Last weekend I craved some fresh, gorgeous, ripe papaya so we visited the Asia Market in Dublin 2 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 it 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 who also sell great meat and fish, and from Nourish health stores.

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.