Five Spice Papaya Steak With Parsnip Pineapple Rice

Papaya wasn’t always a favorite of mine. Even as a teenager, the few times I tried it, it kind of left me cold. Not that I often saw it around the grocery aisles in Switzerland, where I lived at the time. I guess it took a more evolved adult palate – and a few trips to warmer climates – for me to fully appreciate the delicacy of the papaya. And of course there was Papaya King in New York where papaya, orange and God-knows-what-other mystery additives and flavorings tranformed the fruit into a sugary smoothie tasting nothing whatever like itself! I’m not even sure papaya was in there at all! And now here I’ve done it too. Turned the papaya into something else. Papaya steak. Hmm. Looks like salmon.

The thing is: this was fun! We’ve been experimenting a lot with fruit and veggie steaks and papaya seemed a prime target. It takes well to spices. In fact I usually eat papaya in the morning for breakfast, generously sprinkled with cayenne pepper. What a pick me up!

In this case, dehydrating the papaya for only three hours really changes the consistency. The outside gets a little firmer and spicier while the inside is pure papaya sweetness.The combination of marinade and five spice powder gives it a real zing! Served with the Parsnip Pinapple Rice, it’s a filling and wonderful treat. And pretty to boot! I have to say: the rice, by itself, is so simple but so good. I could have eaten a ton of that, all by itself!

For Everything that Ails You

Papaya is truly the ultimate health and beauty fruit. It rivals oranges and lemons with its high vitamin C content and also boasts copious amounts of Vitamin A. and B-complex vitamins like folic acid, vitamin B6 and B1 and riboflavin. Papaya is lauded for its digestive capabilities; it contains enzymes that help to break food down quickly. This makes it easier to digest proteins. High water and soluble fiber content make papaya even greater for a virtual litany of digestion issues. The sunny papaya is ready to do battle with everything from acid reflux to IBS. Gastric issues, be damned!

But, digestion aside, papaya is also a wonderful beautifier. You can smash it up, add a little honey and cover your face with it for a mask that’s naturally exfoliating, anti-ageing and zit fighting at the same time! That’s what we did here with any remaining bits that didn’t make it as papaya steak. We were dribbling mashed papaya all over the place. But boy, are our faces soft today! And it’s great for your hair too, although we didn’t go that route ourselves. We were messy enough. We would of looked like some bizarre melting orange aliens from an old B Horror film. And there are guests staying here. Be afraid; Be very afraid.

The bottom line is, I’m always glad I gave papaya a second…and a third… and maybe even way more chances than that. Because now I love it. You might ask, then, why am I trying to change it? I’m not. Just this time, it got dressed up a little differently. It’s still the same, perfect papaya. We’re just maximizing it’s potential to wow!

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Five Spice Papaya Steak With Parsnip Pineapple Rice

Pineapple Steak

1 medium to large papaya; peeled, seeded and carved

1/2 cup Nama Shoyu

1/4 cup raw agave nectar

Juice of 1 lime

2-3 tablespoons Five Spice powder

To carve papaya: Peel papaya amd cut in half. lengthwise, removing all seeds. Carve the curved part of the papaya away from the seed cavity to form a ‘steak’ out of each side. For larger papayas you may be able to cut each of these peices lengthwise again to form four steaks in all. Be sure they are not too thin, however – each papaya steak should be at least an inch and a half thick so inside remains moist after dehydrating, Cut scallow crosshatch cuts on each side of papaya to resemble grill marks.

Place ‘papaya steaks’ in a shallow baking dish. ( I sometimes divide between two baking dishes for optimal coating).

Combine Nama Shoyu, raw agave nectar and lime juice and mix well to form marinade.

Pout marinade over ‘steaks’ evenly and let sit for 20-30 minutes, spooning marinate over each papaya steak to evenly flavor and coat.

Set dehydrator at 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Put steaks on Teflex sheet and dehydrate for 3 hours. Baste ecery half hour or so with marinade.

Parsnip Pineapple Rice

1 cup cashews

2 cups parsnips; peeled and sliced

1 cup pineapple, diced

1/4 cup scallions, sliced thin

Place cashews in food processor and pulse until nuts resemble rice. Do not overprocess or you’ll have flour! Remove to a bowl.

Place parnip slices in food processor and pulse till a rice is formed. Ass ro bowl with cashews.

Add pineapple to bowl and mix thoroughly.

Wasabi Sauce

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup cashew milk

1 large garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 an avocado

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tablespoons wasabi powder to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high to form a sauce.

To Serve:

Place Parsnip Pinapple Rice on each plate. Spread out to form a low, round mound. Place a papaya steak on top of each rice mound. Dribble with Wasabi Sauce. Can also be served with Ume Vinegar and Date Sauce.

SERVES 2-4.