Ham and pineapple pizza pumpkins
This pizza recipe is low phosphate, potassium and salt, yet still tasty. If you serve these pumpkin-shaped versions across 4 people, with the side salad suggested, this provides a healthy meal.
Chef
Ingredients
Pizza dough
400g plain white flour
7g fast acting dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
225ml water
Pizza sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
200g tinned tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato purée
Toppings
200g mozzarella cheese, grated
227g tinned pineapple, chopped and drained on kitchen paper
125g ham, lean and low salt, chopped
Side salad
220g lettuce
100g cucumber
1 yellow pepper
1 egg yolk mixed with a pinch of paprika
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 240°C / 220°C fan/ gas mark 9. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the oil then add 225ml water. Bring together to form a dough.
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Step 2
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for one minute, until smooth. Allow to rest under the upturned bowl for 30 minutes, or while you prepare the pizza sauce or toppings. Split the dough in half and shape into two balls.
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Step 3
For the pizza sauce, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée and oregano. Squash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to break them down and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened – try to evaporate off as much liquid as possible. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Roll out one ball of dough at a time on a floured surface to about 25cm diameter, then cut into four equal triangles. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
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Step 4
Top each of the eight triangles with a little of the tomato sauce. In a large bowl, mix the chopped ham, pineapple and mozzarella, then add a spoonful of this mixture onto each dough triangle, on top of the tomato sauce. Bring the dough up over the filling and pinch to seal at the top; cut off any extra dough.
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Step 5
Shape each of the eight parcels into pumpkins. Tie a piece of string around each parcel four times, twisting at the top and bottom each time to make eight segments. Tie the string and trim. Leave them to rest for 15 minutes and then egg-wash each pumpkin with the egg yolk and paprika.
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Step 6
Lightly oil two baking trays and transfer the pumpkins. Bake them for 20 minutes, turn them upside down and cook for a further 10 minutes until the base is golden. Leave to cool, snip off the string and serve (2 per person for a main meal, 1 as a snack) with a side salad of lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber and diced pepper.
Food facts
The main source of carbohydrate is the pizza dough for the base. The carbohydrate values have been provided for those trained in insulin adjustment.
This recipe is a low potassium and low phosphate. Whilst tomatoes are a high potassium food, when used in the quantities in this recipe, it is a low potassium dish overall. Mozzarella was used which is lower in phosphate than harder cheeses like cheddar.
Processed ham is a high phosphate food. Using the quantities listed and choosing a good quality variety reduces phosphate further. If you have been prescribed a phosphate binder, ensure you take them with this dish.
This is a high protein meal which makes it suitable for those receiving dialysis.
Use gluten-free flour.
Omit the ham.
Choose a dairy-free cheese and omit the ham and egg wash.
Make the filling as dry as possible or else the dough becomes very soft and will split when string is wrapped around. If the pumpkins have split whilst cooking and leaked filling onto the tray, don't worry – just use a new clean baking tray when turning them upside down, so that the tops of the pumpkins don't sit in the leaked filling.
Cooked pizza can be cooled and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Use within 2 days and reheat thoroughly before serving.