Raw Fruit and Greens With Papaya Seed Dressing. The Health Benefits Of Papaya.

Papaya seeds look and taste like black pepper.

Papaya seed salad dressing.

One of our Favorite Fruits

My husband and I absolutely love papaya. Whenever we travel to a warm place like Hawaii or Mexico, the first thing we look for are papayas. Their sweet, buttery taste is unique and although we would love to restrict our shopping to local produce, this is a case where it's worth making an exception. Hawaii papayas are pear shaped, about 7 inches long, have orange flesh and weigh about a pound. Mexican papayas can be much larger and can weigh up to ten pounds or more. Because of the size, the flavor of the Mexican papaya is a bit less intense than the papayas from Hawaii but I think both of them are wonderful!

Ten Interesting Things to Know About Papaya

1. Papaya contains the digestive enzymes, papain and chymopapain that aid in the digestion of protein.

2. Because of its high antioxidant content (vitamin C, E and beta-carotene) and its enzymes, papaya helps reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease and and may help reduce symptoms of arthritis.

3. Papaya seeds are edible and look and taste like black peppercorns.

4. Rich in lycopene, papaya consumption may help lower the risk of prostate cancer.

5. Papayas is associated with latex-fruit allergy syndrome so if you have an allergy to latex, you may be allergic to papaya. (Ditto for avocado and banana).

6. Ripe papaya has been used as a topical remedy against ringworm.

7. Unripe papaya can cause uterine contractions and should not be eaten in early pregnancy. Green papaya has been used as a folk remedy to prevent pregnancy.

8. Papaya seeds are said to reduce male fertility and are used as a folk remedy as birth control (don't count on it!).

9. Some papayas can grow as long as 20 inches!

10. Christoper Columbus called papaya "the fruit of the angels".

The Black Peppery Seeds

Pop one in your mouth and notice the peppery taste of the seeds. When blended in a VitaMix, the seeds look like specks of black pepper! Adding the papaya and strawberries, the dressing has the look and consistency of a thousand islands dressing. If you want larger "chunks" of black pepper, add the seeds at the end with the olive oil.

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Fruit and Greens with Papaya Seed Dressing

[serves 4]

For the salad dressing:

1/4 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon papaya seeds (or to taste)

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1 clove garlic, chopped

6 to 8 drops stevia (or 1 tablespoon agave or honey)

1/2 cup papaya, cubed

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

1 head butter lettuce, cleaned and torn

4 large strawberries, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup papaya, sliced

16 raspberries

Clean and prepare all salad ingredients and place them in a salad bowl and set aside.

Place all salad dressing ingredients except the oil, in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add olive oil and blend briefly until combined. This makes one cup of dressing. Toss desired amount into salad and serve.

Per serving of salad: 85.8 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g protein, 9.8 g carbohydrates and 4.9 g of fiber.

Per tablespoon of dressing: 34.1 calories, 3.4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.1 g protein, 0.8 g carbohydrates and 0.2 g of fiber.