What's Zucchini Bread When It's At Home?

WHAT goes on behind other people's kitchen doors IS usually none of my business but, on Valentine’s Day (2016), and with our soon to be Ex-President of the US making an appearance on a US TV Show Ellen (US) when the talk turned to food, I was about to make an exception.

You know how you can always rely on someone in high (or low) places to make a Grand gesture on Valentine’s Day. No? Well February 14th, 2016 and 'someone' was about to step up to the plate and “Oh Me Oh My” (the Lulu classic I put on), it was none other than Mr Obama about to make a Grand ‘OMOM’ gesture.

Whishing his ‘boo’, Michelle, a Happy Velantine’s Day in front of millions, and topping it off by promising to cook her up 'a special Valentine’s meal'..

'Zucchini Bread and a plate of vegetables”.

Well, you could have knocked me down with a spatula....my first thoughts? What's Zucchini Bread when it's at home?

DAYS LATER the Media announced his declaration - ‘Adorable’ … http://fortune.com/2016/02/12/barack-michelle-obama-valentines-day/

LATER the Media announced his declaration - ‘Adorable’ … http://fortune.com/2016/02/12/barack-michelle-obama-valentines-day/

As for me, still mystified.

So, I phoned a friend, who's cousin new all about the said veg and it turns out, the Zucchini is none other than what us Brits call courgettes!.

So, a quick trip down to the shops for the courgettes and putting on my Bread Baking hat, with a little help from my old recipe book, (in the family for aeons) to rustle me up Zuccinni Bread before the party starts!

1¾ cup white whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoon of cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon molasses

Sprinkling of Fresh herbs Basil & Cumin

Tbsp. Fenugreek seeds

1½ cups grated zucchini

6 Tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

Almonds are a precious foodstuff - a crunchy, complete protein, with healthful fats to boot and vitamins and minerals.

A bit of a delicacy, a special treat even, nevertheless, one of the new-wave "Plant-based milk" alonfgside soy milk, rice and coconut milks (and the rest).

Meanwhile, many of us are put off making bread simply because making Dough, the old fashioned way, is passee!

But in our era, the breadmaking machine is here. Essentially a compact electric oven that will hold a single, large bread tin.

The tin has an axle at the bottom that connects into an electric motor underneath. A small metal paddle clicks onto the axle inside the tin. The axle is held by a waterproof seal so none of your bread mixture will escape. The machine's motor spins round, kneading the dough. - Then everything goes quiet during the rising phase.

You'll hear more kneading and another period of quiet during the proving. Finally, the oven will switch on, you'll see steam coming up through the exhaust vent, and you'll start to smell the delicious aroma of baking bread a few minutes later. It's automatic!

Back to the dough at hand. But first, getting out my (British) Bread Pan.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a loaf pan (Ceramic/aluminium or other) and set to one side.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add eggs, vanilla extract, molasses, and grated zucchini and stir until all the ingredients are lightly incorporated. Slowly add in the almond milk, stopping when the batter is reasonably thick. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool.

Lastly, get out the. best plates/the wine/and put on the records...

Enjoy!

(With a stella Valentine Playlist!