Puppy treats, potatoes and pork... oh my!

Uh oh... I know Tuesdays are the day we talk about the treats for Wednesday Treat Day, however this wicked weather outside will probably keep Jeff at home tomorrow. Most of his co-workers left early today, so he followed suit and came home around 12:30. They are saying we could get over an inch of ice overnight - it will be such a mess tomorrow if we do! I did make the dough for the treats today though, I just won't be able to finish with them until tomorrow or early Thursday morning. I'll get them posted on Thursday - assuming we have power and everything!

One of Jeff's co-workers (Hi Kristen and Family!) just adopted a new puppy last week - I thought it would be nice for Jeff to bring in some homemade doggie biscuits to celebrate. We also shared a few of these with another co-worker (Hi Ching!) that often brings Jeff treats she experiments with for us to try out. These Beefy Biscuits are a little different than the other treats that we have made - they are a bit more crunchy and have a surprise ingredient to really add flavor to them... baby food! The dough is pretty flexible and well seasoned with minced garlic, beef broth and parsley. I didn't list a full amount for the whole wheat flour because it will depend on where you live as to how much you need. You want to keep adding enough until the dough is stiff and does not stick to your hands while kneading. As you put them on the baking sheet, you can put them fairly close together - they won't expand too much.

After about 30 minutes in the oven, we took them out and gave them a brush with an egg wash - this gave a brilliant shine to the golden biscuits. If you want them to be extra crunchy, you could turn the oven off and leave them inside overnight to cool.

The side for dinner tonight, Garlicky Roasted Potatoes with Herbs, starts off by heating two full tablespoons of chopped garlic and some olive oil until the garlic begins to turn a light golden. The garlic is then reserved for later with the infused oil being used to coat quartered red potatoes. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, they are placed in the oven and allowed to roast until tender and they develop an appealing golden exterior. As soon as the roasted spuds come out from the oven, they are tossed with the toasted garlic, chopped parsley and lemon zest - the garlic is a nice mild accent to the lemon zest that perks up the flavor and adds a light zing.

What was a little unplanned, but worked perfectly, was that tonight's main dish, Mustard Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin, cooks at the same temperature as the potatoes and in just about the same amount of time. Lean pork tenderloin is coated in a tangy mixture of Dijon mustard, crushed fennel seeds and minced garlic. This combination ensures the mixture of panko breadcrumbs, parsley, grated Romano cheese and fresh thyme stick to the meat and form the crust. Baked until lightly pink in the center, the meat needs a chance to rest for a few minutes before slicing so it has a chance to relax and let the juices re-distribute. The aroma emitting from the oven while the pork and potatoes were cooking was outrageous - it was very hard to stop and take pictures instead of diving right in. The pork was tender, juicy and the sharp cheese brought an interesting nutty taste against the mild sweetness from the crushed fennel. The panko worked well enough, however I think I would cook it on a rack next time - the bottom crust got a little more soggy than I would have liked. Not much else to say except tonight's meal was such a satisfying and comforting way to end a dreary winter day.

Recipes
Beefy Biscuits
Garlicky Roasted Potatoes with Herbs
Mustard Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin