THREE NUTRITIOUS AND DELECTABLE PEGAN RECIPES TO TRY TODAY

The current mass favourite on health radar is the Pegan diet. The Pegan diet is essentially the hybrid of Paleo diet and Vegan diet; where the former boasts of fruits, grains, and nuts, and the latter fosters non-animal based products. According to Dr Mark Hyman, Medical Director at the Cleveland Clinic Centre for Functional Medicine, who coined this diet, “The healthiest way to eat is a play on paleo and vegan.”

Photo credits: Good Housekeeping

However Pegan should not be misinterpreted as Vegan, primarily because Paleo is not necessarily dairy or meat free. However, if you are a strict vegan, you can switch your paneer with tofu and meat with soya chunks; and savour your palate with recipes that bring you the best of both worlds. According to Dr Hyman, switching to this diet will provide your body omega-3 fatty acids, quality proteins, and essential amino acids which aren’t available otherwise, even in the most thoughtfully spread vegan platter.

Paleo-vegan or not, try these delectable recipes to relish your taste buds – a burst of flavour to your palate, unbelievably easy to make and highly nutritious.

CUCUMBER AVOCADO WATERMELON SALAD BECAUSE S-U-M-M-E-R (By Heartbeet Kitchen)
It is safe to say that watermelons and summers go hand-in-hand. This recipe is yet another respite from the scorching heat of the summer sun! You can have it for breakfast, supper, and in fact, it is a fun amalgam of healthy and delicious that you can munch on, any time of the day.

Photo credits: Heartbeet Kitchen

Ingredients:
½ Cubed watermelon
2 Scooped avocado
1 thin sliced cucumber
Olive oil (for dressing)
Dry basil
Fresh lime (or lemon)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Photo credits: Heartbeet Kitchen

Recipe:
Put together the watermelon, avocado, and sliced cucumber in a bowl; make a dressing of olive oil, dry basil, and fresh lime; add salt and pepper as per your liking. Toss it all and voila! It’s that quick.

CAULIFLOWER PALEO GNOCCHI MADE WITH 2 INGREDIENTS (By Paleo Gluten Free)
Yes, you read that right, it is a two-ingredient recipe – super-easy and super-quick. This recipe is apt to enliven your taste buds on those laid back Sundays when cooking seems like a frantic hassle.

Photo credits: Paleo Gluten Free

Ingredients:
For gnocchi
4 cups cauliflower minced
3/4 cup cassava flour (you may use coconut flour, almond flour, rice flour or chickpea flour)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

For sauce
1 can full-fat canned coconut milk
4 cups spinach
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (you may use corn starch or rice flour)
Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:
For the gnocchi, steam the cauliflower until soft (about five minutes) and then squeeze the excess water out. For the dough, blend it with other ingredients until a smooth kneadable dough is ready, then make 1" pieces from the dough, put them to boil (until they float), and drizzle little olive oil once done. The last step is to bake these chunks on 425F for 20 minutes each on either side.

Here’s an explicit video on ‘How to make gnocchi chunks’:

Video credits: Paleo Gluten Free

For the sauce, stir together all the above mentioned ingredients (except spinach), whisk until it’s smooth and saucy-thick. Then remove from heat, add spinach, wilt it, then stir in the gnocchi. It’s ready to be plated!

JACKFRUIT BBQ PIZZA WITH A SWEET POTATO CRUST (By A Saucy Kitchen)
This may sound like a hardcore cooking session, with an apron on and flour on your face, however , it’s exactly the opposite and takes only 30 minutes to be plate ready.

Photo credits: A Saucy Kitchen

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust
1 average-size sweet potato pizza crust (For a home-made sweet potato pizza crust recipe, click here)

BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste, molasses, apple cider vinegar, chilli powder (one each)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, mustard powder (one each)
1 tablespoon chipotle paste (optional)

Toppings
1 Jackfruit
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
Fresh cilantro, for topping

Photo credits: A Saucy Kitchen

Recipe:
Prepare the pizza crust first by heating it in the oven (until warm and soft). For the BBQ sauce, add everything together and whisk it over medium-low heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes. For the topping, boil the jackfruit and then use a fork or potato masher to mash it all up. Stir in the grainy-mashed jackfruit into the remaining BBQ sauce and cook for a few minutes.

For the final step, top the pizza crust with jackfruit in BBQ sauce and sliced red onions. Bake at 400°F/205°C for 10 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and serve!

These recipes may help you debut in the Pegan world. Try it, feel good, look good, and stay healthy! Also, do share if you have any interesting Pegan recipe of your own.

Experimenting with recipes is fun, but do consult your doc if you’re making a lifestyle change with the Pegan diet.