Authors: Paris Permenter,John Bigley
The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (19 page)
Start the day without cooking, thanks to this raw Bowser breakfast. This recipe makes a single meal for a 30- to 40-pound dog and can also be prepared in bulk and frozen.
YIELDS: 1 serving
1 egg
1 chicken liver, rinsed
1 ounce muscle meat or heart
1
⁄
2
teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or kefir
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil
1
⁄
2
teaspoon raw honey
1 frozen Raw Veggie Cupcake, thawed (see
Chapter 14
)
- Crack egg into a large bowl and break up eggshell into small pieces.
- Add chicken liver and muscle meat; stir in apple cider vinegar, yogurt, flaxseed oil, and honey before serving.
- Serve with Raw Veggie Cupcake for a full breakfast.
Most honey sold in stores has been pasteurized, but you can find raw honey in farmers’ markets and specialty stores. Unpasteurized, unfiltered, and unclarified, this raw honey will be labeled “100 percent pure.” Honey has long been praised as a great source of antioxidants and for its antimicrobial properties.
Deviled eggs are a family tradition at our get-togethers. This doggie version adds chicken livers for added taste and nutrition.
YIELDS: 12 half-eggs
6 eggs
Water, as needed
1
⁄
4
cup rinsed and cooked puréed chicken livers
1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
- Place whole eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, cover with water, and heat until boiling. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove eggs from heat and leave covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and rinse eggs in cold water for 1 minute.
- Crack and peel eggs under running water. Set eggs aside.
- Slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolks, placing them in a medium bowl. Add chicken liver purée to bowl along with apple cider vinegar. Mash the yolks, chicken livers, and vinegar to a fine crumble.
- Disperse the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. These tasty eggs can be refrigerated 3 days (if they last that long!).
Side Dishes
What’s dinner without side dishes? While we’ve included many one-dish meals like meatloaf and hash that incorporate vegetables, it’s also fun to cook up (or serve raw) a tasty side dish with a meaty meal. These sides also can be served as flavorful, nutritional treats by just serving treat-size portions and freezing the remainder. Sides also make a great way to prepare seasonal fruits and vegetables and add them to your dog’s favorite meat dish.
Don’t discard those pumpkin seeds! Seeds are filled with protein, amino acids, fiber, iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, folic acid, and niacin. Seeds can be ground and used in recipes or as a topping for food.
YIELDS:
1
⁄
2
–2 cups, depending on pumpkin size
1 pumpkin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Scoop seeds from pumpkin. (Save pumpkin to use in one of the pumpkin recipes.)
- Wash seeds in a large colander, discarding any pulp. Spread out seeds on a cookie sheet and allow to dry overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Gather seeds in a zip-top plastic bag and add extra-virgin olive oil. Shake bag so all seeds are coated with oil.
- Pour seeds onto the baking sheet. (You can season half the sheet for your own snacks and leave the other half plain for your dog.)
- Bake 1 hour until golden brown. Cool before refrigerating.
Raw pepitas can be dried and ground in a clean coffee grinder to a powder. The seeds contain cucurbitin, a natural dewormer. Talk with your vet about using this powder on your dog’s food, usually served as 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of your dog’s weight until signs of parasites are gone.
Paired with your dog’s favorite meat dish, this side dish is healthy and flavorful. The kiwi is also packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, while kale is considered one of the healthiest vegetables around for both dogs and humans.
YIELDS: 3 cups
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 bunch kale, washed and sliced into thin strips
- In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and heat for 3 minutes, stirring. Add oregano and kiwi, and continue stirring for another 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add kale; cook about 5 minutes until kale is tender.
- Remove from heat and cool before serving your dog.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.
Despite its nutritional value, dogs with kidney disease or those prone to bladder infections should avoid this leafy green.
Lentils make an excellent high-protein, low-calorie snack for dogs watching their waistlines.
YIELDS: 8 muffins
1 cup dry lentils
1
⁄
4
cup shredded carrots
1 egg
1 cup old-fashioned oats
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a muffin tin or line with parchment cups.
- Cook lentils according to package instructions until soft. Remove from heat and drain water. Pour lentils into a medium bowl.
- Use a fork or a potato masher to mash lentils. Once cool, add carrots, egg, and oats; stir until completely mixed.
- Pour mixture into muffin cups so they’re
2
⁄
3
full. - Bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool before serving. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Although kale should be avoided by dogs with kidney disease or bladder stones, this green is great for dogs in need of a low-calorie but nutritionally rich treat.
YIELDS: 10–20 treat servings
1 head kale, washed and dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Remove ribs from kale and trim to 2" pieces. In a plastic bag, toss pieces with olive oil. Remove from bag and spread pieces on a cookie sheet.
- Bake kale until crisp (about 20 minutes), turning leaves halfway.