A Dogs Dinner

Some of you may already know that Barks & Bunnies was originally a business specifically making handmade dog treats. We were inspired by our own Golden Retriever Albie who suffers from Colitis, a very difficult condition to live with, and I should know because I have it too - well the human version anyway! 

What might be considered as 'fussiness' with food by some is what I believe to be him knowing what is going to make him feel good or bad, so when he turns his nose up at his food I don't just leave it in his bowl on the premise that if he is hungry enough he will eat. Lately he has been off his usual food so we have been making him some homemade meals and after Albie posted on his twitter account a photo of his forthcoming meal we had a few people ask for the recipe so I thought I would publish it here and make it available to anyone. It is super fast and easy to make, perhaps 5 minutes to make and then cook for 25-30 minutes.

As always though, if changing your dog's diet or if you have any concerns please contact your vet before feeding. 

Recipe:

• 500g mince - we use beef but you can use anything you think your dog will like, lamb, chicken etc
• Vegetables - this is where we vary things a little. We grate half a courgette and carrot, maybe a small handful of peas. Or if you are in a real rush we sometimes buy the bags of frozen vegetables at the supermarket and use those. A nice handful of spinach if you have any, or again the frozen spinach is fine. 
• 270g Rice - we use white rice for Albie because I tend to find wholegrain sits heavier on my tummy so wonder if the same is true for Albie.
• Twice as much water as rice (it has taken me YEARS to remember to double the amount of water to rice, poor Leigh got some very odd meals when we first met!)
• Herbs - we add around a teaspoon of herbs to his meal, either parsley or mint which we always have to hand because Libby & Chuzzlewit our bunnies regularly get some.
• Turmeric - I add just a pinch of turmeric, it adds another dimension of flavour and has anti-inflammatory properties
• A dash of olive oil or similar
• (Sometimes I change the recipe slightly, I might add a little pepper, or broccoli instead of the other vegetables).

Method:

Place about a tablespoon of oil in your pan and then add the meat. Cook until browned. Then add the vegetables you have chosen to use and cook for about a minute. Add your rice and water, allow it to come to the boil, place a lid over. (Now this is tricky bit because we cook on an Aga not a conventional oven!). If cooking in an Aga, place the lid over and pop it on the bottom of the baking oven for about 25 minutes until all the water is absorbed. If using a conventional cooker I think you should be fine to keep it on the hob and once boiling turn the temperature down and leave to simmer, I don't know who long this will take so it is probably best to check after 15 minutes and keep a close eye until all the water is absorbed.

Feeding & Storage:

Once cooked we transfer to a tupperware and keep it in the fridge, for Albie it lasts a few meals but depending on the size of your dog it will be different. 

This is not an exact recipe, it has not been tested to check its nutrition and if you are considering changing your dogs diet for a home-cooked one I would definitely advise contacting your vet first to make sure the change will give your dog everything they need. 

We hope your dog enjoys it as much as Albie!