Papaya roasted Turkey breast - Recipe of the Month

Shape, Dec, 2003 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

Papaya isn't just a great snack or addition to fruit salad; it's an ideal partner for meat, fish and poultry. One reason is that it contains an enzyme that works as a natural meat tenderizer (similar to the acidic, tenderizing qualities of lemons, limes and vinegar). As with bananas, a papaya's skin color changes from green to bright yellow as its sugar content rises, so the yellower the fruit, the sweeter the flesh.

When cooking with papaya, slightly firm fruit works best, so you can use it before it reaches its peak of ripeness. In fact, when one-quarter of the whole papaya is yellow, it's perfect for cooking. For a complete meal, serve this savory dish with brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat couscous, and steamed green beans. Note: If fresh papaya is not available, substitute fresh mango.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Standing time: 10 minutes

Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound turkey breast (often sold as turkey London broil)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cubed papaya
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

Preheat oven to 400[degrees]F. Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray. Place turkey on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make a "pocket" in the meat by slicing horizontally (as if you were cutting a bagel); cut through the middle almost, but not all the way, to the other side. Season both sides of turkey with salt and black pepper and transfer to prepared pan. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, combine papaya, lime juice, honey, lime zest and a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Puree until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture into turkey pocket. Pour remaining papaya mixture over top.

Roast 30-35 minutes, until turkey is cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes. Slice turkey crosswise and serve.

Nutrition Score per serving (3 ounces turkey with 1 tablespoon papaya sauce): 147 calories, 4% fat (<1 g; 0 g saturated), 24% carbs (9 g), 72% protein (26 g), 1 g fiber, 20 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 46 mg sodium.