In Sweden, we like to throw everything we can get our hands on on a piece of pizza dough (a slight exaggeration). While you certainly can get a Margherita and other traditional pizzas, some of the other common toppings make people from other countries do a double take. Here are some examples from the menu at my brother’s favorite pizza place (note: kebab in Sweden is the equivalent of Schwarma meat here):

“Love You” - tomato sauce, cheese, filet of pork, ham, mushrooms, bacon, shrimp, béarnaise sauce

“Kebabpizza” - Tomato sauce, cheese, schwarma meat, iceberg lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, kebab sauce (a yogurt-based spicy sauce)

“Castello” – Pineapple, mushrooms, onion, peppers, pepperoncini, salami, gorgonzola, camembert, feta cheese

“Mexico Special” - Tomato sauce, cheese, ground beef, bacon, garlic, egg, onion, jalapeno, taco spices

I’ve had the Kebabpizza and it is awesome – the sauce is to die for!

And now, on to the banana curry pizza. You might recoil in horror when you first see this recipe, but if you like curry and the mix of sweet and salt, give it a shot. It’s wildly popular in Sweden (you’ll find it under “Ordinary or Classic Pizzas” on the menus), and even my American husband liked it once he mustered up the courage to try it.

This pizza is traditionally made with smoked ham, and if you want to try it with that, buy it thinly sliced at the deli (the Black Forest ham they sell at Whole Foods is one that is very close in flavor to what they use in Sweden) and then cut it into small squares.

Since we prefer to not eat meat, we make it without, but you really do need that smoky flavor to make it taste just like it does in Sweden, and I have found that smoked cheese is a great substitute. Any smoked cheese will do, I get whatever I happen to find at the store that day.

You’ll need

• 2 individual-sized pizza doughs (make it yourself or buy it readymade – we like Iggy’s readymade)
• Pizza sauce (we use Enrico’s organic pizza sauce available at Whole Foods)
• 2 ripe bananas
• Curry powder
• Smoked cheese, grated
• Other cheese, grated (anything you want, we usually use a mozarella/cheddar mix)

Put your pizza dough on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce all over the dough.

Cut the bananas in thin slices and distribute evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle them with curry powder, as much as you like (I use a lot).

Cover with grated cheese, keep the proportions around 20% smoked cheese and 80% other. If you use too much smoked cheese, the flavor gets too overpowering.

Place the pizzas in the oven and bake according to the directions for the dough you are using.

Traditional Swedish version: Include the ham and omit the smoked cheese
Vegetarian version: Omit the ham.
Vegan version: Omit the ham and use a vegan cheese (I have to admit I have never tried making pizza with anything but “real” cheese, so I don’t’ know how that will come out).

Enjoy!

PS. How do you make tomato sauce look appetizing in photos?

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2. Tortilla Rollups – The Perfect Weeknight Dinner
3. Pasta With Carrot Sauce – An Inexpensive And Easy Recipe

I made this Mexican-inspired quiche to bring to a Mother’s Day brunch at my sister-in-law’s house a couple of years ago. It was a huge hit, and I was just asked to bring it again for Easter, so I thought I’d share the recipe when it’s fresh in my mind. I’m not very good at measuring and writing down what I do, I usually cook “on a hip” as we say in Sweden. I guess that can be roughly translated as on a whim, meaning you don’t measure anything, just eyeball and throw in whatever you feel like. Probably the reason I’m a lousy baker.

You will need:

• 1 prepared 9″ pie crust
• 3 roasted red peppers (from a jar or roast them yourself if you have the time)
• ½ cup of thawed frozen corn
• ½ cup of chopped green onions
• ½ cup of salsa (I use Amy’s medium)
• ½ cup whole milk
• 3 large or 4 medium eggs
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (I use Whole Food’s Fiesta blend)
• salt & pepper

Heat the oven to 375. Cut the peppers in bite sized pieces and slice the green onions as thin as you can. Whisk the eggs, half&half, salt and pepper together in a bowl.

Place the pie crust on a baking sheet covered with foil (mine always bubble over). Put half the cheese on the bottom of the crust, add the corn, peppers, green onions and salsa. Pour in the eggs and cover with the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes (this varies slightly from oven to oven). Enjoy!

PS. If you want to make this more filling, you can add some black beans with the corn and peppers.

Related posts:

1. Tortilla Rollups – The Perfect Weeknight Dinner
2. Broccoli Pita Pizza – A Simple Toaster Oven Recipe
3. Pasta With Carrot Sauce – An Inexpensive And Easy Recipe