Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a medium size loaf pan with parchment paper. (Since there’s no oil in this recipe, you need to use parchment paper to keep the loaf from sticking to the pan.)

2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in shredded zucchini and chopped pecans. Set aside. In another bowl, mash the banana and stir in the lemon juice to keep the banana from browning. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, and the sugars, and mix until well blended. Scoop banana mixture into the flour/zucchini mixture and stir just until combined. (Batter should be very thick. But if mixture seems too dry, add a splash or two of plant milk to moisten. If mixture seems to thin, add another couple of tablespoons flour.)

3. Spoon batter into parchment lined loaf pan. (No need to use oil, when using parchment paper.) Sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon/sugar mixture, if desired.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and let it sit on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then pull the parchment out of the pan (with the bread inside) and place on a cooling rack. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Once completely cool, slice into 10- 12 slices.

NOTE: Wrap cooled loaves or stacked slices in the parchment paper used for baking, before placing them in a plastic bag to save for another day or to freeze for later. This keeps the slices from becoming overly moist and sticky as the bread is stored.  (Plus, parchment wrapped loaves or slices look super cute all wrapped up and tied with colored string!)