liqueur in my fridge, I decided to make my breakfast one hell of a feast. Let me tell you, my mouth is watering as I am typing this out since I can remember how out-of-this-world good! Guys, easy does not have to be tasteless. You can have it good right at home! Warning: Chances of you getting addicted to my amarula and lime zest french toast are very high!

Taste of Kenya at Nyama Mama

May 26, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

When my friend and fellow food blogger, Funmi, came over to Nairobi from Nigeria, Wangeci, Lyra and I were obviously so stoked to show her how we Kenyans prepare our food. “I want to experience Kenyan food exactly as it is prepared by the locals and at common eat out spots” Funmi would say. While this was exciting, I have to admit it was also very challenging. This is because you may find some really bomb Kenyan food in a kibanda, but the ambiance is not really one you would like to have a foreign guest to eat at, you get what I mean? You always want to show your country in the best light. We managed to give her a great experience, but if she was to come back today, I know exactly where I would take her: Nyama Mama.

Thank God we now have Nyama Mama! They serve Kenyan food (yeeeiiii) with ingenious twists of their own in a cosy, clean, calm atmosphere that just feels like home! It does not get any better than this!

Here is my review:

Garlic and Paprika Potato Sautee

May 24, 2016 / Kaluhi / 30 Comments

Will all potato lovers please get into formation!!!!!! This one potato recipe I absolutely love and I am so excited to share with you. Nothing beats an easy recipe that is so so delicious it would make any grown human being cry. Before all ye fellow potato lovers get into formation, have you guys seen this absolutely silly formation cheerleading video? It cracks me up each time :DDD. Life its indeed about the small pleasures.

This recipe was inspired by my elder sister Cheredi. She was home for a couple of weeks and we cooked up a storm. Remember the raisin and coconut pancakes I once showed you on my snapchat? She made those! This potato recipe has my own little modifications to her original one but nevertheless, my garlic and paprika potato sautee will not disappoint you.

Coconut and Chocolate Chip Drop Scones

May 18, 2016 / Kaluhi / 23 Comments

It has been an exciting past week. Thanks to you guys, Kaluhi’s Kitchen had the honor of being crowned as the best food blog 2016 in Kenya. Once again, thank you for everyone who believed in me, voted for my blog and enjoys my recipes. Asanteni sana. Now, we carry on with more recipes and more amazing food :))

Drop scones have always reminded me of my high school holidays. Mom used to whip some up for us so that we get to enjoy good home food before we returned back. Drop scones, like many other foods, can be prepared in so many different ways. I have done several posts on the same in the past, included another one in my ebook and now, I have an exciting coconut and chocolate chip drop scone recipe for you. The weekend isn’t too far off, and this is so perfect for it.