NOURISHING WEEKEND RECIPES: GREEN SALAD WITH PAPAYA SEED DRESSING

Papaya, a long time favourite of mine, is delicious, versatile, and boasts a long list of health benefits. As the weather warms up I've been craving more cooling foods and eating a LOAD of papaya... papaya breakfast smoothies, papaya with yoghurt and freshly sliced with a good squeeze of lime juice. 

To date I've mostly neglected the goodness of the seeds and discarded them, but with a new focus on 'waste less food' my awareness has increased and realised I'd been wasting a good part of the fruit! Whilst I had a vague knowledge that papaya and the seeds were good for digestive health, having eaten the seeds on the odd occasion when hit with a traveller's stomach bug whilst living in Cambodia (no they didn't work, but fair to say I probably only consumed a handful, hardly enough for a medicinal dose)! I hadn't really thought about using them in cooking.

Green papaya, papaya skin and papaya seeds all contain the enzyme papain, which does good things for our digestive health, including assisting to break down proteins and helping to eliminate parasites and other nasties. Here are a few more good reasons to eat your papaya seeds....Because papain acts as a digestive aid papaya seeds are a good choice to match with a meal high in meat or other proteins.  Papaya seeds are also said to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects on our digestive systems. 

And if that's still not enough to entice you to eat more papaya, they are also a good source of antioxidants to protect skin against free radicals and promotes good heart health by reducing oxidisation of cholesterol in our arteries.

My conclusion. Eat more papaya! Wishing you a delicious weekend x

Green salad with Papaya Seed dressing Recipe

I made this simple salad dressing using fresh papaya seeds. Great over a plain green salad as a side, or add French green lentils and cucumber for a more filling salad. The seeds are quite peppery so start off using small amounts if your new to the taste. Note: If you are pregnant it is advised not to eat papaya seeds.  

      3 tablespoons Papaya seeds

      3 tablespoonsTahini, good quality hulled or unhealed. I used hulled.

      1/2 cup Sheep or goats milk yoghurt

      Lemon juice, about half a lemon

      1/2 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar, or other good quality vinegar

      Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender until seeds are coarsely ground.

Refrigerate and drizzle over salad greens.

Serves 4

Information source: Superfood Profiles