The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (20 page)

Raw Veggie Cupcakes

Shop seasonally to take advantage of sales and freshness, substituting different greens as they become available.

YIELDS: 3–4 dozen mini cakes

1 head celery, trimmed

1 bundle carrots, trimmed

1 bunch parsley, trimmed

1 bunch kale, spinach greens, bok choy, mustard greens, or Romaine lettuce

1. Wash and trim all vegetables. (Other options include asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, cabbage, cucumbers, squash, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.)
   
2. Chop into squares and add to a food processor or blender, 1 cup at a time, to purée, adding water to mixture as needed.
   
3. Once all vegetables are puréed, combine all into one mix. Freeze in ice cube trays or in small cupcake holders.
   
4. To serve, remove from freezer and thaw to room temperature (or serve as a frozen treat).
   

Skinny Veggies

If your dog is eating a commercial diet but needs to lose weight, consider replacing a portion of the commercial food with cooked vegetables.

YIELDS: 4–5 cups

1 head broccoli, finely chopped

1 pound carrots, shredded

¹
⁄
₂
pound green beans, chopped

1. Mix vegetables together in a large bowl, cover, and store in refrigerator. To add to your dog’s meal, portion out the meal’s serving, add 1 tablespoon of water, and microwave for 3 minutes.
   
2. Cool before adding to food. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
   

You and your pooch can share these nutritional potstickers. Look for wonton wrappers in your grocery’s refrigerated produce section or in the freezer section of Asian markets and supermarkets.

YIELDS: 12 potstickers

1 cup cooked sweet potato (roughly 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

¹
⁄
₃
cup ricotta cheese

¹
⁄
₄
cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 wonton wrappers

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a blender or food processor, combine sweet potato, rosemary, and cheeses and pulse until well blended.
   
3. Place 1 tablespoon of sweet potato and cheese mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper; wet the edges of the wrapper with olive oil and crimp to close. Place the wonton on a baking sheet. Repeat until all wontons and filling are used.
   
4. Use a pastry brush to coat wontons with sunflower oil.
   
5. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
   
6. Cool before serving to your dog or refrigerating. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

The restorative power of soup and broth is something we have all experienced, whether it’s Mom’s homemade chicken soup when we’re feeling sick, or as an appetizer before the main course of a meal. Dogs, too, love these tasty delights, and they are all easy to make and save for future use. This is also a good way to provide extra hydration to your pet. The gravies and toppers are very rich foods, so you won’t want to feed more than a little bit at a time. Just a spoonful (or less for a tiny pooch) will pack a flavorful punch.

Homemade Chicken Broth

Commercial chicken broth often contains onion, a no-no for dogs, and too much sodium. Homemade Chicken Broth is fast and easy to make and can be used in many recipes—even as a quick frozen treat.

YIELDS: 6–8 cups

1 (3-pound) chicken

Water, as needed

1. Place chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 3" of water.
   
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
   
3. Remove chicken from the water and reserve for another recipe. (Discard all cooked chicken bones because cooked bones are a splintering and choking hazard for dogs.)
   
4. Refrigerate broth until completely cooled. Skim off fat before freezing. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Pumpkin Purée

Puréed pumpkin is an excellent addition to many dog treat and meal recipes. Canned pumpkin (never pumpkin pie filling) can also be used.

YIELDS: 2–4 cups

1 small cooking pumpkin

Water, as needed

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Wash pumpkin and cut off top. Divide pumpkin into quarters.
   
3. Use a spoon to remove seeds from each quarter, reserving seeds to later wash and dry for future recipes.
   
4. Place pumpkin quarters on baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes.
   
5. Remove from oven and cool. Remove baked pumpkin skin and discard.
   
6. Chop pumpkin into cubes; add cubes to a blender along with enough water to blend to the consistency of baby food.
   
7. Freeze purée in 1-cup containers or in ice cube trays. Once frozen, place cubes in a zip-top plastic bag or other airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
   

Chickpea Stew