Super simple papaya dessert
Last weekend I craved some fresh, gorgeous, ripe papaya so we visited the Asia Market in Dublin 2 (www.asiamarket.ie) where we picked up an enormous specimen for about €7. We cut about a third off, scooped out the spherical black seeds, peeled the section with a potato peeler, and cubed it before piling into bowls and drizzling with lime juice. The rest we kept in the fridge for the next day, and the next. A real taste of southeast Asia. This is the simplest dessert in the world after a weekday dinner. If you wanted to make this into a snack, serve a cupful of papaya pieces with a heaped tablespoon of delicious (dairy-free) Coyo coconut “yoghurt” from health stores. I get my Coyo from Ennis butchers in Inchicore (www.ennisbutchers.com) who also sell great meat and fish, and from Nourish health stores (www.nourish.ie).
1 ripe papaya (you will want enough to make 2 teacupfuls of bite sized cubes)
1 lime, cut in half
1. Peel and scoop out the seeds of a piece of papaya large enough to yield 2 cupfuls
2. Pile into 2 bowls and hand around a lime half to drizzle over. Delicious.
Why this is good for you:
Papaya contains the enzyme papain, which helps digest protein. It’s often in digestive enzyme supplements. Papaya eaten as a dessert after a meal of fish, eggs, meat or beans helps you digest the meal. Papaya also has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in minerals.