Tropical Pizza

I've worked at a pizza place for about 11 years so when it comes to pizza, I've become a bit bored with traditional ingredients.  As a result, I'm always looking for new flavor combinations to spice things up a bit.  Last year, my boyfriend and I had rented a house in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  One of the restaurants in the town specialized in a "tropical" pizza and I remember the both of us raving like crazies about it.  By far one of the most unique pizzas I've ever had in my life.  I think I might have dreams about it.

Upon first glance, the ingredients seem a little bit wonky and off-putting.  Coconut on a pizza?  I know, I know, it's a little bizarre.  Trust me though - it's a little slice of tropical heaven.  The pineapple and coconut give a little bit of sweetness which is really nicely offset by the saltiness of the ham and the spicy jalapenos.  All wrapped up in cheesy doughy goodness.  Yumyumyum.

Ingredients (8 slices):

• 1 cup sliced fresh pineapple
• 2 tbs shredded coconut
• 1 fresh sliced jalapeno (no seeds!)
• 1/2 a medium sliced onion
• 1/2 a sliced red bell pepper
• about 7oz of cubed lean ham steak (or Canadian bacon)
• pizza dough
• 3 cups Cheddar Jack/Mozzarella blend shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F (or whatever your specific pizza dough says)
2. Add olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat and once up to temperature, add the onions, peppers, and garlic.  Sautee until tender and then remove from heat.
3. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the stretched dough.
4. Spread about 1 cup of the cheese blend over the sauce.
5. Add the ham, pineapple, onions, and peppers.  
6. Spread another 1 cup of the cheese blend over the toppings.
7. Lightly toast the coconut in a dry skillet over low heat until it just starts to turn a golden brown.  Make sure not to over cook it since you don't want it to burn in the oven once on the pizza.
8. Add the jalapeno and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup over the pizza. 
9. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the whole thing.
10. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and the cheese has evenly melted.

Approximate Nutritional Info per Slice:

• Calories: 310
• Fat: 14g
• Protein: 20g