Category: Snack (Page 2 of 3)

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 :))

#Kaluhi’s Kravings -Turmeric Chicken Sausage Pasua Combi

November 8, 2016 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

If you went to a boarding school in high school, you understand how important those occasional outings were! We called them ‘funkies’ back in my day, and we scrambled to be on the bus whenever each one came. It was a breath of fresh air to be in a different environment and meet new people and of course, mingle with cute boys. The two main funkies that had a sequence of events were Drama festivals in the first term and music festivals second term. I was all in during drama festivals. Besides all the fun activities, I also lived for eating good food especially considering my school, Precious Blood Riruta, banned most junk food.

As girls, most boys just bought us food. I guess as an ice breaker, but we knew they knew it was the best way to get our attention. Yes, we were shamelessly greedy. I loved Lenana School (or Changes as we used to call it) because they had a wide variety of snacks they had. I especially loved their Combi, which is basically a combination of a filling of choice inside a maandazi. At the end of the funkie, we would anticipate receiving mail from our crushes and since most of us did not have mobile phones while in school. Times have changed and now, our crushes are just a call away. Just a message away. And with a strong network such as Safaricom 4G, days of waiting for mail to hear form our crushes are long behind us! Each time I have a sausage pasua in town, I get major throwback of the good ol days! This recipe was inspired by my favorite high school period as and one of my favorite Kravings I indulge in when hunger strikes, but ofcourse with a touch of K!

Cheesy Guinness Beef Samosas

September 2, 2016 / Kaluhi / 31 Comments

“Tuko hapa Nyayo, umepika?” (“We are at Nyayo. What have you cooked?”) I hesitated to answer the question. I knew I had nothing ready, yet my ~~impromptu~~ guests were not too far off. My mum would literally slash my head off my shoulders if she found out people came home and left without something memorable in their bellies, even if the guests were mine and not hers, LOL! You see, there is a certain pressure that comes with being a food blogger. Everyone expects an elaborate banquet each time they visit your home, regardless of whether or not you are tired or you have been surviving on (delicious!) left overs. We all have those times when we just have nothing grand to present, regardless of whether you are Siba or Kaluhi. But in an African home, when guest come knocking, you have to provide. And as a food blogger, you just have to pull all the stops. I just had to deliver. #pressure

Since I was a bit time strapped & feeling a bit lazy yet still excited to have my friends over, I just had to make it work. I decided to make my cheesy Guinness beef samosas. I took an ingenious shortcut along the way, but I was sure using my Guinness and part of adding flavor to my samosa filling would be dynamite!!! As you all know, I always go an extra mile :)). These were cleared so fast coz they were just that good! Thinking about something to ring down the weekend? This is it, baby!

Iliki & Coconut White Chocolate Trufles

August 25, 2016 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

White. A color that represents innocence and purity. Or at least that is what we have been conditioned to believe LOL. Perception. It has a strong influence on our entire outlook and even decisions. Why cant blue represent innocence and green represent purity? I have realized this past weekend how much we have been conditioned to think. And I am bit by bit breaking away from it and deciding whatever it is I want to represent for me.

When it comes to white food, it can easily be thought as bland. White may invoke feelings of single note flavors. Think Ugali kavu or plain rice. But white food or snacks can just as easily delicious. As I always say, it is all about making the right combinations. This month, the Onja food bloggers challenge was ‘white’. Let me not lie, it was a challenge indeed. I decided to break the mold and make something delicious, full of flavor and easy to make. Today I give you my nutty coconut white chocolate trufles.

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!

Mango and Dark Chocolate Parfait

March 4, 2016 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

If you have been following me for quite sometime now on Instagram, You know how much I love mangoes. This love dates back to my primary school days. As we go through the final weeks of mango season, I am taking full advantage of this and eating as many of my favorite fruit as I can and incorporating them in my food and snacks too.

I love parfaits because they are the easiest things on earth to make. They make the perfect post-meal indulgence and can also make the perfect snack. There are infinite variations to a parfait but here is mine. It is sweet, fulfilling and pretty healthy too :)) This mango and dark chocolate parfait just shows you you can make the perfect snack or dessert without spending too much and with ingredients you can easily obtain.

Nutty Cardamom and Coconut Froyo cups

February 23, 2016 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

It has been ridiculously hot in Nairobi lately, as is every other February. After one spends just a few minutes in the sun, you literally feel like your skin is peeling off. Heck, even looking out the window can send your armpits into overdrive :D. Such that sunny weather calls for all the cool treats, and if those treats are yummy, even better!

I first tried making chocolate cups. I mixed the chocolate with milk, after it dried out because of microwaving it too long which changed its composition and it failed to solidify afterwards. We fail, we learn. I picked myself up, changed things up and decided to make a frozen treat. These froyo cups are small and dainty, but pack a punch when it comes to flavor. These are a must try this sunny season.

Wine Infused Chocolate Covered Strawberries

February 12, 2016 / Kaluhi / 9 Comments

I could not think of anything more befitting for valentines weekend more than this. These chocolate covered strawberries are so delicious and indulgent. Valentines day aside, I think every day should be a day to shower the people in your life with affection. Each day is special enough to put in a little effort. I hope that you not only try this out this weekend, but make them during random days within the year. Life is too short to wait for one day out of 365 to do special stuff, right?

I made these in December and I was pretty nervous as to how they would turn out. After I had taken the pictures I realized these looked good. And after I tasted them, oh! They blew me away! I have to warn you though, once you try these, it is very likely that you will get addicted to them.

Mango and Lime Smoothie Bowl

January 15, 2016 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I love mangoes. I feel like I have spent the past two months saying this. But can you really blame me. It turns out than many of you also share my love for mangoes as indicated in this Instagram post. I try have them after all three meals whenever I can and incorporate them in meals too. And for me, there is no other way than channeling the sweetness of this beautiful fruit than in a smoothie bowl.

One of my Instagram (@lizbettynally) followers requested for a smoothie. I had been toying around with this idea and I decided to finally give it a go. My youngest sister, Musimbi, had this and she loved it so much she wanted to have it every day as a post-work out meal. Trust me, it looks as good as it tastes.

Egg Sandwich with Honey Vinaigrette Drizzle

November 13, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Confession: I am a cooking show junkie. I can watch cooking shows till kingdom come. It just never gets boring…well, for me atleast :)). One of the most common things I see on Chopped is the use of vinaigrettes especially on Salads and stuff. Because I have no culinary training, I always turn to Uncle Google to break things down for me. Turns out it is not something complicated and can be made from nearly anything.

I love sweet and sour anything. So I made my vinaigrette using honey, apple cider vinegar and some oil to capture one of my favorite flavors. I was rushing somewhere and decided to make a sandwich to have on the go. After quickly taking my photos, I downded these sandwiches and boy, didn’t they just hit the right spots!!! If you are always on the go, or are going through one of those lazy days, this one is for you :)).

SIDENOTE: Have you checked out recipes on my YouTube channel? Have you subscribed? 🙂

Easy Dessert – Cake and Custard

July 21, 2015 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

Have you ever smelt something or ate something and it immediately reminded you of a memory of something or someone? I am sure you have experienced this, whether food related or not. When it comes to food, one of the aromas that take me back to the 90’s is the aroma of custard. It reminds me of the afternoons we would spend with uncle Kivayiru at his home in Kileleshwa. My sisters and I loved it there! We would play so much, get sooooo dirty and fall right asleep in our car ride back home in Langata. To this day, I love custard. There is a way to make it from scratch, but a little shortcut hurt nobody. Especially now that temparatures are dropping, cake and custard will sure warm you up.

Peppery Hot dog with Lemon and Garlic Plain Yoghurt Sauce

July 10, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Let’s be honest for a second… the whole world loves hot dogs. Or at least in my head, the whole world does. Perfect snack. And depending on what you add to them, you can get all food groups into your hot dog. There are so many ways to have your hot dog. And that gets me excited since it awakens my creative power.

I decided to make my hot dog with the frankfurter sauteed with green bell peppers until they are crispy. I also decided to replace the mustard with a tangy lemon and garlic plain yoghurt sauce. So for my 100th post, savor on this brilliant and delicious beauty.

Fried Nduma with Crunchy Bread Crumb Crust

June 5, 2015 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

Have you ever eaten something after years of resistance and wondering why it took you too long to try it? That was me with nduma. Just like I did matumbo, I would avoid putting it in my mouth at all costs for reasons unbeknown to me. But when I finally did, I can not have enough. Nduma are what we Kenyans refer to arrow roots. They are super duper nutritious and taste so good. Thank God I got over my senseless fear,LOL.

At home we usually just have them boiled. But I have been encouraged by numerous people to try them fried. Everything fried is tastier after all, so I decided to give this a try. To add to the texture, I coated the nduma with breadcrumbs, seasoned lightly with nutmeg which transformed this to the most glorious breakfast meal. My tongue has never been as delighted! Yours will be too, promise!

Grilled Cheese Chicken Sandwich

May 29, 2015 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Have you ever tried out a new recipe with so much excitement but it turned out way below average? That happens to me too sometimes. I was so excited to make some crunchy drumsticks sometime back but they were not as good as I anticipated. My first and most honest critics, my family ,thought they really could have tasted better. And I agreed. Even though they looked really good, they were grossly under-seasoned. I could not bring myself to post a recipe that I myself don’t stand confidently by. Quality of content trumps quantity of content any day.

So the next day, I decided to use the left overs from the remaining drumsticks and make something else. I decided to make grilled cheese chicken sandwich which was so indulgent and so so sooo perfect. This brought back my confidence after that no-so-good drumstick kitchen experience. And this was one of the tastiest recreation of left overs I have made to date!

I encourage you too to try new things. You will fail…numerous times, just as I do. But do not run away from the kitchen forever. Take it as a learning experience and up your game each time. You will become even better as a result 🙂

Gourmet Coleslaw

February 24, 2015 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

One of my most memorable childhood memories are those that involve family get-aways and short trips within the country. I particularly fondly remember the times when my parents used to take my sisters and I (sometimes together with my cousins) to a recreation spot deep in the breathtaking Maasai Land called Olooloitikoshi every other Sunday afternoon. As we had been told, olooloitikoshi means “The land of the Zebras” in the Maasai dialect (i stand corrected if that translation is wrong :D), and for us, it was the funnest place on the planet. Immediately after church, we would pass by home, dress down a little, prepare some bitings and leave for the Rift Valley. One of the things that my mommy used to make every single time was some coleslaw. This always made the perfect accompaniment to the tender roast meat and the steamy soft mukimu served by the locals together with all other delicacies we would have at the foot of the Ngong hills.

Today I present to you one of dishes that never never missed our outings,coleslaw, but with a delicious gourmet twist. It goes beyond the basic cabbage and carrot for coleslaw and includes an array of other ingredients that make this more wholesome and 5 star worthy. Read on to know exactly how to make your coleslaw fantastic <3

Thai Sticky Coconut Rice with Mango

February 3, 2015 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I thank God for jan-feb-mar for the sunny weather that, for some reason, makes me so energized, and that my favorite fruit, mangoes are in season. Because there are so many around, retailing at very affordable prices, I always try to have my fave fruit in as many ways as I possibly can.

I decided to make a mango dessert that has its origins in Thailand. This Thai Sticky Coconut Rice with Mango is a recipe I bumped into accidentally while searching for food photography inspiration on food gawker. I was happy that the ingredients they use are also available here. To add my own twist to an already existing recipe, I added sesame seeds instead of dessicated coconut to add a nutty taste. I also used coconut cream instead of coconut milk it make it thicker. I would never have though using rice as an ingredient in a dessert but this worked so well. The rice is meant to compliment the mango though, and not the other way round. And this is a healthy snack, that will still give you that sweet kick but minus all that sugar overload.

You do not have to go to Thailand. Bring Thailand to you!

Pineapple, Carrot and Raisin Salad

December 19, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

I am lucky to live around people who love to host parties to facilitate neighborhood get-togethers, and prepare the best food during the times they host. There is always something new to taste and new food combinations to experience. And for foodies such as myself, this is the ultimate experience. Today’s recipe is actually one of my favorite salads, which I first ate at my neighbors place. I have been hooked on it since! It is so easy to make, but the flavor profile is so sophisticated. I always love having my fruit especially when it is really hot in December, and this salad always makes my indulgence a delight.

This will be a really short post because the process is not too long or complicated. And I must add, this is a must-try for you and your family this festive season 🙂

Spicy Minced Beef Samosa

December 5, 2014 / Kaluhi / 5 Comments

I always love to indulge in a snack to keep my energy up, especially when I have tons to do, but little time to sit down and have a full meal or when I know I will be stuck in the hellish Nairobi traffic for some hours. Among the many things I like to have, I particularly enjoy having a samosa ( or many samosas :D) in the as I wait for a matatu or bus. They are one of the most delicious Kenyan treats in my opinion.

I decided to have one of my favorite snacks as today’s blog post because this blog would never be complete without it. The recipe is very easy to follow, and I am sure you will want to try this too. 🙂

Hope you enjoy the read 🙂

Potato Latkes and Salsa Verde

November 21, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Have you ever read the name of a dish and the sound of it makes it a little bit intimidating to try, but then upon reading through, you realise it really is easy to make? The sound of this post may evoke such emotions. All I can guarantee you is that this is one of the simplest and speedy recipes yet that you can unleash on short notice. And there is nothing better than something that sounds so sophisticated, but is so easy to prepare.

I think it is becoming apparently clear that one of my favorite ingredients to cook with are potatoes. I like them because there are infinite things to do with them. We have made several potato dishes like this one, and this, and this, each of which have their own character. Today we are going to make the easiest, crispiest potato latkes, that you can make blindfolded and the juiciest salsa verde that really compliments them. The best part is, you can get all these ingredients readily 🙂

Here we go:

Nutmeg Doughnuts with Dark Chocolate Glaze

November 11, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

In Kenya, after completing high school, there is about a 4 month wait between the time you complete your exams and the time the results of the national exams are released. During this period, majority of us did short computer courses to make good use of our time and to better ourselves. During the end of each class every Wednesday, I would treat myself to a chocolate doughnut from Bakers Inn that was close to my computer school and on my way to the stage. It nearly turned into a weekly ritual, but this eventually died down once they increases the prices of their doughnuts.

Some weeks ago on my twitter handle, one of my followers asked for a doughnut recipe. I was more than happy to give her one and in the process, re-live one of my favorite indulgences back in 2010. I added my own twist by adding fragrant nutmeg into the mix, and instead of having a cocoa-powder-icing frosting like Bakers Inn, I opted for a rich dark chocolate glaze with some sprinkles which added an extra crunch. This was really fun to make and so delicious to have!