Beef and Vegetable Stirfry

Ingredients :

500g lean beef (like rump or fillet steak),cut into Julienne .
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 large green capsicum, cut into thin strips
2 sticks, celery cut diagonally thinly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 roots Ginger chopped (or alternatively you can make your own Ginger & garlic paste. If you have this, then use 2tsp)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
Oil for frying
Pinch of salt
Serve with Steamed medium grain rice.
Procedure
Prep :20m
Cook:10m
Ready In 30 to 35 min
~In  mixing bowl, mix/marinate the meat with soy sauce, Garlic & Ginger and salt,

Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or griddle/ skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir beef until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Move beef a side.

~ Cook and stir vegetables for 1 or 2 minutes. Stir beef into vegetables and water and tomato sauce. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender and the sauces mixed through about 2 minutes.
Remove from fire and serve.

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Nyama choma (Grilled meat )

Kenyans love ‘Nyama Choma’ or Grilled meat/steak. Nyama Choma is an age old tradition of grilling meat on a direct charcoal flame till the fat on the meat is some how burnt and the inside is juicy and well cooked. Nyama choma is one of Kenya’s most devoured and appreciated  foods that goes well with almost everything but can still be served as a  dish by itself

. Generation to generation, the cooking techniques and flavors of it have not been altered, and we like it just like that. But with the changing trends from traditional  nyama choma on a charcoal grill or jiko as its popularly known comes Grills or salamander to  make it easy for you to barbeque meat with no hustle .That’s why I’m bringing you this easy way of experimenting with modern roasting Method. This can be done on all sorts of cuts of meat from poultry, seafood, beef and even rabbit just to name a few . Occasionally dab your meat with the marinade that remained from earlier to infuse more flavor into your Nyama Choma. . Once ready serve with a salad and some Ugali or roast Potatoes and dont forget to top it up with a Kenyan beer.
For this recipe you need,

500g Rump or T-bone steak
2tbs soy sauce
1tbs mustard
150ml corn oil
1tsp crushed black pepper corns
Salt to complete the taste
Rosemary leaves
Procedure
Prepare your marinade by missing all the Ingredients.
Pour over the marinade to the meat and Mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Fire up your grill, and when hot Put the steaks.

Grill on one side till browned then turn. Dab your meat with the marinade as indicated above.
When ready serve…

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Easy Vegetable Spaghetti

I love making vegetable spaghetti for dishes such as Meatballs, Bolognese or seafood. This technique was taught to me when I first started my chef’s apprenticeship in an Italian fine dining restaurant headed up by executive chef Claudio Meda. A great alternative to traditional pastas and they have the added benefit if being nutrient dense as well as being gluten free.
I like to use firm vegetables such as zucchini, carrot, pumpkin, French beans, broccoli or leek, LESS BOILING is required,then just stir in the pot with a little olive oil over a low to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add a splash of stock for extra flavour if you like, finish with lots of freshly chopped garden herbs and you have the most delicious spaghetti you’ve ever eaten.
Toss through tomato based or meat sauces like Bolognese, Napolitana or Tuna Puttanesca, stir finish simply with a hint of Parmesan.
Ingredients :
Serves 4
500 gm – 1pkt Spaghetti
500 gm – 4 zucchini, cut into thin strips on a mandolin or julienne peeler
250 gm – broccoli florets cut into small pieces
160 gm – 2 leek, cut into thin strips
200 gm green peas.
250g-4pc carrots, cut into thin strips on a mandolin or julienne peeler
100g Fresh French beans topped
Olive oil
Water enough to cover the Spaghetti
3 cloves garlic crushed
black pepper
Salt enough to taste
Freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Procedure :
*Put water into boiling, add salt
*Open and Put in the Spaghetti, let it boil for 10min or till its cooked “Al-dente” (not cooked too much)
*Drain the Spaghetti and preserve the water, Put some little olive oil to the Spaghetti to avoid from sticking together.
*Return the Spaghetti water back into the sauce pan and Put in the french beans and the peas, let boil for 2 mins-add the rest of veggies, leave to blanch for few seconds (10 seconds) drain and discard the water
*In a pan, add some olive oil, when hot toss the crushed garlic  till brown over a medium heat.
*Add in the Vegetable and finally the Spaghetti, mix well
*Season with a little lemon, salt and black pepper.
Add fresh herbs if you wish.
Serve and garlic with some grated permessan cheese if available.
ENJOY.

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Eliuds Vegetable ‘n’ fruit chapati rolls/Wraps

Chapati is an unleavened (no yeast or baking powder) flat bread and a staple food among the Swahili speaking Coastal people of East Africa. Its origin is believed to be in india though the Indian version is different from our East African Swahili coast. The Indian one is dry by the name of roti. Chapati is normally served with other foods like sukuma wiki,beans stew, cowpeas /green grams stew any type of lentils  (a vegetable dish) and other Vegetables or meat as an accompaniment . Tear off pieces of a chapatti and use it to pick up other foods. Chapatti can be served for breakfast, lunch or even as a snack. Making proper soft chapatti needs some practice but however in east African Coast, chapati can be found in almost every corner of local eateries or even from a street vendor! I made chapatis all the time and they had become very authentic in the process . This recipe is of a wrap/roll but however the basic procedure is the same  and if you want to have it as it is, you leave out the stuffing part.
I have  given it a twist by adding some pureed squash, mango and avocado on top of other vegetables  to give it an Eliuds  feel.
Ingredients :
3 cups white flour and extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for mixing and for cooking
1/4kg squash boiled and pureed smoothly
1cup water
Makes 4-5 chapatis
Procedure :
Mix dry ingredients well. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the flour mixture and mix in with your hands until flour feels a little bit like sand .
Take the boiled squash and Mix with the 1cup water and blitz in a blender .
Add  the squash mixture and add to the flour mixture, knead to form an elastic dough.

Check the elasticity, if not soft enough add a little more water
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.Dust the working table with some flour and roll out 1 ball into a circle and spread 1/2 teaspoon oil over it. Roll the circle up, like a jelly roll, then roll it up again. It should resemble a snail shell.
Do the same for the other three balls.
Let the dough sit 20 minutes covered with either a clean moist cloth or a cling wrap foil to avoid drying up. , depending on when you make them.
Roll out into circles 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
Add a tablespoon in a frying pan (I prefer a cast iron pan) and wait until it is hot to cook the chapati.
Cook rapidly and watch them bubble up.

Variations:
* Spread some butter or margarine on the warm chapati and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on it for breakfast.
Heathy Variations :
* Use 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole meal flour or all whole Atta flourto make a healthier chapati.
* Substitute 1/4 cup teff flour for 1/4 cup whole wheat flour to add more fiber to the chapatis.
* Skip the oil used when rolling up the chapatis.
* Cook the chapatis on a dry skillet or frying

Making the wraps/rolls
Yields – 4-5 rolls
Vegetable stuffing
Chapati  -5
Onion -1 big
Ginger-garlic paste -1 tsp
Green chillies -1(optional)
Capsicum -1 medium julliene
1 carrots diced or julliene
1/4kg French beans topped&blanched
1/4 shredded cabbage
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder -1 tsp
Coriander powder -2 tsp
Salt to taste
2 tsp butter
1tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 medium mango and avocado buttonates

Cooking the veggies :
Heat oil, add cumin seeds, when it splutters, add finely chopped onions and green chillies. Saute until onions turn transparent.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.
Add all the spices powder and salt needed
Add chopped capsicum and cook for a few more minutes.
Once the capsicum gets cooked a little,  Mix in other vegetables well and cook for 2-3 minutes until the masala gets coated with the Vegetable pieces well.
Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the flame. Let it cool a little.
Take a chapati, keep 2 tbsp of stuffing vertically, fold a little at the bottom as shown below and roll it from the side tightly.
Cut diagonally and serve with your Favourite meat stew or take as an office snack pack.

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Mix or premix

Out of an ongoing concern for adapting to current consumer trends, Bakers  have perfected a comprehensive line of delectable mixes , premixes and bread improvers . These ready-to-use solutions allow bakers to prepare a broad selection of breads and  baked goods with unique textures and tastes, developed from creative, easy-to-produce recipes.

Premixes generally contain portions of flour, grains and improvers, to which other baking ingredients like sugar, powdered milk and fats are added.Formulars are developed according to the selected flour bases (hard wheat, rye, soft wheat, etc.) and the desired technological and sensory characteristics.
These mixes and premixes vary by dosage:
Mixes vary from a 5% to 60% flour base, which the user then supplements with additional flour, yeast and water;
Premixes are complete blends of all the recipe’s ingredients, with the exception of yeast and water, which are added during keeping or even some premixes have ready added raising agents and softeners.

Having said that, Tropolite foods India flew in kenya its team of demonstration Chefs in Kenya to showcase their various premixes,they specialized their demos on cake premix, Cream an chocolate powders just to mention a few.
I and a team of other chefs crossed over the ferry to evaluate this new product which was organized by one of the southcoast hotel.

Talking about entering the retail sector, tropolite representative informed us that after receiving a positive response for their Flexi creme, their non-dairy cream product, launched  some years Ago in africa for the institutional segments, they are looking at launching the same in smaller packs for the Kenyan hotel or retail market. “The non-dairy creme is a superior replacement of the dairy available in the market and is a completely unique product in India with zero cholesterol. Also with a shelf life of nine months, it provides a better solution across all segments,” he added. “Tropolite will also be launching their pre-mixes and bakery and confectionery ingredients in a Kenyan consumer retail market ” The representative said.

Most premixes guarantee successful recipes, from the simplest to the most elaborate. This allows bakers to give free rein to their imaginations, while at the same time satisfying consumers’ changing expectations. Thanks to these preparations, artisan bakers become true artists and can selectively create all types of original breads, to the delight of their customers.
range of mixes and premixes includes several product facilitate eg Viennese baked goods and sweet specialties: croissants, donuts, brioches, and so on;
Health and wellness products farmhouse breads, hard wheat breads and multi-grain breads, as well as low-sodium and gluten-free breads, etc.
Convenience, performance and safety in the service of bakers
Thanks to their technical performance characteristics, premixes endow their end products with great regularity. They allow bakers to optimize their working time, avoid errors in measurement and obtain uniform, high-quality finished goods. They simplify  raw material inventory by reducing the number of baking ingredients , resulting in streamlined order fulfillment and helping Chefs reduce tear and wear of machines, Cost control becomes easy  and this leaves a baker or the kitchen with a smaller food cost. The products products were of high acceptable quality. Am not endorsing tropolite products but saying premixes are of age now. And the choice to use or not to use remain with you.

Using premixes saves bakers time by reducing the number weighing tasks they must perform and the time it takes to make their breads. It limits the risk of error by eliminating the more delicate operations associated with traditional bread-making methods.
While adapting to local preferences, premixes also give full expression to craft bakers, who can use them to create their own recipes. These ready-to-use premixes allow professionals to adapt to changes in demand and create completely new taste experiences.
Premixes are quick and easy-to-use, generating considerable time savings and simplifying production cost. Personally after the demos I will modestly say premix is the way to go. 

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Spinach with Cream

Spinach leaves marries very well with variety of flavors:Can be Stir fried with garlic, can be pureed and Mixed with cooked chicken(chicken saag or paneer saag-an Indian specials) Below is spinach with cream

Ingredients :
1kg fresh spinach, washed thoroughly
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
1 cup whole milk or halve cup double cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook spinach in a large pot with 1/4 inch water until steam has collapsed leaves, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and squeeze out liquid. Coarsely chop.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Stir for 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped spinach.
Serve with your Favourite accompaniment ~Fish and rice or beef stew and Ugali etc.

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Swag ya chai(Cooking with tea) Mombasa edition

What a fun day it was late last year! It was time for the “Cooking with Tea”. In swahili was popularly known as Swag ya chai contest that was arranged in every county in Kenya by Kenya Tea development Authority. Chefs were invited and participated fully to show there creativity in using tea as an ingredient in cooking. The national winner was to help spread the word that tea is more than just a Beverage.

TEA can be used to prepare tea infused smoothies, alcoholic coctails or rub in as a herbcrust in fish or meat. This was not the first “Cooking with Tea” contest the Authority has held. The idea surfaced a few years ago with culinarian gurus together with tea processors to showcase how Kenyan tea can be used  other than for Beverage purposes

One of Kenyan leading chicken hatchery(KENCHIC LTD) was not left behind  they, were well represented and they were also one of our corporate sponsors.
The Authority had asked me to be a judge, though I became a contestant because pen and paper wasn’t my swag The contest had a large following and sponsorship from catering Equipment suppliers to top retail outlets ,  From tea manufacturers to distributors put together. I not only had the privilege of being there, but got some notes to write this  article featuring each category which were divided into 3.
First categorized was the General public who just love cooking.
Second category was the student who are pursuing culinary Studies in college

The third category were the professional  chefs who are already in
the industry.
We choose 9 teas from  different tea companies. Fruits, vegetable, fish, Meats and chickens were displayed on the  Ingredients table Wonderfully  for the students and chefs contestors to choose from. Comedy and music was not left behind. I went to every station to  tasting of all the teas . It was fun to watch the contestant faces filled with sweat  as they prepared their ingredients and tasted all the different teas.Being a chef is not for a light hearted person ~especially if you cant handle pressure.

They could choose up to four different kinds to play with for their recipe. They could also choose which category to enter: Appetizer, Entree, or Dessert.
As a culinary specialist, it is so exciting to spread the word on tea especially to culinary students. There was so much excitement in the air as the first category, the students gathered behind an open kitchen for the contest. They had one hour to prepare and cook. c

As the contesters began to prep their dishes, Chef judges went around to talk to the participants about their dishes and how they were incorporating tea into them.  The excitement for the contest was building.

It was time to judge the contestants
recipes. On the judging panel was: Chef Lawrence Ireri of African Tours and Hotels , Chef Shayo of Travellers Beach hotel and other consultant chefs .

Each contestant brought out their dishes one at a time. They explained their dish, the type of tea(s) they used, and their execution of tea in the recipe.

Each one was very different and delicious, but in the end we could only have the best based on originality and creativity on the use of various types of tea.

Do you have a favorite recipe using tea as an ingredient? I would love  you to share it!
Happy Sipping and Tasting

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Spicy chicken flakes

I must say that am allergic to visible fat /oil in Food. But I as well admit I love stirfries. Not only the love to eat but as well the love of cooking. Stir frying is an oriental cooking style which is flavoursome and rich. Nutrients are Retained,vegetables are among the main ingredients thus giving the meal a balanced appeal. Below is a basic simple chicken Stir fried dish. You can replace chicken with beef, pork and even rice for vegetarians. Cooking is entirely dependent on cutting style. The thinner cut ingredients, the shorter the cooking time.
Ingredients :
1 tablespoon  salt
1tsp corn flour
2 teaspoons finely cracked black pepper corns
1pc  red /green/yellow pepper cut into stripes
2pcs Chillies (green or red)
1 teaspoon Ginger and garlic paste
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4tbs light dark soy sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast  halves — trimmed and cut into long stripes
Chicken cut into strips

1/4kg broccoli florets, cut in half blanched.
3 small carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
1pcs Medium red onion cut into julienne
Add all ingredients to list
Prep:25min
Cook:10min
Ready In 45 min
Vegetable Julienne

Marination :
Stir together the  soy, pepper cornstarch, salt, oil, ginger/garlic paste and paprika in a shallow bowl until blended.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Gently press both sides of the chicken pieces into the seasoning mix, and place into the hot skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally to flip the chicken pieces over, until the chicken is browned on both sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broccoli peppers and carrots, and stir until the vegetables are tender but crunchy 2 to 5 minutes.
Chicken flakes

Fish goujons/fingers

Very popular with kids.If Having a party for family, this is one snack or finger food yu should not miss. Its easy irresistible and quick to prepare. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes Serve with mayonnaise, tartare sauce or with a chilly tomato onion salsa to compliment the plate.

Ingredients :
300g white fish,skinless boneless fillets, cut into thick strips
50g plain flour
2 eggs whole beaten
100g breadcrumbs
1tsp white pepper
Pinch of salt
Lemon Juice from one lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Vegetable or corn oil for  frying
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method :

Put the fish pieces into a large bowl, and add the plain flour.
Season well and toss altogether until the fish pieces are well coated. In a separate bowl, mix togther the breadcrumbs and lemon zest.

Dip each piece in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs to coat.

Heat the oil in a pain until very hot. 
Add the fish goujons and fry in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through. 

 Serve either on a plate or in a basket. 

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Zanzibar Vs Mombasa street food

In my short work stay at this unique island of Uguja, popularly knows as Zanzibar in Tanzania I came to know that their eating culture is similar with that of my home town of Mombasa, Kenya in many ways.First of all they have a vast seafood Market,and secondly  they do lots of street food. Visiting  a scenic Forodhani Gardens you will find variey of barbeque seafood on disposal from squid to octopus, prawns to lobsters, red snapper to my Favourite grouper(Fillet and whole), roasted plaintains and cassava, Zanzibar Pizza to Mshikaki.

It is early evening at the Forodhani Gardens and the gentle breeze blowing from the Indian Ocean provides for a relaxing atmosphere, every evening is another night of work to street food vendors.
They spend a whole day preparing food, which he has now laid out on a stand ready for hungry clients.
Many food vendors  owe their livelihood to selling food to visitors at the forodhani gardens.
The Forodhani Gardens, overlooking the Zanzibar habour in Stone Town, is one of the island’s landmarks.
The allowing of food vendors at the gardens by the municipal council seeks to decentralise tourism.
Forodhani is Kiswahili for a dockyard, where cargo is cleared for Customs.
Forodhani Gardens has a scenic view of the harbour and the ocean, much like a more upmarket version of Mombasa mama ngina drive.

The government is supportive of this initiative and even all Cultural activities are held here
The expansive gardens offer a relaxing atmosphere, with breathtaking views of the ocean and nearby islands.
Come early afternoon, food vendors  start setting out their food stalls.
Business here goes on till late into the night. Since the food comes already cooked, there are charcoal braziers everywhere for heating every order.
At night, the gardens take on a dreamy hue as the lighting provided by the council is complemented by the kerosene lamps of the vendors.

The light bounces off the ocean waters and the whole garden assumes a carnival-like atmosphere.
Tourism, especially in African countries, is mostly the preserve of the exit though now its changing by the day and little, if any, of the returns, trickle down to the working class.
Forodhani is infact very popular with even the tourist  who come out of their luxury hotel rooms to eat and have fun and do direct business with the street food vendors

Back to Mombasa Cultural week is held every year to promote local food. Mshikaki(swahili word for skewers) or street food was being held every week though as I write this they don’t do this now days like their counterparts in Zanzibar. But however you will still find barbeque food stalls in selected streets in Mombasa  town especially in the evening  throughout to midnight.
You can get recipes  for Coastal Favourite foods in my recipes which have indian/Arabs influence which includes pilau, biriani, mkate sinia, Mshikaki, Mahamri etc.

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