THE POOCH PANTRY
Get the larder/pantry stocked with all the dry ingredients that are in most of our homemade dog food recipes. No point in starting then realizing you haven’t got what you need!
- Flour: All types, including whole meal and brown rice flour, buckwheat
- Oils: Olive oil, vegetable oil, flaxseed oil and hempseed oil
- Grains/Pulses: Rice (preferably brown), quinoa, wheat germ, lentils, pearl barley, oats, ground flaxseed
- Cans and Jars: Salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel all in oil, raw honey, molasses, smooth peanut butter
This will get you started. You can get small jars or packets of herbs such as parsley, ginger, turmeric, oregano, but fresh is best. Do keep them in the cupboard though as they can be used to add more flavour to doggie’s dinners.
For your fridge and freezer, plenty of good quality fresh meat, preferably bought from a reputable butcher or supermarket counter. It is tempting to buy cheaper meat from a wholesaler or market, but the quality of this could be in doubt. Always ask yourself if you would eat it, and be guided by your own conscience.
Hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan and soft low fat cream cheese and cottage cheese are also regularly used elements in our recipes. Likewise, 0% fat plain yoghurts.
Apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe melon, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, normal potatoes, carrots, cabbage, spinach and broccoli are fruits and vegetables to be kept in your vegetable locker.
This may seem a lot, but the quantities of flour and other dried goods will keep you going for some time. Vegetables and fruit of course, should be as fresh as possible at all times.
Starting with some basics, we are ready to cook!
BASIC DOG BROTH
In a lot of our dinner dishes, we use a basic broth/gravy to keep the food moist and interesting. You can make this broth and it will keep in the freezer for future use. It is up to you how much you make at a time. We have not added salt to this recipe, but if you have a fit and healthy dog, a bouillon or stock cube will give the broth a meatier flavour. In order to remove all the impurities possible, as well as a strainer, try to have some muslin on hand to strain the broth through.
- 1kg/2lb of bones (from your butcher)
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
- Bunch of mixed fresh herbs, tied in a bundle
- 1 tbsp of dried kelp (if you can source it)
In a covered saucepan or stockpot, bring the bones to the boil in approximately 4 litres/7 pints of water. Once the water has boiled,
turn down the heat and leave to simmer for approx 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Put the potatoes and carrots into a separate pan, bring to the boil then simmer until they are soft enough to mash down.
Sieve the bone broth using the muslin into a clean bowl, throwing away the remainders in the sieve. Combine the mashed vegetables and broth together and add the kelp.
This mix keeps in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer
for up to 2 months. Use small containers to freeze or use an ice cube tray.
HOMEMADE KIBBLE
Homemade kibble is infinitely superior to any store bought bags.
It can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container or frozen in freezer bags for future use. We have used a high vegetable content in this recipe, but no meat. You can add minced turkey to the kibble recipe if required, but it then becomes more of a stew (another recipe for you!)
- 300 grams/9oz of brown rice, cooked to slightly overdone
- 100 grams/4oz of lentils
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 200 grams/7oz of carrots, peeled and chopped
- 200 grams/7oz of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp of finely chopped parsley
- 2 cups of doggie broth (see broth recipe)
- 1 cup of powdered milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 small jar of apple puree or apple sauce (approx 100 grams/4 oz)
Cook the rice and lentils in a saucepan for approx 25 minutes. When cooked, add the carrots, sweet potatoes and apple puree to the pan. Add the oats and herbs and simmer for a further 25 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. The kibble should resemble a batter, thick and slightly gloopy. Add the beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
Pour batter into a shallow baking tray and bake for about 40-45 minutes until it is dry.
Leave to cool. When cool, break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and freeze however many portions you want in freezer bags.
OSCARS’ OATIE CHEESY BISCUITS
No wheat flour in these biscuits so they suit most dog’s dietary requirements!
- 225 grams/8oz fine oatmeal
- 1 tbsp of oil or fat, preferably goose fat, but dripping will do
- 1 tbsp of grated cheese
- A little warm water if required
Heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas mark 4. Grease a baking sheet with spray oil or a small amount of butter.
Mix the oatmeal and cheese together in a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Pour the oil or fat into the mix and mix well. If too dry, add a little hot water to make a dough.
Dust a clean work surface with a little flour and roll out the dough to approximately 1 cm/half an inch thick. Using a small cookie cutter, cut the dough into discs.
Place on the baking sheet and bake for about l5 minutes.