When I was a World Teach volunteer (now almost 20 years ago!), I owned a dog named Manguluka. Living in rural Namibia near the Angolan border, you couldn't buy dog food. The local people fed their dogs scraps from their meals. I would cook corn meal porridge for her and then add leftover meat or vegetables from my dinner. Hilda, the cook on the Catholic Mission where I lived, would also feed her scraps from the kitchen.
This experience led me to embrace periodic baking for Pongo. My favorite cookbook is Pup Snacks, by Stephanie Mehanna.
Here is what we baked this week:
Puppy Love Treats
1 lb cooked quinoa
3 1/2 oz plain flour (you can substitute with a gluten-free flour)
3 1/2 oz organic apple or banana baby food
1 egg, beaten
2 tablesppons unsalted peanuts, chopped
Mix the quinoa, flour, baby food and egg to bind together thoroughly. Brush a heart-shaped cookie cutter with oil and place onto a greased baking sheet. Spoon a little of the mixture into the cutter and press down in an even ayer. Carefully lift away the cutter. Repeat with the remainder of the quinoa mixture. Space each heart shape 1/2 inch apart, and re-oil the cutter if the mixture begins to stick. Scatter each of the cookies with the chopped peanuts, then lightly press the pieces in to the dough. Bake in a preheated oven, 300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Transfer t a wire rack to cool thoroughly. Store the cookies in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator and use within 5 days.
Since this recipe gives measurements in weights, I use a food scale to measure the ingredients.
The treats are ready to go in the oven! I have decided these are a little big, even for Pongo. You can use a smaller cookie cutter, which I think we'll try next time. You can also break them into smaller pieces when you treat your dog. The chopped peanuts on the top are a little messy. They often fall off onto the floor. I'm going to try actually mixing them into the recipe next time.
Here's the best part! Pongo sits for his treat. Yum!
Enjoy!
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