The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (13 page)

You might picture cats when you think of sardines as a pet food, but dogs love this flavorful fish as well. Sardines are a healthy addition to treats, and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and phosphorus.

YIELDS: 2 cups (fills 2 medium KONG
^®
toys)

1 (3.75-ounce) can sardines in water (do not drain)

¹
⁄
₂
cup cottage cheese

¹
⁄
₂
cup plain Greek yogurt

1. In a blender, mix all ingredients until well blended.
   
2. Use as stuffing for a KONG
   ^®
   or other stuffable toy, or as a tasty topping for a main meal.
   
3. Refrigerate unused portion. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze in the KONG
   ^®
   for a longer-lasting treat.
   

Doggie Chopped Liver

Wondering what to do with those leftover hard-boiled Easter eggs? Make Doggie Chopped Liver! This recipe is an excellent way to plug a KONG
^®
(however, since liver shouldn’t make up more than 5 percent of your dog’s diet, it shouldn’t be used to actually stuff the entire KONG
^®
). Along with its role as a KONG
^®
plug, you can also use a tablespoon of doggie chopped liver to hide a pill, to reward your dog after a nail trim, or as a tasty topper on his evening meal.

YIELDS: About 1 pound filling

1 quart water

1 pound chicken liver, rinsed

2–3 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped

1. In a large pot, heat water to a boil. Add chicken livers (including juices) to boiling water; reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
2. Drain liver and reserve liquid for another use. (It’s great for freezing in ice cube trays as a cool treat!)
   
3. Use a fork or potato masher to mash livers. Add eggs to livers. Mix well.
   
4. Use mixture as a plug for a KONG
   ^®
   or other stuffable toy, scooping a pea-size bit in the smaller opening of the toy and a tablespoon of the mixture in the larger opening. In between, use a medley of your dog’s favorite veggies: green beans, celery, spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, and more. Refrigerate unused portion for up to 3 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Holidays are for all members of the family—both two- and four-legged! In this chapter, you’ll find a selection of holiday recipes that use whole foods that you already purchase for traditional holiday dishes, from turkey to cranberries to pumpkin, to create treats for your dog.

As with our own holiday celebrations, the trick to successfully enjoying holiday foods is never to overindulge. Sadly, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days at many emergency veterinary clinics, as dogs overeat on fats, gravies, and turkey skin, resulting in pancreatitis. Feeding your dog in moderation, always mindful of your dog’s size, age, and activity level, is key to enjoying the holidays and making joyous memories.

Red bell peppers are a surprising favorite for many dogs, including our Irie, who has developed a taste for several different fruits and vegetables. Bell peppers don’t produce capsaicin, so they’re not hot like others in the pepper family.

YIELDS: About 18 (3") cookies

¹
⁄
₂
red bell pepper

¹
⁄
₄
cup Homemade Chicken Broth (see
Chapter 15
)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3
¹
⁄
₂
cups rice flour

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped, cooked chicken

1 cup minced carrots

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet.
   
2. Wash red bell pepper; remove and discard stem, core, and seeds. Dice.
   
3. In a large bowl, add broth, eggs, yogurt, and olive oil to flour; stir slowly. Add in chicken and vegetables, stirring until mixed.
   
4. Use a spoon or melon baller to divide dough into golf ball–size balls. Roll, then flatten with the back of a fork on greased cookie sheet.
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a drying rack, then refrigerate. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

For the Labs and Lassies in your home! This recipe relies on green peas to impart a greenish hue to the patties, but your dogs will appreciate the taste more than the appearance.

YIELDS: 30 (2") patties

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 strips bacon, diced

4 cups green peas, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a small skillet, fry bacon and reserve drippings; cool.
   
3. Place peas and water in a blender or food processor and purée. In a separate large bowl, mix blended peas and bacon with drippings; add dry ingredients and mix well.
   
4. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead; pat out or roll to under
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   " thickness. Cut with cookie cutters to desired shape and place on lightly oiled cookie sheet.
   
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned.
   
6. Cool and serve or refrigerate. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

The Easter bunny can come any time of year with these cookies that will leave Fido hopping for more! If your pooch is weight-challenged, you might want to ration him to one of these goodies a day. Remember: No more than 10 percent of his total diet should come from treats and goodies.

YIELDS: 28 (3") cookies

COOKIES:

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup grated carrots

2 tablespoons molasses

8 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₂
cup) butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

¹
⁄
₂
cup water

FILLING (OPTIONAL):

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except cream cheese; stir well until completely mixed.
   
3. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₄
   " thickness. Cut into cookie shapes.
   
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Remove cookies from oven and cool completely.
   
5. After cookies are cooled, make some of them extra-special by turning them into a sandwich; layer some softened cream cheese between two cookies. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert recipe. Much like a cobbler, the Brown Betty is based on fruit (traditionally apples) layered with a bread crumb crust.

YIELDS: 4 cups

8 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₂
cup) butter, divided

4 slices whole-wheat bread

4 apples, peeled and cored

1 tablespoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a pie plate or 8" × 8" baking dish with half of the butter.
   
2. Cut bread into small pieces or crumble by hand. Cut apples into thin slices.
   
3. Alternate layers of bread and apples in the greased pie plate, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Drizzle with molasses and dot with slices of butter. Cover dish with foil.
   
4. Bake until golden brown (about 45 minutes).
   
5. Allow dog’s portion to cool completely (although you can enjoy yours hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like!). Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

This canine variation of the ever-popular Witches’ Fingers cookie substitutes sugars and flavorings with savory chicken and the red decorating gel with plain old molasses.

YIELDS: 20 (
¹
⁄
₂
" × 4") cookies

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups cooked chicken

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon molasses

20 whole almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet.
   
2. In a blender, purée chicken to the consistency of baby food, adding a little water if necessary. Add egg and baking powder and mix.
   
3. In a medium bowl, add flours. Add puréed chicken mix to the flours and knead the dough.
   
4. Pinch off a golf ball–size piece of dough and roll it between your palms to make a tube of dough about 4" long. Roll it to about finger thickness, then place on cookie sheet.
   
5. Use the molasses to paint a little spot beneath the “fingernail” … it will ooze out from beneath the almond “nail” and look like blood. Place a single almond (the tip of the almond should be pointing out, like a spiky fingernail) and press down just a little to secure the almond in the dough.
   
6. Bake 20–25 minutes. Cool the treats completely before serving or refrigerating. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Thanksgiving Frittata

Wondering what to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers? A frittata makes a meal for both you and your dog that’s easy to prepare and serve.

YIELDS: 6 servings

6 eggs

¹
⁄
₂
cup Pumpkin Purée (see
Chapter 15
)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped cooked green beans

1 cup chopped leftover turkey

1. In a large bowl, mix eggs and pumpkin. Set aside.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey and green beans, heating thoroughly.
   
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in egg mixture over turkey and green beans. Cook until set, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Cool completely before serving your dog’s portion. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Wondering what to do with leftover turkey and cranberries? These treats combine Thanksgiving’s most popular foods in a healthy and tasty treat.

YIELDS: 36 (2") treats

3
¹
⁄
₂
cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup cooked, chopped turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 egg

¹
⁄
₂
cup water or broth, as needed

1 cup whole cranberries