No-bake Cocoa Date Energy Balls

Dates are so delightful and sweet whether eaten whole or mixed with other ingredients. Dates were a rare treat when I was growing up since they were sourced primarily from the coast which lies miles and miles away from our home. When I found dates recently at an Indian store, I knew I had to…

Sweet Potato + Squash + Apples Medley

Sweet potatoes have always been a favorite of mine. I love their sweetness, their orange color is beautiful plus they are one of nature’s best sources of beta-carotene. My parents grew sweet potatoes for what seemed like acres on end because of the ground cover that the green leaves and vines give in the garden….

2016 Summer Reading Wish List

It’s exactly that! A wish list – I want to read all, I’ve read some and will read the rest in the upcoming weeks.  

Chai Tea? No please, Just Chai

One Tea Masala please. That’s the way to order what has commonly been ordered as Chai Tea. Why? Because Chai means tea. Ordering “Chai tea” is ordering “Tea Tea” so asking for “chai tea” evokes laughter from some Kenyans or just anyone who knows “chai” means tea. Now that I got that off my chest,…

Baked Tilapia

Time: Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes   Ingredients: 4 (~6 ounces) tilapia fillets 1 onion (chopped) 3 tomatoes (cubed) 1 cup of water 1 lime, finely grated zest and juice Freshly cracked black pepper Fish masala spice Salt to taste Directions: Tomato Sauce Sauté the onion Add chopped tomatoes Add in water to make…

Citrus Cardamon Cake

Oranges, grapefruit, clementines, limes; I love citrus fruits and family around me enjoys orange juice quite a bit. I grew up with lots of fruit around the house, freshly picked from our garden or my grandmother’s orchard. Yes, you heard that right, my grandmother had an orchard. She was the most hardworking woman I knew,…

Chicken Koroga

Koroga means ‘stir’ in Swahili. As such Chicken Koroga is so named because it is typically made while people sit together plus the cook is stirring the chicken with the spices pretty frequently. This chicken is somewhat of an Indian-style of preparation, is quite spicy and really a cultural experience. Slow and taking time not rushed…

Beet Apple Sauce aka Beet Magic

Kids love apple-sauce anytime, but sometimes beet is not so loved. Because I like beet and believe the kids should get to enjoy them and their healthy benefits (calcium, potassium, vitamin A). I was excited when I saw this recipe on babyfoode.com and was excited because apples any way are loved in our home. She…

Maple-Baked Whole Apple

Living a sugar-free life is easy; except perhaps when you get to have meals that friends or family have prepared and there are yummy baked goods! A few times when people know our family has made a choice to eliminate processed sugar from what we eat, they have gone an extra mile to ensure there is…

Kachumbari :: Gazpacho Style

Kachumbari, this Kenyan salsa is quite popular and is served with different meals like Ugali, chapati even with githeri. With this recipe, I am adapting my amazing and wonderful Dr. Maria Asis’ gazpacho recipe to my mother’s kachumbari recipe. Dr. Asis reminded me of Gazpacho on a hot summer day. It was a wonderful to…

Ugali: Kenyan-style Polenta

Ugali, a corn-based polenta-like mush is one of the most commonly eaten foods in Kenya. In fact, it is eaten in other countries in Africa. Zimbambweans call is Sadza, Zambians call it Nsima and in South Africa it is called pap. Ugali is traditionally eaten with hands. You can use flatware as well. However, if…

A Kale Toast to St. Patrick’s Day

Lot’s of people become a little Irish on St. Patrick’s day with lots of green to go around. Growing up most of the Irishness around me was about the people; my brother – his name is Patrick, the priests and sisters in our Parish were mostly Irish. Yes I grew up Catholic so in addition…