Recipes
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Back in 1995, when I got my first dog, Emma Lou, a gorgeous, lovable Golden Retriever, I felt completely in love. I couldn't do enough for her and the two of us went just about everywhere together. For the next 13 years she was my "daughter".
From day one, I wondered about what was in the processed food that came in cans and bags with the label "dog food". Since processed food wasn't supposed to be healthy for humans I figured it may not be healthy for dogs either, so Emma and I ate dinner together every night, mostly fresh meat and veggies.
20 years later, we are still cooking every night for our furry friends. I know many of you are too. We look forward to sharing our recipes and nutrition facts and learning some new things from all of you!
From: Roberta Mitchell
Recipe:
Since jerky from China is toxic for our pets and especially chicken, I decided to make my own. It is quite easy - except for slicing it thin. I buy chicken breasts. Slightly frozen is a bit easier to slice. Slice very thin, as thin as possible.
I rinse the chicken but some advise not to do so, because it spreads any germs that may be on the raw chicken on sink and or counter.
You can sprinkle with a tiny bit of garlic or any other herb you know is safe. No salt.
The "kids" love it plain.
Place thinly sliced chicken on a cookie sheet on parchment paper for easy clean up. Put in 180 degree oven for four to 6 hours. Keep checking to determine when dry and crispy.
For small dogs, cut into appropriate sizes with scissors.
I use my dehydrator that I also use to make beef jerky. It takes about 4 - 6 hours also.
Just rotate trays a couple of times.
You can also do sweet potatoes.
From: Susan Coppola
Recipe:
Not exactly a recipe but we boil Chicken Thighs, with cut up carrots and broccoli for our best friends. We buy large bags of the frozen thighs at Costco and take them out as needed. Mix with a half of cup of Nutro dry kibble and a teeny splash of Olive Oil. They lick their dishes clean.
Like Roberta we were concerned about what was in commercial dog food. We feed them dog cookies/biscuits but carefully read the packages and make sure they are made in the USA.
From: Melinda Stewart
Recipe: Simple Ingredients for Healthy Dog Dinners
We make up a different dish every night, for over 16 years. We focus on these ingredients:
Raw chicken, bones and everything. They love the frozen raw chicken wings from Costco, buried under steamed veggies and oatmeal!
Raw beef bones are a favorite treat and safer, more nutritious and less expensive than anything you can buy at the pet store.
Salmon, baked over a big bag of spinach and covered with a melted block of cream cheese (good for humans too!)
Shredded zucchini, chopped tomatoes, black beans, touch of rice and chopped up chicken breasts all cooked together.
Boiled eggs with the shell on, an outdoor treat for sure! The egg shell is good for calcium.
Raw almonds or ground almonds from Trader Joe's added to any meal are good for their eyes.
A sardine or two in any meal is good for skin, coat and general health.
Onions, chocolate and grapes are all BIG no no's. So are COOKED bones. Raw bones are OK.
Lamb is a huge favorite and we boil bones after eating a rack of lamb. We also buy the less expensive lamb ribs for raw treats. We use the lamb stock in treats, with veggies, oatmeal and rice.
Lots of carbohydrates are bad for dogs in general and we mostly avoid rice, bread, chips, and sweets in general. Cancer and tumors love carbs. A few here and there don't seem to be a problem, just not every meal.
We add a scoop of yogurt, cottage cheese, or sprinkles of cheese a couple times a week.
Beans, garbanzo, red bean, white beans, lentils, and barley (cooked) are all healthy. Sometimes we just combine canned or frozen low sodium beans and veggies and mix in meats.
Organ meat, raw or cooked, especially calf liver is a favorite.
We have a dehydrator and make our own jerky treats. The butcher at the grocery story slices it up for us (chicken breasts, chuck roast when it is on sale).
Canned pumpkin helps with a dog who has the runs.
Rice made with chicken broth and cottage cheese is good for a dog getting over a tummy ache or nausea.
Our dogs also love a little pasta with fresh tomato sauce, lasagna, pesto, nuts of all kinds,
a touch of honey on their yogurt, scrambled eggs, mac and cheese, oatmeal with soft eggs and runny yolks, hamburger raw or cooked, and peanut butter!
Most nights the dogs eat really well and we snack on the left overs!
If processed food is bad for humans, how can it be good for dogs? We have healthy dogs, no vet bills, clear eyes, no allergies, shining coats, sweat breath, white teeth and good friends!
We even eat better by focusing on fresh, simple meals.
From: Melinda Stewart
Recipe: "TSD Love Treats"
You’ll need a 2 5/8-inch-long dog bone cookie cutter.
The baking time is halved in a convection oven.
Makes 45 treats.
453 grams (1 pound) sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
370 grams (13 ounces) chicken livers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
130 grams (3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp.) fine cornmeal
450 grams (3 cups plus 3 Tbsp.) all-purpose flour
235 grams (1 cup) chicken stock
Ketchup Glaze
50 grams (3 Tbsp.) ketchup
13 grams (1 Tbsp.) egg whites
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 250 F (convection or standard). Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper.
For the treats: Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it has rendered its fat and is a rich golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
Pour off all but a generous film of bacon fat. Add the chicken livers to the pan and sauté, turning them frequently and smashing them slightly, for about 5 minutes, until broken down to a paste. Remove from the heat.
Place the bacon in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind it. Add the chicken livers and process to combine, then add the cornmeal and process until you have a coarse mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the flour and mix to combine. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and mix until the dough begins to gather around the paddle and feels moist to the touch. Remove the dough from the mixer and knead it just enough to combine.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll it out to a 3/8-inch-thick sheet. Using the dog bone cutter, cut out the treats and arrange them on the prepared sheet pans. Knead the trimmings together, roll out, and cut out additional treats.
Bake until the treats are completely dry, about 1 1/2 hours in a convection oven, 3 hours in a standard oven. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 200 F.
For the glaze: Combine the ketchup and egg whites; the glaze will be very thick. Brush it over the top of the warm treats. Return the pans to the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the glaze has set. Place the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the treats to the rack to cool completely.
The treats can be stored in a covered container for up to 1 month.
Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel, “Bouchon Bakery” (Artisan Books, 2012)
using this wonderful recipe
“TSD Love Treats” are made
and all high quality ingredients.
