What's for Dinner?

Since I'm feeling a bit lazy tonight and it's a nice follow-up to the last post I thought I'd show everyone what I've been eating here. These are all dishes I have made for dinner while in Kenya. I like to try everything new I see at the market since there isn't much variety here. I've been a very experimental cook with all the new food and different cooking facilities. As you can see from the photos some things turn out and others are barely edible :)

Arrowroots are a very common vegetable here and is mostly served as a main course. Once it's peeled it looks like a giant potato with purple veins running through it. It is almost tasteless and quite crumbly. I am not a fan but I am given them from time to time so I eat them upon occasion.

Mukimo is a very traditional Kenyan dish and this one is served with a side of chapati. I love mukimo but I don't cook it often because it is a lot of work. It is mashed potatos/bananas/pumkin with spinach/carrots/maize in it. The combinations are endless and I like them all!

Cabbage and Carrots is not a nice meal. I am often given cabbages when we visit local farms and one cabbage lasts one person for several meals so I'm always trying to find new ways to cook it. This must have been the day before market day though because this is a sad effort.

Cabbage and Potatoes may sound Irish to most but it's fairly common in Kenya. I went crazy and added a little pepper which is a very non-Kenyan thing to do. Here in central Kenya the most exotic spices people use are cilantro and salt.

Peanut Butter and Bananas on Toast is a favorite. I have to go to Thika for the peanut butter but it is my emergency food. When everything has to be cooked from scratch having at least one option that is "fast food" is critical! I included the bananas in the photo so you can see how tiny there are. We have many types of bananas here but this is my favorite. They are very sweet but you should only eat a max of 2 a day or they will stop you up. I was well into my stay here before anyone mentioned that...

Eggs are my main protein source here so I eat a lot of them. I probably won't eat eggs for a few years after I return to Canada. The fresh pineapple is delicious though.

Barley Chili was an experiment. I made chili with just beans but didn't feel like I was getting full so I added some barely flakes to it the next day on the reheat and it really beefed up the dish. I was pretty proud of my ingenuity but I wouldn't recommend trying this at home. I have the feeling I won't choose barely chili over regular chili when I have the choice.

Well, that's a week of food...I'm definitely excited to get back to my kitchen with an oven, multiple burners, and a refrigerator!