Five-Minute Pizza – it only takes 5 minutes!

Five-Minute Pizza from the Hairy Dieters really does only take five minutes to make, and by using a large flour tortilla wrap instead of a pizza base it comes in at only 250 calories per portion. Pizza traditionalists might turn their noses up at this, but let’s face it, if you’re regularly ordering from Dominos or Papa Johns you’re less likely to be watching your weight.

My teenage son loves this recipe and it makes for a quick weekend lunch – I definitely recommend garnishing it with some rocket, a drizzle of balsamic and/or a few olives for additional flavour. My wife had the audacity to claim that my pizza in the picture above was ‘burnt’. I politely told her it was ‘rustic’ ;-). Although she did correctly label my attempts to cut the pizza as ‘shite’. “Why didn’t you use the pizza cutter?” she said. “I did” was my reply.

Recipe: Five-Minute Pizza

Calories: 250 calories per portion

Serves: 1 (makes 1 pizza)

Book: Hairy Dieters – Eat for Life

Prep time: Approx 3 ½ minutes

Cooking time: Approx 1 ½ minutes

Ingredients: 1 large flour tortilla wrap, 3 tbsp passata with basil, 20g wafer-thin ham (a couple of slices), 2 good pinches of dried oregano, 20g half-fat cheddar cheese (finely grated), small handful of rocket or baby salad leaves, ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp good balsamic vinegar (optional), olives in brine (optional), ground black pepper

Cost per portion: Approx £1.17

Method: Preheat the grill to its hottest setting. Place the tortilla on a baking sheet and spread with the passata, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge.

Tear the ham into strips and arrange them on top of the tortilla. Sprinkle with the oregano and then the grated Cheddar. Season with black pepper.

Toss the rocket or salad leaves with olive oil and a dribble of balsamic vinegar if you like, Put to one side.

Place the pizza under the grill and cook for about 1 ½ minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges are beginning to brown. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. Slide the pizza onto a board or a warmed plate, top with the salad and serve immediately.