Author: Kaluhi (Page 9 of 23)

Watermelon Lemonade

December 6, 2017 / Kaluhi / 8 Comments

I had gone to drop off my tripod stand at my friends place as she needed to use it for a certain project over the weekend. Like the true millenial, I called Mwende to let her know I was juuuuuuust around the corner. “Ukifika, ingia tu! Gate iko wazi” (When you arrive, just come in. The gate is open.) I did not intend to stay too long, but because I had not seen her in quite some time, I was willing to be a bit more flexible. She was seated right by the window, in the flood of sunshine streaming in, and her book – The Year Of Yes- turned on her coffee table as she reached out for her watermelon and limes. She picked a slice of melon, squeezed some lime juice over it and munched away. “Jaribu!” (Try it!!) She told me, passing the plate of melon my way. I really loved it. After driving for 30 minutes and boiling in Nairobi traffic for almost the same time, this was a much welcome refreshing treat! I did not intend to stay too long, but a ton of laughs later, a million juicy stories later, a dance off and a fresh cake later (imagine we even decided to bake! smh! #derailed :D) I am happy I did extend my stay.

Inspired by my dear friend’s favorite sunny day treat, today I share with you my now favorite sunny day drink!!

Coconut Chai Masala Breakfast Buns

November 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 1 Comment

I love slow mornings. Those lazy weekend mornings where you wake up and decide to spend an extra 2 hours in bed, just because. Those mornings that are not powered by the rush of getting out of the house or getting work done, but those mornings that are warmed by ease and relaxation. Mornings that bask in serenity. Mornings whose air is filled with the soft waft of only delicious things. I love lazy weekend mornings so much so that I think that in another life, I am a sunny Saturday morning :D!!!

I made these when I was home alone one weekend morning (because I wasn’t sure they would turn out ok so I wanted to endure that shame alone if that was the outcome *nervously bites nails*). The house smelt BETTER than paradise! I hoped the buns tasted just as good and guess what, they did!!!! Yes, there is more than one way to use your chai masala besides just tea and today, let’s think outside the box as we go through the recipe <3. Mtapenda!

Iliki Hot Chocolate

November 15, 2017 / Kaluhi / 9 Comments

I was nestled on the couch one rainy Saturday mid morning, in my very heavy, very warm, very soft orange sweater. In my hand was some hot chocolate I had just made. Not Milo. Not Drinking Chocolate. But real hot chocolate. I had opened the blinds since I wanted to watch the clouds roll in and catch the first drops fall to the earth. It then started raining. I shut the window and looked at each drop race it’s way down the glass. Do you guys sometimes just pause and watch it rain? I do! As the rain’s intensity eased, I returned to my couch grabbed my hot chocolate and slowly seeped it as I caught up on Biko’s blogs. I cried my eyes out and felt my soul shatter when I read There Were Birds But They Didn’t Sing. I laughed and reflected on the silly stereotypes we impose on our brothers and sisters as curated by our colonialists when I read Yes, You Are Tribal. And chuckled when I read Letter to My 20 Year Old Self, and also drew some valuable life lessons. What a whirlwind of emotion! That was a perfect Saturday mid morning for me, courtesy of my awesome read, my warm orange sweater, and of course, my hot chocolate fit for the gods themselves!

So let me show you how you are gonna prepare it so that you too can bask in it’s glorious flavors! <3

Mushroom Coconut Milk Soup

November 8, 2017 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

The wind was blowing hard. I was walking as fast as I could. I hoped to get home before the rain could start pelting down, but no sooner had I finished thinking the thought than the rain started falling hard. I increased my tempo took out my umbrella. Despite having cover from the rain, I still got completely wet almost as though I had no umbrella at all. I thought of running, but that would be futile, so I instead decided to enjoy the rain. That is how November showers are; cold, large drops whose fury is only fanned by the wind. I was freezing by the time I got home. But at least I was rained on when coming back home rather than when I was going somewhere important or to meet important persons, right? I had a hot shower and decided to make something soothing for myself. Since I was not too hungry, I settled on a soup- best decision I made that day. Perfectly fragrant, creamy and aromatic; that is how I would describe my mushroom coconut milk soup which will very easily become your rainy season favorite <3.

Orange Chili Beer Battered Fish Fingers

November 3, 2017 / Kaluhi / 13 Comments

November.

How fast has this year flown by??? Where did all the time go? But I am not complaining, this is one of my favorite months of the year. I just find it so beautiful. The bewitchingly hypnotic hum of rain falling outside is beautiful. Warm socks, cosy nights in, indulgent food at hand is a beautiful experience on its own. Gun-metal grey of pregnant rain clouds is beautiful. The last of jacaranda blossoms and carpets of purple once they fall off is beautiful. Thigh-high boot friendly weather is beautiful. Cool, crisp, humid air is beautiful. Everything about November is absolutely beautiful!

And for the first recipe for this amazing month is one I really really enjoyed. Not only it it easy to make, but the flavors will make you scream out of sheer ecstasy. My orange chili beer battered fish fingers will become your new favorite if not you ultimate addiction! <3

Purple Cabbage Apple Salad with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

October 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 9 Comments

We all have those tasks we hate for no reason at all. They have to be done, so we do them ~~reluctantly~~ anyway. For me, I just do not like cutting cabbage. I completely dislike that task. Completely! I would rather clean the house in and out, change the roof by hand, tarmac our roads, build a dam, single handedly launch a satellite into orbit than cut cabbage. I do not know why exactly I do not like cutting cabbage, but I just don’t. Is there anybody out there who is in the same boat as I am? We had this very Konversation on twitter about kitchen tasks you do not like doing and I was glad I was not alone, and also got to learn some of the kitchen tasks that are just not your cup of tea. When I crave a good salad or a slaw, I usually talk myself out of it or very reluctantly cut up my cabbage. I waste time in between every slash, and give myself pep talks and motivational speeches that it will soon be over and be very much worth it. And by the time I was done with my cabbage and eating my salad, it was indeed worth it. I hope you enjoy my purple cabbage apple salad with the best dressing ever: my passion fruit vinaigrette.

Let’s get to it!

7 Spice Sunny Rice

October 24, 2017 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

Most times when I make a dish, I already have a rough idea of what I am going to name it. On this day, I had absolutely no idea what I would name the rice dish I was making. I did not want to name it according to the ingredients, but something a little bit more creative and different, but my brain refused to cooperate. I then reached out to you on my Instagram stories (If you ain’t following me on Instagram, please do! I would love to have you! <3) for help. 200 responses later, I was very much entertained by your suggestions for my rice dish. From the sassy suggestions like ‘yaaaaaaaaaas rice’ and ‘bomb.com rice’, to funny ones like ‘somebody herb me’ and ‘walk wasabi KaluhiWali Kaluhi Wali’ and the rather strange ones like ‘Zemachi’ ‘Erromerro’ and Ruz rice’. Ya’ll are so so funny 😀 😀 :D, and so sweet as well for coming through to helping me. I appreciate each one of you! I decided to settle on 7 spice sunny rice, which is a combination of names from @tebz.co.ke and @martin_m.k. Asanteni!

So for this lovely day, let’s have some delicious rice!

Naan

October 17, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Do you ever have those moments where you have been saying you will eat a particular meal but you just keep postponing to make it? “I’ll make it tomorrow!” Tomorrow comes and goes and nothing! “I’ll start cooking at 2 sharp!!” 6 p.m comes and goes and you are instead immersed in a series or eating out. That has been me with naan. I love it since it is a great substitute to chapati, but kept postponing making it for reasons only God knows :DD. After my trip to South Africa, I returned well rested and my creative juices are now back and I got to work. I have developed so many new recipes (Nov & Dec posts are ready and will be so L.I.T!!), and I wanted to post this one mid November. But since sooooooo many of you have been crying in my DMs for this naan recipe, I decided today should be the day and not any later!

So lets get down to it!

DSTv Delicious Festival – What Went Down

October 11, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I had the absolute honor of attending the two day DSTv Food Festival In Johannesburg, South Africa this past weekend. Believe me when I say, it was the mother of all food festivals. It was woven together with live music performances, similar to what Koroga is, only on a grander scale. I was so ready for the food! And I am glad my expectations were exceeded! Those of you who watched my Instagram Stories know what I mean!! All the food vendors went all out! Nothing was compromised; from the flavors to the presentation, everything was A1. I decided to first put in some work, and walk around before making a stop to buy food, and almost gave up because the temptation was just too much. My mind was telling me to work first, but my stomach was telling me to eat away! But I decided to suck it up and after I was done working, I went all innnnnnnnnnn!!!

This post takes you through what I liked and what stood out most for me!

3 Restaurants, 3 Faves

October 6, 2017 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Nothing thrills me more than having the chance to explore other cultures, trying out new things and immersing myself in their way of life and their way of doing things. I have had the privilege traveling to South Africa to attend the DSTv Delicious Food Festival this coming weekend but prior to that, we are experiencing the country and savoring all it has to offer. From our evening game drives, to going on the fastest zip line in Africa, it has been such a ball so far!! It is my second time here (read about my first time here) and I am more than happy to have food tied into the mix. We have visited quite a number of restaurants and today I want to review the first three restaurants we have to been to and the best I had in each one of them .

Here we go!!

Chili Garlic Penne Pasta

September 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

Do you guys have those moments when you are too too tooooooooooo lazy to cook but at the same time you want to eat something bomb and delicious? Those days where you want to eat the juiciest, deeply marinated, perfectly seasoned, saucy, hot tender chicken like this one, but you only have the energy level of just having bread and tea and calling it a day? Lately I have been having any of such days, where I want to eat something delicious, but at the same time do not feel like standing too long in the kitchen. Such moments call for lazy meals! But lazy meals can also come packed with loads of flavor and they too can be so damn delicious! My chili garlic penne pasta is one of those! Perfect meal to make when your energy levels are at 10%, and also the perfect meal that will guarantee that all your taste buds have one hell of a party!

Here we go!

Iliki and Lemon Zest Mitai

September 26, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Most times when I try out a new recipe, I surprise myself at how fast I ace flavor combinations at first try. Other times, oh Lord, the struggle is very very real! You see, when one is conceptualizing and developing completely new recipes, the result can very easily go south. The first time I tried making mitai with my own twist, they turned out so badly. But I excused it as my first try and just let it slide. I tried again the second time, and the outcome was even worse. They looked like little rocks from a plateau in hell *wipes tear*. By that point, I had enough for the day, so I wrapped things up and prepared for my weekend. I was done :(. After an amazing weekend, enough rest and recharging, I made adjustments to the original recipe for the third time, gave it another shot and guess what, my mitai turned out SO SO WELL!! To you too, when you cook things you haven’t tried before, you will fail sometimes. It is normal! Don’t just give up and run away from the kitchen forever. It happens to everyone!! Give yourself sometime, find where you went wrong and try again. I am sure you were’t raised a quiter, so keep at it.

Now, let’s get to it!!!

Ginger Passion Fruit Mojito

September 20, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

I remember posting a throwback pic of my cumin bhajia with tatziki on Instagram and I asked you which drink you would have it with.You all mentioned you preferred drinks and I mentioned that my drink of choice would always be a passion fruit mojito. While many of you were loyal to the drinks they mentioned, some of you also wanted to have the recipe for my mojito, coz let’s be real, even if you have not had it, ginger passion fruit mojito just sounds delicious . And as I promised, today I am sharing with you how I make mine!

With the cold weather behind us and sunny September in it’s full glory (ok, it’s still raining from time to time but that will not stop us from having our mojito, right? RIGHT??), it’s the perfect time to share my best ever drink as today’s recipe- ginger passion fruit mojito!

Our Super Breakfast Experience

September 12, 2017 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

I always say my forever-friends are the ones I met while I was in high school. These are the girls who have seen me through my best, my absolute worst, who understand how easy it is for me to switch from silly to serious and who love me even when I am difficult to love at any given moment. Life in Precious Blood Riruta was difficult at most times, but the company made it all worth while. As life got busier, we made sure to make time for each other and when we do hang out, we always have a time to remember!! This past Saturday was one of those days! Diane, Joan, Anita and I decide to meet up over breakfast at Radisson Blu’s Larder Restaurant. We spoke about many things, and reminisced about our high school days the most. We laughed at how much Diane and I used to eat back (believe me, we used to eat A.L.O.T) and how at breakfast, we always used to scavenge for an extra slice of loaf because the quarter we were given never seemed to fill our tummies :D. And here we are now! All grown up and all glowed up once again sharing great conversations over breakfast, only difference is this time, we ate until we couldn’t move! And for us, no better time to share some encouragement, hearty laughs and juicy stories than over fantastic food.

And for that the Larder Restaurant’s Super Breakfast was the perfect choice. This was not the ordinary maandazi-egg-sausage breakfast buffet we are used to in Nairobi, but it had a wider variety from cold cuts to pastries and cheeses and everything else! I find breakfast dates so warm and intimate and we had the time of our lives! Breakfast dates should be more mainstream don’t you think? Here is what we ate and what we liked most:

Spicy Lime Honey Marinated Seared Shrimp

September 8, 2017 / Kaluhi / 23 Comments

One of my favorite moments of 2016 was when 6 Kenyan food bloggers and myself got to visit Lamu for the annual Lamu Food Festival. It was a magical three day trip that saw me fall in love with the island paradise, it’s people, their culture, their scenic beaches and enchanting buildings. The food was delicious and having been prepared by the masters themselves, it couldn’t get any better! One of the things I always remember having and often day dream about to this day was a sea food pizza we had on one of our busiest afternoons there. It had lots of uduvi (shrimp), lobster and peppers all on a base of a rich tomato sauce. We then went for a sunset dhow ride, came back had dinner (more shrimp for me :D) then set out to again for another dhow ride until midnight. Is there such a thing like overdosing on seafood? I don’t think so! You can never really have enough!

Since I can’t go to Lamu (for now…hehehe) why not bring Lamu to me? I gave you a sneak peak of this recipe on my Instagram Story and Twitter page on Wednesday and as promised, here is the recipe <3

Thyme & Beer Marinated Mushroom Beef Stew

August 31, 2017 / Kaluhi / 3 Comments

I had this really fun Konversation on twitter early August about meat marination. I shared how I marinate my different meats and different variations of the same and how I like to switch things up. You can check that #KaluhisKonversation out HERE and if you are not following me on twitter yet, what on earth are you waiting for boo??! What I enjoyed most were the contributions you guys made and I was so blown away by your marinade recipes!!! When I say #KNation has the most creative people, I actually am not lying. From the different sauces you use, different combinations of chillies, spices, different citrus fruits, different dry rubs…you guys are so creative!! And all that marinade talk inspired this recipe.

I decided to make a delicious mushroom beef stew, that had been marinating in my favorite ingredients. It came out so so well and I am beyond sure that you will love this recipe too! The final recipe for my birthday month: my thyme and beer marinated mushroom beef stew.

As I turn 26….

August 28, 2017 / Kaluhi / 34 Comments

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

I AM 26!

I won’t lie, I had a mini panic attack a few weeks back following my birthday. But as days got closer, I felt like I was actually blossoming and not wilting. And today as my mom sang me happy birthday, everything felt ok and I knew the year ahead would be fantastic since it started with the person who first held me and laid eyes on me when I came to this earth wishing me well and declaring blessings upon it. God bless mothers! <3 There is this beauty about coming into your own as you grow older and living life according to your terms and that is freeing to me. I am entering a phase in my life that where my wings shall be spread with even more splendor and I will even surprise myself by what I can achieve. I am entering a phase where I am increasingly unafraid of my power and excited about challenges thrown my way. I am excited about the glow-up in all areas of my life. I am excited about everything! And as I turn 26, here is what I pray and hope for :

Thyme and Garlic Mbaazi

August 23, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

There is ALWAYS more than one way of preparing a dish. ALWAYS!!!! While we may have our personal favorites that we may prefer to stick to for one reason or another, there is no harm in exploring other options. I have always had mbaazi cooked in coconut milk, and I one day wondered how else could I prepare them and still bring out the amazing taste mbaazi inherently has? Coz just like everything else, there is more than one way of cooking mbaazi!! I asked you guys on twitter and my mind was opened up to all the different ways you make them. Velma Kiome (@mzinduzi) loves her’s with courgettes, carrots, matoke or potato, fresh herbs and spices of choice and she prefers that her mbaazi are fresh and green and not the dried kind. Chululups (@miss_patriciah) uses mbaazi instead of beans in her githeri plus with lots of veggie assortment and cooked as a dry fry. She taught me this dish is called Gítherí a njūgū (I love learning from my tweeps! Need to try it out!!). For me, besides having them in coconut milk, I like mine as a rich stew, similar to a bean stew, but with rich full flavors of garlic and thyme! Ready to step out of your comfort zone and try out something different? Buckle up!!

Chili Chicken wings in Orange Whiskey Sauce

August 16, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I had not anticipated to be cooped up at home the entire week, last week. I thought we would have a maximum of 2 days off for the election break then everything would be back to normal. With a full week of having nothing much to do, I decided to put off my prep for September recipes and instead give myself a much needed break. And I am now recharged and ready to embark on new projects! I slept to my fill. I caught up on series I stopped watching years ago (can you believe I stopped watching Vampire Diaries at the start of season 4?!). I ate so much too! Well, I eat a lot on usual days but last week’s eating was just hedonistic! One of my FAVORITE things I ate last week were these chili chicken wings in orange whiskey sauce. Hot. Meaty. boozy and oh so perfect for cool August! I know you will fall in love with this recipe as much as I did! <3

Chili Oregano Kamande

August 4, 2017 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

I have always loved kamande. In my opinion, they are low key more lit than ndengu, but because they are slightly more expensive than ndengu they have become a once in a while thing for me. But when I do prepare them, I eat them every single day of the week until they run out. I grew to love them even more when I used to be in the 8-5 grind. The place I used to work before I took on Food Blogging full time used to give us lunch! Such a blessing that was. On Wednesday, kamande was on the list and served with roti and okra. I lived for this day!! Literally started counting down to lunch time the moment I sat on my desk at 8 a.m. LOL! And I was always first on the queue! No shame 😀

As a celebration of the meal I used to enjoy most at my former work place, I gave kamande some #K treatment. I hope that you too enjoy my chili oregano kamande.