Urban Gourmet Burgers

I haven’t been to Westgate since it was rebuilt.
But after looking for a new place to try out in Westlands with a couple of friends urban gourmet burgers came up! It’s a great place to watch sports, or to hang out with family and friends.
Urban Gourmet offers many burgers including offerings with a Caribbean and Asian influence. I was really excited to find a place that offers veggie patties in their burgers!
The desserts are delicious with baked pies, fudge and soft serve ice cream, all of which were delicious.   

            

Super Moist Dark Chocolate Cake

Cake, cake, cake! Music to my ears! I tried a great recipe from AllRecipes for a super moist dark chocolate cake. The crumbs left after less than 3 hours by my family are evidence of how delish this was!
To make this I used:

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 175˚c. Grease and flour the baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

Urban Eatery

Now that I’ve completely cut meat out of my diet I can really appreciate places that have proper vegetarian options and one of them is urban eatery! They have creative dishes like stuffed avocado shells, for avocado lovers like myself that sounds like a dream!
I wrote a blog post about the place in September when I went there for my birthday but after trying out their Enchiladas I had to post about them again.
Decor is brilliant, service is excellent and the food… Oh, the food is delicious! Take a look at some of my favourite pictures from there!

Vegetable Hot Pot

Happy New Year! I’m a little late on wishing you one but 5 days into the month isn’t too late right? I’ve been enjoying an amazing vegetable hot pot using a recipe I got from BBC. It’s easy, delicious, and who doesn’t like anything that goes in the oven?
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, finely chopped
4 carrots chopped
50g plain flour
750ml vegetable stock
3 sprigs thyme
900g potatoes cut into quarters
Salt and Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and, and once hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrots, plus another pinch of salt. Place a lid on and gently fry for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, sprinkle in the flour and stir around to coat the vegetables and soak up any cooking juices. Add the stock and thyme and stir to mix well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan of water and cook the sliced potato in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to soften slightly. Drain and then put them into cold water to cool them and make them easier to handle.

Grease the baking tin and pour the vegetable mix into a baking tin. Arrange the potato slices over the top of the vegetables, seasoning between layers with salt and pepper to taste and finishing with a neat layer of slices. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place into the preheated oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes are golden-brown on top.

Brighten Your Day

It’s almost Christmas!! I know the weather is cold and dull in most places so I have a post on some of my favourite pictures this week and brighten up your day!

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Heap that Salad and Sprinkle that Blackcurrant

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately so lots of fruits and vegetables have become my ultimate best friend! I posted a picture of this papaya and mango salad on social media and alot of people asked for the recipè. To make it I used:

1 cup papaya
1 cup mango
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dried blackcurrant

Directions

To rehydrate the dried blackcurrant, place it in a pot and cover with water completely. Bring to a simmer under medium heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the papaya and mango into small cubes or short thick strips and place in a bowl, add the lemon juice and mix.
After 5 minutes drain the water from the dried blackcurrant, allow them to cool for 10 minutes so they can plump up.

That’s it! You’re done! Enjoy!

Walk Around Nairobi

First of all.. Happy new month!!👐👐

Ever since I got back to Kenya I haven’t done nearly as much exploring as I’d like. Nairobi is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the world… A little concrete jungle. I’m determined to explore little bits of it a little at a time. Here are some of my favourite pictures this week!

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Vegan Fried Rice

Isn’t fried rice just the easiest thing to make? A few minutes and a few simple ingredients is all it takes to make this delicious quick meal! To make this I used:

1 cup mushrooms
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 onion
1 green pepper (sliced lengthwise)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with salt
1/4 cup minced carrot
1 large clove garlic, mince
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 cup peas

Directions
Drain, squeeze, dry, and cut mushrooms in quarters. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a well-seasoned. Pour in the eggs, swirl the pan so the egg is large and thin. As soon as the egg has set, turn it out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cool, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Wipe the pan with a paper towel and heat the remainingpeanut oil over high heat. Add the onion andcarrots and stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, green pepper,  garlic, and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute more. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peas, and reserved egg, cook, stirring until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
Easy peazy lemon squeezy!

Along with the vegan theme of this post, I discovered a really great oat drink over the weekend! I’m going to go off dairy for a month, and discovering these really great substitutes has been a plus!

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The Arbor Place

I’m not sure just how many apologies I should start this post with. I’m incredibly sorry for not posting for this long, I started working and it’s essentially been long nights and early mornings (not that that’s an excuse).
I’m super excited to tell you about this beautiful Malaysian restaurant I discovered… The Arbor Place! Malaysia is such a big part of my life, any opportunity to reconnect with it is one I can never pass on. I went to The Arbor place with my best friend Monica. I had the Nasi Pattaya, fried rice in an egg pocket and Monica had the Chicken Curry with Rice . We loved both dishes.

Check out some of my favourite pictures!