Tag: kaluhi’s kitchen (Page 5 of 8)

Chicken and Mushroom Creamy Pasta

June 13, 2017 / Kaluhi / 21 Comments

I went through the whole of last week with baited breath since I just could not wait to FINALLY watch Wonder Woman!! I even avoided watching trailers and snippets as I did not want my movie experience to be ruined. I love all Marvel movies, and I knew this one may become my favorite one of all time! I had not been to the movies in ages, and I had not seen my girlfriends for quite some time and I decided to combine the two. And it was the best decision I made. I needed that break; break from life and break from work, and it was worth every second! We laughed so much, talked about….. well, everything, bore our fears, hopes, hearts to each other (sounds dramatic! I know.. :D) and everything in between. There is absolutely no way I would be who I am without my girls!! After our wine and some samosas, we went ahead and watched our movie. And no better movie to watch with them than one that celebrated the magnificence that a woman is! Let me tell you guys, if you are yet to watch Wonder Woman, please do yourself a favor and go ahead and watch it! It lives up to the hype!!

When I got back home, I wanted something delicious yet easy to make. With what I had in the fridge and in my pantry, this beauty was born! My creamy chicken meatball and mushroom pasta is a very simple dish (yay!), so easy to make (yay!!!!) and of course so delicious! If you love both pasta and chicken, and maybe mushrooms too, this one is for you!

Cinnamon Pancakes with Lime Tree Tomato Sauce

June 6, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

In our home, like most homes, we always have fresh fruit in the house. Considering we live in a country that a bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables, we take full advantage of that. My sister had brought home some tree tomato (tamarillo) after her visit to Naivasha. It is one of her favorite fruit and she buys them in such large quantities. My mom insisted that everyone have four after our meals so that they do not get spoilt. “Kila mtu achukue nne nne!!” (Everyone should have four!”) She would insist. Because we were soooo many, and we did not want them to get spoilt, I decided to incorporate them in my salads and in some of new recipes I was developing. These cinnamon pancakes with lime tree tomato sauce were then conceived! Ever wondered how a hug would look and taste like if it were food? Well, search no more! It would look and taste like my cinnamon pancakes with tree tomato sauce.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

May 16, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

I love eating delicious things with company I enjoy! The day I made these cupcakes I had the GORGEOUS Lyra Aoko come over and also shoot the entire baking process and have this as out first collaborative project. I love how she thinks and I an so captivated by her creative process. So for someone as awesome as her to say she wants to capture my creative process, there was no way I was going to say no! I am ~~borderline~~ obsessed with her and I am not even gonna hide it! You remember when I told you that she is one of Kenya’s greats in this post. Check out her blog, get inspired by her Instagram, follow her on Twitter and also subscribe to her YouTube channel. All images for this post were captured by Lyra Aoko. <3

For both of us, this was work, but it did not feel like it because we are both doing what we love! We went through the morning creating, all the while talking about life, our careers, our families, boys (duh!) and literally everything else. The outcome was great! I made a few missteps first time trying this, maybe due to getting too immersed in our delicious conversations, but I retried the recipe and found my errors and I will show you how to get it right when you give this a try! :))

Cumin and Clove Viazi vya Rojo

May 9, 2017 / Kaluhi / 15 Comments

I have always loved the hotter months of the year. I love that I do not have to fuss over carrying a coat just in case it rains. I love that it is the time of year I can wear my favorite short dresses and flirty skirts to my satisfaction. I love that I eat plenty of my favorite fruit, mangoes, and the hot weather forces me to drink more water than I usually would. I live for December-March! We have just entered our rainy season and I am actually really digging the cooler weather which is a bit out of character for me. I love my boots and sweaters. I love my hot chai masala and biscuits as I watch Scandal (My current favorite character is Eli Pope!) I love the pitter-patter of rain on the roof top as I drift to sleep. I find dark, dense, heavily pregnant clouds so pretty! I love the indulgent food this weather compels me to have! One of them, which is quite warming and filling is this cumin and clove viazi vya rojo, which I am happy to share with you and hope you will enjoy as much as I do!

Pork Ribs Choma with Mango BBQ Sauce

April 21, 2017 / Kaluhi / 20 Comments

The school holidays are upon us and that means, those of us with siblings, the house is fuller, warmer and of course, noisier LOL! And as expected, one of the highlights of being back home is enjoying all the fantastic home food that cannot be recreated anywhere else. Remember how that was the ultimate joy of being home back during our boarding school days?? For my younger sisters who are home for the holidays, that is their MAIN joy of being home. I can’t blame them! They literally have a mental list of the things we (read my mum and/or me) need to make! One of my younger sisters was doing her rounds on Instagram and saw some pork ribs and decided that is what we MUST make during the weekend. Being the sweet, nice (sometimes overbearing, controlling, bossy) elder sister, I decided that Easter Sunday would be pork Sunday. Boy! Wasn’t I glad that my sister’s Kraving pushed me that direction! I gave you a sneak peek on my Twitter and Instagram and decided to give you this recipe today as opposed to next week because it is too bomb to hold on to any longer! For this glorious Friday: Some pork ribs choma with mango BBQ sauce.

Cumin Chicken and Mushroom Fried Rice

April 7, 2017 / Kaluhi / 24 Comments

I absolutely love mushrooms!!! I can have them during all mealtime and I enjoy how easily they can be incorporated into nearly any dish you want!! I was deep in my love affair with mushrooms as I told you on twitter when I decided to make this recipe. It turned out way better than I had imagined and my mom really really enjoyed my cumin chicken and mushroom fried rice. And in my book, if mom loves it, you know it is really good!!

Before we get into it, I would like to thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart for your support and encouragement through the years up until my being part of “Beyond The Plate: Best Food Blogs From Around The World”. You are appreciated and I am where I am because of you! Thank you for all the warm comments and good vibes you all sent my way! {{{*HUG*}}}

Now, let’s get into this bomb recipe!!

Coconut Crepes with Passion Fruit Curd

April 4, 2017 / Kaluhi / 23 Comments

“Absolutely delicious!!!” Those were the first words that popped into my mind after having my first bite of this creation! My eyes widened and my heart raced as I savored the flavors of my coconut crepes with passion fruit curd. I pushed my camera aside and sat on the floor and just finished the first crepe before I got up to get some tea and eat some more. That morning, I had woken up with a severe Kraving for something sweet after enjoying lots of nyama-choma the past weekend. I just wanted something sweet so my mind went to work. I remembered taste a lemon curd I had at my friend’s place and I decided to make one but with passion fruit. To make my breakfast even more delicious, I decided to make crepes and add some desiccated coconut which I have lately been loving as an ingredient of late.Also, I am more of a crepe girl than a pancake girl :)). Have you ever made something for the very first time from the top of your head and shocked yourself with the amazing outcome? This was one of those days for me! I am sooooo excited to share this recipe with you, since you too can make this masterpiece and experience fantastic flavor with ingredients that are readily available to you.

Chop House- Menu Tasting Review

March 25, 2017 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

Nothing excites me more than having fantastic food with great company. My last week Thursday at Radisson Blu, Upper Hill Nairobi, was just that! Several food bloggers including myself and other media journalists had been invited for a media tasting and all I can say is that I was blown away by everything. We were asked to give our opinion about everything and this is what the review is all about. I would like to take you through what we had and I hope you make a visit there and experience everything for yourself. The rating of each dish is out of 5 stars, which i’d like to call K-stars, because this is a rating by me :DD. From all the questions and comments I received from my Instagram story on the afternoon I walked you through the tasting, I am sure this is something you will love <3.

Mango Coconut Faluda

March 10, 2017 / Kaluhi / 7 Comments

One of the things I enjoyed most in Lamu was immersing myself in the culture of the local people. I loved sampling their food (like, duh!!!) and enjoyed even more learning how they prepare things that are typically not as common in inland regions of the country. During our last day of the Lamu Food Festival, we were treated to a hands on swahili cooking class. This was at a local restaurant on Shela beach, overlooking the sea and enjoying the breeze coming in during that hot mid morning. Making Faluda was one of my favorites! It was so easy to make, and as usual, very very tasty to have. You can check out how Umma took as through here. This time I try it out, and of course with my own twist :)). Considering mango season is coming to and end, lets wind it down in style with my chilled mango coconut faluda <3.

Mbaazi wa Nazi

March 7, 2017 / Kaluhi / 5 Comments

If I can close my eyes and really focus, I can clearly hear it. I can here the sound of the soft ocean waves breaking on the white sandy beach. I can almost smell the aroma of white jasmine flowers that have littered the lawn after a night of drizzle. I can almost feel the warmth and here the chatter of the townspeople as I scavenge the Lamu streets for my spices. If I close my eyes and really focus, I can feel the slow drift of the dhow at sunset. Nothing beats that experience!! I can taste the salt of the sea on my lips. I can taste all the delicious food they used to make for us. I can feel the sand on my toes; whose toe nails by now have the most hideous chipped nail polish as a result of spending too much time in the water. But who cares? Life in Lamu is about savoring moments that matter, not about seeking fleeting perfection. I often miss Lamu, more so when the pace of Nairobi threatens to bury me. But now that I cannot go to my special place at the moment, I will bring it to me through one of the dishes we had there alot: mbaazi wa nazi (pigeon peas in coconut milk). I hope when you take a bite of this dish, close your eyes and reeeeeaally focus, you will be on the beaches of Lamu with me eating good food all day long. Coz that’s what life should be about :DD

Mango Melon Mocktail

February 28, 2017 / Kaluhi / 3 Comments

Nairobi heat can make you question your entire existence. I love sunny weather that Jan-Feb-Mar brings, but once it turns torturous, I start questioning my own likes LOL. On the day I made this drink, I was having one of those unlucky-stuck-in-the-sun days. I had forgotten my hat at home, neither did I have an umbrella since I left it after I had switched bags that same morning. So that meant I had to do my errands in the sun. The matatu I boarded to get me home only had empty seats on the sun facing side. So after roasting in the CBD, I further baked away in the matatu. The stretch between my bus stage and home is 20 minutes apart, and much of the walk has no shade, so yes, I arrived home severely roasted and 60 shades darker. All I wanted was to shower and gulp down something refreshing and energizing. Because we had plenty of fruits home that day, I decided a mocktail was due. And boy didn’t I enjoy every eager gulp of this!!! As we enter the final weeks of mango season, please make and enjoy my mango melon mocktail. You deserve it!! <3

Lessons and Musings – Blogging 101

February 22, 2017 / Kaluhi / 34 Comments

One of the questions I receive most be it on email, or through direct messaging on my social media platforms is how to start and run a successful blog, more specifically a Food blog. While I do not consider myself a master of blogging, I do know I have learnt a lot along the way and the little I know can help you in one way or another. This blog post is for you, who may want to start a blog, needs a bit of direction and maybe wants to make it their full time job. I will try summarize all I have learnt, and hope to help in one way or another. So here we go!

Ukwaju (Tamarind) Marinated Spicy Chicken Thighs

February 1, 2017 / Kaluhi / 38 Comments

” Lazima tumake hii tena on Saturday!!!” (We must make this again this Saturday!!!) My youngest sister said after she saw the sneak peak I shared of this recipe on my Instagram Story on Monday. You guys were equally as excited and looked forward to having this recipe on the blog. I revealed that I had added a little twist to my usual chicken marinade ingredients that my mom taught me and the results were explosively delicious. Since I had some Ukwaju (tamarind) sitting pretty in the fridge, I decided to incorporate it into the marinade; and that has been one of the best cooking decisions I have made in a long time! Supper this past Monday was spectacular!!! And for the sake of my youngest sister, I shall make this once again this coming weekend and have her enjoy the same deliciousness! You should too ;))

For my first recipe this glorious month, I bring you my ukwaju marinated spicy chicken thighs.

Honey Whiskey Masala Fries

January 27, 2017 / Kaluhi / 29 Comments

If you love potatoes, you know very well when that craving (or should I say Kraving;))) kicks in, you just cannot shut it down! It is like that itch that you just cannot ignore, or satisfy by scratching indirectly. You have to go all in and satisfy it. When I had one of such kravings a few weeks ago, I decided to make fries. I rarely eat fries, but when I do, especially at home, I like to make it worth while and usually, that involves making masala fries. Including this one, so far as at 2017 we ahve three masala fries recipes on this blog. I made this first masala fries recipe in 2015 (check it out if you have not and please forgive my photography skills back then I was struggling :DD), this other one that everyone loves that has garlic and rosemary as the main flavor notes and today’s recipe takes it all to a stratospheric level!! No mediocre! Because as you know you know, with K, things are always FIRE!!

Today we have the most perfect Friday/ weekend recipe: Honey Whiskey Masala Fries

Sweet potatoes in Cardamom Coconut Cream Sauce

December 13, 2016 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Him: Potatoes are not meant to be sweet

Me: Yes they aren’t. But they are not potatoes, but sweet potatoes.

Him: Exactly! SWEET potatoes. I don’t think that should even exist in nature. Nduma any day.

Me: Nduma is delicious,totally agree, but so are sweet potatoes. If I was a sweet potato would you still like me?

Him: I would. You would be a delicious one too! In fact, I would change into a sweet potato too, just to live with my sweet potato girl.

Me: And we’d make beautiful sweet potato spawn (laughs). So that means you like sweet potatoes?

Him: No, I like you. Even if you turned into a sweet potato, i’d still like you.

My boyfriend finds it fascinating that I remember the tiniest of moments and conversations between us. The above was one of our sweet potato arguments, which I always remember when I make sweet potatoes. Today’s recipe plays up the beautiful sweetness of this root vegetable and I hope you will like is as well :))

Garlic Chicken Suya

December 7, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

I look forward to the day we shall truly live as a borderless world. Where we shall celebrate what makes us different instead is making it divide us. If it shall happen in my lifetime, that would be really dope! I love discovering new cultures, it opens up your mind to so much more and I get to actually realize we have a lot more in common than that we have otherwise. That is what African culture is all about in particular. We have so much in common. And when it comes to food, this becomes even more glaring. Sometimes, a certain food we think belongs to just one country may also be popular in another, just prepared in a different way. And that is what I discovered about chicken suya. It is a dish that is thought to be primarily Nigerian, but also quite popular in northern Cameroon. This is the final of my fusion recipes, with this one having a mix of Cameroon, Senegal (a largely Islamic country that does not eat pork hence I chose chicken for this recipe), Congo and Ivory coast.

I gave this my own twist and I have to say, this is one of my favorite chicken dishes this year and one I hope to have more of. I gave you a sneak peak in my Instastory on Sunday, and I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best suya recipe you will ever have.

Chili and Coffee Marinated Beef Dry Fry

November 30, 2016 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

There is something about covers that make you fall in love even more with a song you already. Sometimes even, it makes you like a song you never initially really liked. Sometimes, song covers bring forth the beauty of a song that was already there but we just never noticed. That is what I love about Coke Studio Africa! This past Sunday, my favorite cover was ‘Mungu Pekee’ by gorgeous and very talented Yemi Alade. Was it better than the original song? In my opinion, it was! And my favorite this season so far. My sister lover Marry me by Nyashinsky. Which song won you over? While you are still deciding that, please have a listen to the ‘Mungu Pekee’ cover here.

This season’s theme is all about discovery; and you know we have to put a food twist to it! This is the second part of a food discovery series based on the countries participating in Coke Studio Africa, where we discover cooking methods/ flavors/ ingredients from other countries and make one fusion dish with qualities from each country. Last time we did a fusion dish of Kenya+Uganda+Tanzania (check it out here #slurp). Today, we are discovering Ethiopian + Nigeria + Ghanaian + Mozambican flavors. Are you ready to go down a path of discovery with me? Buckle up!!

#TembeaNaKaluhi – My Jozi Through 30 Photos

November 22, 2016 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

I can safely and confidently conclude that my best travel trip this year has been to Johannesburg. The island paradise Lamu was enchanting and Dublin was great, however Johannesburg was simply magical!!!!! I met AMAZING young, driven, passionate creatives from different parts of the continent doing amazing things with their gifts. I discovered and fell in love with the vibrance this South African city has to offer. I sharpened my networking skills and indulged in South African cuisine which I absolutely fell in love with. It felt a lot like home, yet spoke of a culture so different. My mind has been opened to so much more and I just cannot wait to go back!! If you follow me on Instagram (If you are not, what on earth are you waiting for??!), you must have seen my daily adventures for our week long excursion through my InstaStory. It is an experience that is one of my 2016 highlights. This post is a highlight of many such moments through 30 photos. It was not a road trip for sure, but I will use the guide below to take you through snippets of Jozi. The hashtag #TembeaNaKaluhi is swahili and in translation could mean Journey with Kaluhi. I hope you get to feel the essence of Jozi through my post relive my experiences through what I share :))

Caramelized Cinnamon Banana Stuffed Crepes

November 11, 2016 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I love a good brunch dish. One that is so rich, and so flavorful and one that literally sings to the deepest part of your soul. My friend Soni always says, brunch is not a time of day, but an experience. And I have to say, I agree with her. She loooooves brunch, and really takes in every moment and savors all the delicious things that most brunch banquets have to offer. A little bit of sweet. A little bit of savory. For me, during most brunches, I find myself gravitating more towards the sweet. Considering tomorrow is another glorious weekend, and most of us will be sleeping in. It would be an absolute delight to have something very delicious to wake up to! I have always loved crepes, because they double as both a breakfast dish and a dessert dish and no way to bring this together than in this brunch dish! A word of caution though: My caramelized cinnamon banana stuffed crepes may just end up being one of your top addictions!

Mint Strawberry Posset

October 28, 2016 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

The past week had been a huge adventure!!!! We first visited Anfield in Liverpool for a live Liverpool vs Manchester United match courtesy of Guinness. The next two days we spent in Dublin, Ireland which has become one of my favorite places to be. Besides the genuinely nice people, I loved getting immersed in the history of the city which is well preserved and proudly shown off. This too was the case at the Guinness Storehouse where we managed to learn the history of Guinness beer, its introduction into various markets, especially the Kenyan one, how the beer is brewed and various foods that can be prepared with the brew. What struck me was how seamlessly Guinness can be used to bring out flavors in both sweet and savory dishes; something most beers cannot really emulate.

I was telling my younger sister about my Dublin adventures and she was particularly curious by how an assertive beer would taste in a sweet dish. I decided to give her a taste and she was absolutely blown away with how delicious my minty strawberry posset, laced with Guinness was. She is such a sweet tooth, and this dessert completely won her over to team Guinness!! It was over in minutes!!! And that is always a good sign as to how good the dish tastes. This sweet chilled treat is perfect for sunny Nairobi. So easy to make and unforgettable to have!