Japanese Pumpkin Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt
3. In a small bowl, mix flax egg ingredients, set aside
4. In a separate bowl, combine squash, oil, banana, flax eggs, water and spices
5. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until dry and wet ingredients are combined – do not over stir.
6. Pour into a greased loaf pan (9×5). Bake for 50-60 minutes. This loaf may not cook like a traditional bread. It stays very moist. When the top has a nice brown crust and an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean, it’s good to go!
7. The original recipe that I used was healthier than the norm, but when I made it the second day (that’s right – we ate it all), I substituted a bit of a banana instead of oil and used less sugar for this healthier version. Also – I drastically reduced the sugar because the coconut oil lends some sweetness, along with the banana and this particular squash variety. The result of these substitutions is a very moist pumpkin-y bread.

* How to make Flax Eggs (or Chia Eggs)

1. Flax “eggs” are an easy substitute in most recipes calling for just one or two eggs. They’re a great option for vegans and those allergic to chicken eggs.
2. To prepare a flax egg, simply grind some flax seeds, or chia seeds, in a coffee grinder.
3. Note: Freshly ground seeds work best, over the store-bought milled variety.
4. For each egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed (measure after grinding) with 3 tablespoons of water.
5. Stir well, and place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
6. After 15 minutes, the result should be a sticky egg-like substitute.