Autumn squash chia seed bread

I don't know if you all remember my Darth Vader olive oil banana bread, but that stuff is delicious and it is such a flexible recipe that could incorporate many different healthy components. Now that there are pumpkin spiced lattes around every corner, I have experimented with my own autumnal recipe by altering my banana bread recipe into a vegan squash bread. There is no yogurt, and instead of eggs, I am using chia seeds. 

I've mostly encountered chia seeds in Southeast Asian cuisine, namely Vietnamese sweet drinks and Thai desserts. But now that I'm reading about them, they almost sound too good to be true. Chia seeds are soaked in water and generate this slimy bubble capsule. These magical seeds are packed with omega-3 oil, fiber, calcium, and antioxidants. They are associated with sustaining satiety, providing endurance for athletes, and leveling blood sugar. 

Autumn squash chia seed bread
1 can squash (One Pie brand is perfect)
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs chia seeds (soaked in 9tbs water for about 5-10min)
1 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar 

1 cup rolled oats 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
3 tsp All spice (or replace with 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger)

1. Preheat oven at 350F and oil an 8x8 baking pan

2. In a medium bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (squash, olive oil, soaked chia seeds). Mix well and set this squash mixture aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together all the rest of the dry ingredients.

4. Slowly fold the squash mixture into the dry ingredients. 

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top (feel free to sprinkle some flour into the pan before pouring in the batter to further prevent sticking).

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of bread comes out clean.

7. Transfer to a wire rack and let bread cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan.

✓ fiber
✓ whole grains
✓ monounsaturated 
✓ Vitamin A

Notes:
- Before you head out in the mornings, serve this toasted with a Greek yogurt topping.
- Instead of using squash, use a can of pumpkin.
- Next time try using half a can of squash and 1-2 medium bananas.
- If you don't want to go out and invest in a bag of chia seeds, substitute back with the eggs!