Sweet and Spicy Papaya Summer Appetizer
(papaya seeds on the left inside the glass)
What a crazy week it has been. Hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July!
My 4th of July was a work load, but it ended with a great refreshing view of the bay area and fireworks! I wish I would’ve grabbed my camera before we ran up steep stairs to the top of a hill to have captured the moment. I drove into San Francisco and met with my friend and her roommate. A short lived night, but very fun. I began wondering too how they create the crazy cool figures of fireworks. Anyone know?
We have been getting beautiful weather here in the bay area. Every time for my lunch break at work I go out onto the balcony of the store, sink my teeth into 4 flavor bursting sweet juicy peaches (yes, 4!!), and then be like a cat lying on the balcony to soak up the sunshine and sink into a warm cloud of bliss. The other day I came home to two beautiful small papayas. I ate one whole as it is and oh my goodness yum. I left the other one to experiment with a summer recipe.
Have you ever thought about eating the seeds of the papaya?
They are incredible parasite fighters and digestion healers…and may not be the best tasting seeds to eat plain. They are very pungent with a peppery taste. If you are looking for ways to detoxify your liver, then you may want to consider papaya seeds.
They can be used to help digest a heavy meal and facilitate protein digestion by eating a teaspoon of the raw papaya seeds shortly before the meal or during. A fun idea to try is to replace your pepper with a little bit of papaya seeds on top of your meat or salad dressing. I like to eat a little bit of the seeds when I’m taking bites of the papaya. You can also add about a teaspoon to your fruity smoothie if you have a high power blender. For a nice effect to get “thangs” moving you can try swallowing a spoonful of papaya seeds, which aid as a laxative. Keep in mind that it is the unripe papaya and green papaya that should be best avoided for pregnant women, as it contains substances that act as a contraceptive.
Consumed medicinally in a special diet routine and in higher quantities, they can help to fight off parasites invading your gut.
Have you ever tried papaya seeds? How do you like the taste? Care to share any recipes? They are too spicy for me! I can only eat a few even when I chase them with papaya.
I came up with this sweet and spicy sauce to drizzle on top of chunks of papaya. I almost went for blending blueberries for the sauce, but I decided to go for a more captivating color and so I used super ripe sweet strawberries.
(the little black seeds on the sauce are the papaya seeds)
Try it
-1 cup sweet strawberries. The strawberries are in season right now here in California. They are bursting with sweetness and flavor.
-2 teaspoons papaya seeds
-sea salt
-cayenne pepper
-1 ripe papaya
Slice your papaya in half. Scoop out two teaspoons of the seeds and the rest of them you can put into a small bowl or glass jar to store in the fridge. For the sauce, blend your washed strawberries, with the papaya seeds, and sea salt in the blender. Set aside in a small bowl for the sauce to rest and let the ingredients mingle with one another. Grab your papaya, and with a small spoon scoop out small chunks of the papaya and set on a serving platter. You can slice the papaya if you want or do other textures. Then give your sauce a quick mix, and drizzle on top of the papaya chunks. Lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper. You can also add a squirt of lemon juice! yum!
For more info on papaya seeds, have a look at:
http://superfoodprofiles.com/category/fruits-berries/papaya/
http://goodguy.hubpages.com/hub/Health-benefits-of-papaya-and-papaya-seeds
plantsjournal.com/vol1Issue1/Issue_jan_2013/2.pdf
