Papaya Marinated steak w/ papaya salad

This may sound like a papaya overload, but it's not. There's other flavours going on, and if you didn't know the marinade had papaya in it, you wouldn't realise.

Little Summer loved the papaya raw, couldn't get enough. Izzy is my fussy, nose screwer upper and wouldn't have a bar of it. She did eat the marinated steak though.

I actually like eating the raw red papaya as my morning fruit. They are packed with vitamins and minerals. So good for you. 

I use the peels on my face. The flesh is actually really great at getting rid of dead skin and healing, I love how it improves my complexion. 

Papaya contains an enzyme called Papain that breaks down protein. So it works well as a marinade on tougher cuts of meat. I used rump steak in this instance, but I've also used the marinade with pork fillet and it was awesome. 

You'll need half a red papaya, which will cost you from $2.50 to $3. I was surprised it was so cheap, considering it is a tropical fruit. 

This recipe also uses kaffir lime leaves. If you aren't lucky enough to know someone with a tree, you can buy them in the herb section of the supermarket. It freezes really well so I doesn't go to waste. I just pull out the leaves I need, when I need.

Papaya marinade
1 kaffir lime leaf, sliced thinly
1/4 red papaya, mashed with a fork
1/2 teaspoon chinese 5 spice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon chilli oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Mix together. Pour and massage into 500 grams(or up to 1 kg) of rump steak.

Leave for 1/2 hour to 1 hour.

Take steak out of marinade and grill as you normally would. Serve with salad.

Papaya and avocado salad
1 spring onion, sliced
1/4 papaya, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 capsicum, sliced
1 kaffir lime leaf, sliced thinly
1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts 

Place all in a bowl and gently toss together.

Dressing
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar

Mix all together and drizzle over salad.

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Papaya Salsa

Half a papaya, diced

1/4 medium red onion, finely diced

1/4 green capsicum, finely diced

2 vietnamese mint leaves, finely shredded

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons lime juice

Mix all together. 

Serve with seafood, chicken or pork.
It would be equally as awesome with a bit of pineapple added to it, or whatever else you fancy, tomato, cucumber. 

You could use coriander and a little chilli in the place of the vietnamese mint. I used the mint because that's what I have growing right now.  It has a corianderish flavour with a hot bite to it.

I found a plant in the bargain bin for $1 because it was on it's last legs at the nursery. It was sold under the name of 'laksa leaf'. Make sure if you buy some you put it in a pot, it will run rampant in the ground!

I never have a lemon or lime for that matter when I need one. What I do have is citric acid in the pantry. Brett once decided to make lemonade and it's been sitting there ever since. I drop the smallest pinch in a couple of tablespoons of water and voila, lemon juice! It's workin out for me at the moment anyway....

If you have any left over papaya, puree about half a cup and mix together with a tablespoon of honey for a refreshing face mask.

Papaya contains natural enzymes that remove dead skin cells and honey will moisturise. 

Leave on for 15 minutes, preferably in hot bath with a glass of your favourite bubbly, garnished with a chunk of papaya. Mmmm, bubbly......

Competition entry linked at Mummyhood101 and CRAP mumma