PILIPILI YA KUKAANGA

My first ever encounter with Pilipili ya Kukaanga was when we went to visit one of our cousin. She is "Coastarian" what we like to refer those guys who live on the Kenyan Coast like Mombasa, Lamu, Diani among other towns. They are well known for their spicy, fragrant and yummy Swahili cuisines. From bhajia, biryani, achari, mabuyu, mahamri, pilau, samosa, pilipili ya maembe... yaani, mapochopocho! 😋Our cousin had cooked Pilau and she says pilau is incomplete without Pilipili ya Kukaanga. Thus was the beginning of my love for this spicy hot delicious sauce! Pilipili ya kukaanga is simply a delicious chili sauce that is used to accompany dishes like Pilau, Biryani among other delicious Coastal delicacies. This is my simpler version but you can get as detailed as you like, you can add different spices, herbs, and even vegetables like bell peppers. Anything goes but the chillies are what is constant, so it depends how hot 🌶 you wanna go! I literally ate a few spoonfuls before I could cook the main meal, its that delicious. I also have a video on how I made this Pilipili ya Kukaanga, do check it out and SUBSCRIBE if you have not, thanks Loves!

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

Making your own sauces is the best thing you can ever do for your life because you get it fresh with even fresher ingredients

SIMPLE APPLE CIDER GLAZE

Want to add great flavor to your sweet or savory treats? Why not try something other than sugar or chocolate glaze? Apple Cider Glaze is great for glazing turkeys, as well as roasted chicken and roasted turkey breast. You can also glaze doughnuts, cakes and even pour over savoury crepes.

NO COOK PIZZA SAUCE

I love homemade sauces, not only are they authentic and delicious but you can always play about with ingredients and make them your own. There are so many homemade pizzas that you can whip up in minutes, some you can cook, blend or even just whip up the ingredients in a bowl and spread on your pizza. I have made a cooked pizza sauce that was for my first ever home made pizza, loved how delicious it made the pizza. Today I decided to make something that was fast and does not need any cooking. No cook pizza sauce is for those days you are craving pizza and you do not have any cooked pizza sauce on hand. So excited about using this delicious pizza sauce on another homemade pizza, so look forward to that recipe soon. Have you made pizza sauce before? Cooked or no cook, what's your best sauce? 

ORANGE SPICED SIMPLE SYRUP

Take your simple syrup game to another level by making it spicy, sweet and aromatic. A simple syrup is usually a liquid sweetener that is usually perfect t in cocktails,drinks or even for decorating cake. It can also be used to sweeten foods like fresh fruits and baked goodies. When it comes to making the simple syrup the ratio of sugar to water is usually between 1:1 or 2:1 respectively. Then the mixture is simmered for around 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced to about half of its original quantity or volume. Now that is the basic way of making a simple syrup but you can add character to your simple syrup by spicing it up. And that is where flavoured simple syrups come into. Common flavours include lemon simple syrup, vanilla simple syrup, cinnamon simple syrup, ginger simple syrup, and even mint simple syrup among others. The flavored ones are best for topping sliced fruit, pancakes, baked goods and even ice cream. Flavored simple syrups can also be drizzled over desserts or used to glaze them, to sweeten lemonades, iced coffee, cocktails, iced tea or other cold beverages. Simple syrups can be stored in airtight containers or jars for up to 6 months or more. If you want to prolong the shelf life even further, you can add a small quantity of vodka to it, about one shot of vodka into two cups of simple syrup. A flavored or simple syrup takes a few minutes to prepare yet you can use it in countless ways!

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!

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

I looove chocolate! I'm a chocoholic! Anything chocolate and you got me... if I could eat chocolate everyday I would. Today I have a simple yummy chocolate glaze recipe that you can literally pour on any sweet treat that you want. There is usually no limit when it comes to chocolate sauces, it just adds that much needed deliciousness!The chocolate glaze has only 3 ingredients and its done within a few minutes, and you'll be licking your spoon once you are done!

DULCE DE LECHE SAUCE

Hey Lovelies,
So as I was browsing the net I came across this delectable picture of a caramel like sauce that just screamed EAT ME! I immediately clicked on the the recipe which is from epicurious and I knew I had to give it a go. For those who were like me before I knew of this incredible sauce  Dulce de leche is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a substance that derives its flavour from the Maillard reaction, also changing colour. Literally translated, it means "candy [made] of milk" or "sweet [made] of milk." The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar, stirring almost constantly, although other ingredients such as vanilla may be added for flavour. Much of the water in the milk evaporates and the mix thickens; the resulting dulce de leche is usually about a sixth of the volume of the milk used. Dulce de leche is used to flavour candies or other sweet foods, such as cakes, churros, cookies ( alfajor), waffles, crème caramel (known as flan in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions), and ice creams; it provides the "toffee" part of English Banoffee pie and is also a popular spread on pancakes and toast, while the French confiture de lait is commonly served with fromage blanc. Cooking Dulce de leche the old traditional way requires a fair amount of attention and stirring. It takes almost 2 hours to make the perfect dulce de leche so you need to make sure that you have a few hours to kill so that you will not hurry the process. This is the BEST sauce I have tasted and I am not ashamed to say that I could not stop licking it from the spoon! I cannot wait to use it on one of my desserts, that is if I do not lick the whole jar before tomorrow! Step aside caramel, here comes your competition!

MAKE CONDENSED MILK AT HOME

I love making home made recipes of products that you buy in the store. I stumbled upon a recipe for making homemade ice cream and it needed condensed Milk. So my search began for this Condensed Milk, I couldn't find it! I literally went to every supermarket near home and in town. I just couldn't find it! I remembered I had seen it in one of the Tuskys Supermarkets but then I really had no interest in it. Now that I was looking for it, it was nowhere to be found. How now? I was going to make this ice cream come hell or high water so i searched if I could substitute the condensed Milk but that was not possible, so I had to search again for homemade Condensed Milk.I found one here form one of my favorite chefs that I stalk follow and watch her You Tube channel. So I made the condensed Milk and now I am ready to make my Ice cream! It's a simple recipe but requires you to be there and watch carefully so that the Milk does not crystallize. Here it is.