Carrot Squash Bread Recipe

Given that Halloween fell this year on a Wednesday (and lets be honest, its' likely that I would not have ventured out anyway), I was in the mood to hunker down with some comfort food and a scary movie. I also carved a pumpkin that ended up looking like the proud work of a 4 year old....but thats another story.

This particular evening of nostalgic, fall-like food consisted of butternut squash soup and this new, amazing recipe I discovered for Carrot-Squash Bread....and wanted to share it with you!

Carrots are high in Vitamins A and K, and a recent 10 year study showed that increasing your carrot intake by only 25 grams (less than a 1/4 cup) per day drastically decreased risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease). Carrots are full of antioxidants and health-supporting nutrients.

For this recipe, I used acorn squash (although butternut or another sweet winter squash or pumpkin would work). Various types of winter squash are chalked full of antioxidants, particularly beta and alpha carotene, and are also high in vitamins C and A. Furthermore, winter squash (similar to sweet potatoes or yams) is a great food to incorporate when you are craving something starchy but want to stick to a whole foods, largely plant based diet.

Now that you are inspired....give this recipe a try!!!

CARROT SQUASH BREAD
courtesy of fastpaleo.com

Ingredients:

3/4 coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 large eggs
3 tbsp raw honey (or less, depending on taste)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
1 cup grated acorn squash (about 1/4 of a squash)
1 cup grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)

Instructions:

Sieve the coconut flour into a mixing bowl, add sea salt and cinnamon. Once the butter or oil is cooled, stir in the vanilla, honey, and lemon zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. When its still runny, add in the carrots and squash and mix until combined. Press into a greased 9 X 11 loaf pan. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes until it is firm but springy to the touch. Let it cool before slicing. Enjoy!