what's cooking: last week's menu

May already, and I have managed to make dinner every weeknight since the big ball dropped. I'm pretty proud of myself! Hardly a resolution anymore -- it's just the way we do things now.

Here's the recap:

Monday - leftovers (my parents were in for the weekend, and we had a ton of food in the fridge, so leftovers it was!)
Tuesday - Potato Pizza with Side Salad
Wednesday - Chicken Curry over Coconut Rice
Thursday - Mushroom Bowties
Friday - Turkey Burgers with Avocado & Pepperjack on Pretzel Rolls

Favorite? A two-way tie: loved the pizza and really loved the burger, too.

Well, the streak is over... there is a least favorite this week. I was not a big fan of the curry. The sauce had plain yogurt and milk, and despite adding 3 tablespoons of curry powder and some sauteed onions, I still just tasted all that dairy. The coconut rice was pretty tasty, though, so at least there's that.

(Potato Pizza, Chicken Curry & Mushroom Bowties)

Potato Pizza
(I made up my own version after tasting this at one of my favorite pizzerias here in Chicago, Frasca.)
Roll out 1 lb of pizza dough and place in a large, cornmeal-dusted sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced and 1 clove minced garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice 1 large potato and arrange slices on top of shallots and garlic in pan. Saute until browned, flip and saute other side, about 4 minutes each side. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle dough with 2 cups lite mozzarella cheese and spread potato mixture evenly over cheese. Top with a dash of red pepper flakes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until edges of crust and cheese are golden brown.

Mushroom Bowties
Cook 3/4 lb bowtie pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsps olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add 1 diced shallot and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms and saute until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and add reserved pasta, 1/2 cup rough chopped parsley, and 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. Toss it all together (adding pasta water as neeeded) and serve.

Bon appetit!