PIZZA SERIES - THE PIZZA TOPPINGS: CUCUMBER ONION PIZZA

Today marks the last of my homemade Pizza Series! I started with the most crusty yet soft Pizza dough and followed it up with a delicous thick Pizza Sauce! I decided to go with simple toppings for first ever homemade Pizza,  Cucumber and Onion. I know the combination may sound crazy or even weird but it worked out great. When it comes to making Honemade Pizza, the world is your oyster and you are only limited to your creative mind. I love how endless the choices for amazing Pizza are. A little confession I have, I was going for a Zuchinni Onion Pizza but wrongfully picked Cucumbers! That ever happened to you? You go for one ingredient and end up picking a different one? lol! This Pizza is totally delicious and simple and "healthy" did I mention delicious! 

HONEY SOY SAUCE CHICKEN BREAST STIR FRY

I love stir fries, especially chicken stir fries. Yesterday I looked inside my fridge and saw some left over uncooked chicken breasts. Immediately I started thinking of what to make and the idea of a chicken stir fry popped into my mind. I have made two chicken curries before so I wanted something different, delicious yet unique. So I began to rack my brain about what combinations I would use. I love how this honey soy sauce combo just turned out to be delicious! Honey gives the chicken a smooth sweetness, soy sauce gives the chicken a salty tartness that balances out well with the honey. Spices added complete this awesome chicken stir fry! This will definitely be my stand out dish this year. Why not try it and let me know if you will be having stir fry chicken breasts any other way.

PIZZA SERIES - THE PIZZA SAUCE

Today continues my Pizza Series where we began with the Best Chewy Yet Crusty Pizza Dough and now comes the Pizza Sauce. If you want to keep the authentic flavor of your homemade pizza that you are after, making your own Pizza Sauce is the way to go. Pizza Sauce is what gives the base of the Pizza that much needed moisture so that the Pizza is not dry, the sauce also ensures that all those yummy toppings that you chose for your pizza do not burn. This Pizza Sauce  recipe is packed with flavor, spice and freshness that you will not get from a store bought sauces. Pizza Sauce greatly compliments your toppings by making the Pizza Juicy and delicious. I made a chunky Pizza Sauce because I wanted to taste the different textures that the elements used in the sauce had to offer. If you love a finer Pizza Sauce you can toss the sauce into a food processor or blender, add a tablespoon of water and blend to your desired consistency. The best part about making this Pizza Sauce is that you can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it up for when you are ready to use it! Join me next week as we now make the Pizza Toppings, can't wait!

PIZZA SERIES - THE PIZZA DOUGH

I'm starting a Pizza Series where I get to make all the elements that go in creating a homemade pizza, from the dough, sauce up to the toppings. Today we begin with the Pizza Dough. There is nothing as good as making your own Pizza! You not only get to have healthy options but you get to have your favorite toppings on your Pizza. And the first place to start is making the pizza dough. Only a few ingredients and you get the perfect Pizza dough to make delicious Pizza at home. And what is Pizza without the perfect crust. The crust should be chewy and yet crispy. With making your own Pizza dough, you can choose to have a very thin crust or a thick crust, and the cheese, you can smear with as much as you want, nobody ever says no to more cheese, is there? There is no need to be overwhelmed about making your own Pizza dough crust. Do.Not.Be.Afraid.Of.Yeast. Yeast is your friend, most people do not like using it but it is quite simple. The only problem you might have is if the yeast has lost its activity or expired. Always check the expiration date of yeast to prevent being disappointed when making your dough. Yeast is a living organism and as such if you do not bake often, buy small yeast packages that you use once instead of storing for longer periods. To get a thick crust make 10 inch pizza but if you want a thinner crust  that will be crispier make a 12 inch pizza with half the dough. You can decide to bake two Pizzas or refrigerate one to use at a later date. Making your own Pizza dough gives you endless possibilities when it comes to toppings so why not create your own deliciousness right at home? Let's meet again next week as we go to part two of my Pizza Series- the Pizza Sauce!

FLUFFY COCONUT RICE

I can eat a whole bowl of plain rice without stew and be totally happy with myself. Rice is just fragranced aromatic and delicious on its own, especially Basmati rice! I love how coconut brings out the flavors in food, used mostly for desserts, but makes rice a dish you could eat everyday of your life without it becoming boring. This is a simple meal that you can whip up in minutes and eat with some left over beef, chicken or vegetables. Did you know: The varieties of rice are typically classified as long-, medium-, and short-grained. The grains of long-grain rice (high in amylose) tend to remain intact after cooking; medium-grain rice (high in amylopectin) becomes more sticky. Medium-grain rice is used for sweet dishes, for risotto in Italy, and many rice dishes, such as arròs negre, in Spain. Some varieties of long-grain rice that are high in amylopectin, known as Thai Sticky rice, are usually steamed. A stickier medium-grain rice is used for sushi; the stickiness allows rice to hold its shape when molded. Medium-grain rice is used extensively in Japan, including to accompany savoury dishes, where it is usually served plain in a separate dish. Short-grain rice is often used for rice pudding. Instant rice differs from parboiled rice in that it is fully cooked and then dried, though there is a significant degradation in taste and texture. Rice flour and starch often are used in batters and breadings to increase crispiness. Now you know!

EASY PILAU RECIPE

Hey Lovelies,
Here is a fool proof simple cheat's way of cooking Pilau. Tired but really want that pilau rice? This recipe is straight foward and requires less than 5 ingredients. The best thing about food is that you can always find ways of making it simple but still maintain the original taste. Pilau is very popular and as such there are many ways you can cook it. The only thing that you cannot afford to miss is the spices. Have the spices for cooking pilau? You are good to go.Basically if you have cumin, cloves, black pepper, ginger, star anise, you can make the perfect pilau. I used Pilau Masala which is a mixed spice of all the spices needed to cook Pilau. The spice is readily available or you can mix the individual spices to make your own Pilau Masala. I love that pilau is a dish that you can eat on its own without any sides, the taste is enough. Follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter

BASMATI FRIED RICE

Hey Lovelies,
It's been a cool and kind of slow week for me. The Nairobi sun has been giving us glimpses of a sunny month to come. Speaking of which, it's less than a week before August is over! That's a bit scary considering it was just 'yesterday' that I was telling someone happy new month. Well, it feels like it was yesterday. Enough about that, today's recipe is a simple Basmati Fried Rice dish. This recipe just went well with my slow week and me feeling lazy. The best part of making fried rice is that literally half the work is done for you. You get to use your left overs and just throw in whatever you fancy to make it a complete meal. I love Basmati rice.It has that tantalizing sweet aroma and when you cook it doesn't get sticky like other varieties, unless you just drown it in too much water. You can eat Basmati rice on its own without having any sides, that is how good it is, somehow it is just sweet without any additions. My Basmati Fried rice has very few ingredients as compared to traditional fried rice so it's quite easy to whip up and you get all that deliciousness of rice that has been fried. So here is my simple fried rice recipe that I hope you will try it out.

OMUSHENYE

I'm so excited about today's recipe because it has been ages since I made this dish. I'm sure you are wondering what Omushenye is, so let's get to it. Omushenye is a traditional Kenyan meal that is most famous in the Western parts of Kenya. It is a dish made by the Luhya community in Kenya. Omushenye is just basically cooked Sweet Potatoes and Beans mashed together to form a healthy and filling dish that is both sweet, delicious and Vegan. It is so easy to make and you only require two ingredients. From this Omushenye dish you get your portion of Carbohydrates from the Sweet Potatoes and Proteins from the Beans. It has no additives so you won't have to worry about salt or sugar, you get the seasoning from mashing the Sweet Potatoes and Beans.I'm sure there are some variations with flavorings or even spices and herbs added, but this is the traditional method that my grandmother used, my mother taught me and I will definitely teach my kids, pass down the recipe if you will. This is such a great way to use up any left over Beans and Sweet Potatoes, and you will have a complete meal. You can have Omushenye with Tea or even eat with other meals like Stews, or, just stick with Tea, the authentic way of having Omushenye. Why not try it? I guarantee you will get hooked on this local Luhya delicacy!

WEEKEND CHICKEN CURRY

Don't you just love the weekend? And what better way to enjoy it than with some warm, comforting Curry, Chicken Curry to be precise. The original Indian Curry includes Turmeric and Coconut Milk. My Chicken Curry did not include those but it still had all that delicious heat that goes with Curries. Hot and spicy, yet delicious and smooth. Chicken Curry can be made in various ways, as long as you have the spices and Yogurt or Coconut Milk to make it thick and creamy. I love Chicken and I would have it any way it was prepared, fried, steamed, stewed, I love me my Chicken! I can have it with wholewheat Chapati, Rice or even Ugali.This Curry turned out better than I expected as it filled that need for spice yet was not overwhelmingly hot! Most Chicken Curries that I found used Chicken Thighs, I had Chicken Breasts which worked well too. A hearty healthy Chicken meal to indulge in this weekend. You can even have this Chicken Curry with this Pasta, delicious!

HOW TO PREPARE MRENDA

I'm so into schooling you guys on some of our Traditional Kenyan Foods that are a constant feature on our dinner tables. Indigenous Leafy Vegetables are one such traditional meals that have been consumed over the centuries in Kenyan Homes. I have always known these vegetables by their Traditional names but today I had to do some research to find out their Botanical or English names if you will. Before we begin on today's recipe here are names of other indigenous Vegetables that we normally consume. Mitto (crotalaria), Saget/saga (spider plant), Seveve/Malenge (pumpkin leaves), Terere (amaranthus), Nderema (bacella alba), Managu/Osuga (black night shade), and today's recipe which includes Kunde (cow pea leaves) and Mrenda (jute).These are some of the indigenous leafy vegetables available in Nairobi. We normally add Sodium Bicarbonate (we call it magadi) during boiling to tenderise the vegetables and retain their bright green color. I used a natural tenderizer (msherekha-local luhya name) that I will later on show you how it is obtained. Each tribe has the name they use to call the Magadi (sodium bicarbonate)Today's recipe is Mrenda (jute), but I will try to make all the above traditional indigenous leafy vegetables as time goes by. Any of the indigenous Leafy Vegetables can be mixed with each other or you can cook each on its own This Mrenda (jute) goes really great with Ugali. So lets begin. Follow me on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

OMENA FISH - KENYAN FOOD STORY

Today I bring you a Kenyan Traditional Food - Omena Fish. Omena is a silver Cyprinid, a species of ray finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. I know I'm taking you back to class but there's no simpler translation of Omena. So lets just say it's a small fish that resembles Sardines. Omena Fish is mostly found in Lake Victoria which is in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. This small fish has survived the test of time and has been available in many Kenyans' tables from generation to generation. I tell you Omena will out live us! Fishing has been an old way of life for many Kenyan households especially those living around Lakes and the Ocean.You will find fishermen early in the morning with their nightly catch already selling at the Lake side and Sea shore.In Kenya the town that is most associated with Omena fishing is Kisumu that is just next to the Lake. Omena is fish that is dried in the sun and preserved with salt. When cooking Omena Fish there are those who insist on cooking it just like that, but a bit of soaking especially with warm water just for a few minutes is okay so as to reduce sodium intake. I like cooking my Omena Fish 'dry fry' where you just fry your Onions, Tomatoes, add salt, cooking oil and any spice of your choice and just tossing for a bit to coat everything. But if I am cooking for many I have to add a little liquid to make the soup. When you go to an eating place, what we call "kibanda" or "kibandaski" and hear someone ordering "kisumu boys" just know they are ordering Omena Fish. This particular Omena Fish is one that is deep fried and then preserved with salt, that is why it is oily like that, otherwise sun dried Omena Fish is usually a bit dull and dry.

CHEDDAR CHEESE VEGETABLE PASTA

I love Pasta and not just because there are so many varieties to choose from but because I can cook it with so many accompaniments. in case you did not know, Pasta has different varieties, we have Long Pasta, Ribbon-cut Pasta, Short-cut extruded Pasta, Decorative cuts Pasta, Miniature Pasta, Pasta with filling, and Irregular and unusual Pasta. There is even Banana Pasta, its prepared from green bananas that are dried then milled into banana flour. Since banana as the primary ingredient, it is gluten free. Now that, I would like to see for myself. Do not even get me started on the types of Cheese that we have. That list will be given at a much later date. Anyhow, to be honest the only cheese I have ever eaten is the one that usually tops up Pizza. I wanted to try this Cheese on something so my love of Pasta plus my curiosity of Cheese brought about this Cheesy recipe. The Pasta turned out creamy and quite heavy so I really did not need to have a side dish for this. I'm loving the Crushed Ginger and Garlic Mix in my food so i added the two. This gives the meal that much needed spicy and somewhat hot kick, plus the fragrance Ginger and Garlic give to the dish is just divine. You can totally skip them if you want but I strongly suggest you add them! Pasta in Cheese, I give it a thumbs up. Try it out and let me know. What other Cheese have you used in Pasta?

CREAMY PENNE ALA VODKA PASTA

Today I'm feeling all quotsy , it's seriously not a word but maybe it's because of all the buzz going on in my head. Harold McGee “The alcohol molecule bears some resemblance to a sugar molecule, and indeed it has a slightly sweet taste. At high concentrations, those typical of distilled spirits and even some strong wines, alcohol is irritating, and produces a pungent, "hot" sensation in the mouth, as well as in the nose. Its chemical compatibility with other aroma compounds means that concentrated alcohol tends to bind aromas in foods and drinks and inhibit their release into the air...” So what am I going on about here? Well there is always a debate going on about using Alcohol in cooking so I just somewhat wanted to put it all into perspective before you start asking, Vodka in Pasta? How Now? There goes your answer, so to put it simply Harold McGee is saying that low concentrations of alcohol enhance flavor and aromas... in food. Enough said, let's get to cookin' Check out this other amazing Pasta Dish.

GINGER PEPPER FRIED RICE

Hey Lovelies,
Have some left over and rice and you're wondering what to do with it? Well here's an idea, why not tun it into a complete meal by adding Vegetables, Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, Fish or even Pork. Left over Rice does not have to be a boring affair, turn it upside down by making this Ginger Fried Rice. The complete meal comes together in less than 30 minutes, it's easy to prepare and does not you do not have to add in too many ingredients. The best part is that you can choose to go adventurous with it or be as simple as adding two ingredients and frying it up. Sounds simple doesn't it? Yeah, because it is!Fried Rice can be eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to any other meal. Fried rice is mostly popular in South Asian Cuisines, and since it is a homemade dish, its usually made with ingredients leftover from other dishes creating countless variations of the same dish. Whip up some creative Fried Rice and enjoy it on its own or a an additional meal.

GREEN CHILI FISH STEW

I love Fish, all kinds of Sea Food anyway. Whether it is stewed or fried, Fish is a delicious meal to have whenever you have a craving for Sea Food. Since it is cold nowadays why not warm yourself up with Fresh Tilapia Fish Stew. I love how this meal is so easy to prepare and you only need to use very few ingredients. You can even decide to be adventurous and make the dish your own, but today I like it simple and nice. Such a warm way to finish your day with a light and delicious Fish Stew that will not make you break a sweat in the Kitchen. Not only is the Tilapia Fish Stew nutritious, it is delightful and very filling, don't be surprised if you find yourself licking your fingers because trust me, the dish is that delicious.Tilapia Fish is a White Fish that is mild, Low in Calories and also Low Fat, for those who are health conscious and would like something yummy yet still healthy. Tilapia Fish is also high in Vitamin B12 which is essential for properly forming Red Blood Cells, which the Brain needs to help protect your nerve endings. Not only do you get to enjoy Tilapia Fish, you build your brain as well, isn't that just awesome, what I like to call Win-Win situation. So enjoy some delicious Fresh Tilapia Fish Stew and let me know your thoughts on Fish delicacies.

GARLIC CABBAGE VEGGIE PASTA

Nothing says warmth, deliciousness and comfort like Pasta does. I Love how you can literally combine your favorite Pasta with any type of vegetable or meats. You can never go wrong with cooking Pasta, it is the easiest meal to prepare and you can have it with whatever you fancy. So for my first Pasta Dish I chose to go with a Veggie Pasta and Fried Garlic Pasta. I like my veggies crunchy so I did not want to boil them for too long, the trick is to just toss them in oil for a few second and voila! you have your yummy veggies. Simple yet sophisticated enough this Dish will leave you wanting more, there are no rules when it comes to spices so put as hot or as mild as you want or you can even skip it all together. The best part about cooking is that you decide how the meal will taste and look like, unless you are cooking for a group with various dietary needs, go all out to make the dish what you want it to be. So here's my version of Veggie Pasta with Fried Garlic Cabbage.

WELCOME TO NAIROBI KITCHEN + WATERMELON LOOKALIKE BREAD

hELLO fOoD NeRdS!

Welcome to my li'l kitchen where I have fun preparing food from home. Nothing says welcome than a hot homemade food prepared with lotsa love and care. Nothing makes me happier than preparing a meal where I can share with friends and family. I love when I can make something out of crazy, simple and even seemingly complicated ingredients. Cooking is kind of like my therapy, it gets me excited and looking forward to doing something different and special each day. So welcome to my nerdy food kitchen and lets enjoy cooking and discovering together. Growing up I always loved watching mom cook. Food just fascinated me and I loved the way ingredients were combined to bring something delicious. I couldn't wait to grow up and also cook since the kitchen was out of bounds for my little hands. I guess I was the kid who didn't mind being sent for errands for foodstuff if it meant that I would stay in the kitchen as mom or anyone else was cooking. As I got older cooking just made sense and it came so easy for me. I hoped for the day I would have my own kitchen where I could experiment with recipes. Still waiting for my own kitchen but I'm glad I am old enough to be left in the kitchen alone 😉😅😆. Cooking is just amazing! So welcome to this little "kitchen" space of mine and let us discover food, recipes and more! Be a Kitchen Nerd with me😍😍😙😋😜.