DO you ever look at your dog as they curl up on a plush, designer pillow and think maybe, just maybe, my dog is spoilt?
New book My Dog Eats Better Than Me is for pooch lovers wrapped around their pets' paws - and for those who just want to look after their dogs' wellbeing.
The book houses a collection of recipes, tips and advice for owners who believe dogs are family and deserve to be catered for accordingly with healthy, nourishing meals and treats.
With more than 60 recipes, including main meals, baked treats and party cakes, the book shows the importance of home-made dog food as well as tips on dog nutrition, ingredients to use and avoid and storage tips.
Try these recipes for Fido:
Moroccan lamb hotpot with freekeh
This one-pot meal has a heavenly, sweet-smelling golden stock full of spices. You could add other root vegetables to this aromatic dish. Use a pressure cooker to halve the cooking time.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker
Makes: 2 meals
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) lamb neck
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 parsley sprig
- 1 large potato, cut in half
- 170 g (6 oz/1 cup) freekeh
- 100 g (31/2 oz) liver, chopped
Method
Put all the ingredients except the liver into a large stockpot or into a pressure cooker. Pour in approximately 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water and cook for 1 hour on the stovetop or 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.
At the end of the cooking time, add the liver. The heat will cook the liver in a matter of seconds.
Using tongs, place the lamb neck, liver and potato onto a plate. When cool enough to handle, remove the lamb meat from the bone using a sharp knife. Discard the bone.
Using a sieve, carefully drain the stock into a bowl, reserving the cooked freekeh. Allow the stock to cool.
To plate up, put the meat in a serving dish with the potato and some freekeh. Top with a cup of stock.
Tip: Reserve the golden stock to make iced treats for later - it's too good to throw away. Just pour into some icy pole moulds (popsicle molds) and freeze until set.
Pumpkin pie biscotti
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: for soft biscotti, 30 minutes; for crunchy biscotti, 1 hour
Makes: 12 biscuits
Ingredients
- 135 g (5 oz/1/2 cup) cooked pumpkin (winter squash)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 200 g (7 oz/1 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 75 g (23/4 oz) pepitas (pumpkin seeds), plus extra - roughly chopped for sprinkling
- 80 g (23/4 oz) carob buttons
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus extra if needed
Method
In a medium bowl, mash the pumpkin with a fork. Mix in the egg, followed by the spices and flour. Finally, mix in the pepitas.
With clean hands, knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes or until it comes together and is smooth. The pepitas will be speckled throughout the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured bench and roll into a 20 cm (8 in) long sausage. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a sharp knife, cut into 1.5 cm (1/2 in) thick discs. The biscotti will naturally squish into a nice half-moon shape as you slice through them. Place the biscotti onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove them from the oven to cool.
Melt the carob and coconut oil in a small heavy-based saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted. If it goes clumpy, add a little more coconut oil and whisk with a fork.
When the biscotti are cool, dip them into the carob mixture and sprinkle with the chopped pepitas. Leave to set for 10 minutes.
Store in an airtight container. Soft biscotti will keep for 4 days; crunchy biscotti can last for more than 1 month.
Tip: Dogtella is another great dip for the biscotti
This is an edited extract from My Dog Eats Better Than Me by Fiona Rigg and Jacqui Melville published by Hardie Grant Books $29.99 and is available where all good books are sold.
Photographer: (c) Melanie Faith Dove 2021