Making the Connection~Dog Food and Finding Better

Making the Connection~Dog Food and Finding Better

While reading Obligate Carnivore: Cats, Dogs, and What it Really Means to be Vegan by Jed Gillen, I learned about how most dog and cat food is ground up euthanized shelter cats and dogs. One will say "this doesn't really happen..." or "how can we allow this...". The truth is that as consumers, we don't ask questions and the corporations have a low bar set, and with an abundance of by-product we get this. We must start calling companies and asking questions. Use google as a tool and look up the ingredients as a starting point.



I already had my dogs on a vegan dog food, still buying out of convenience. After moving back to Texas and being short on funds, but not wanting to go back to buying a crap "animal based" dog food, I started cooking for my dogs. There is a reason why mother nature doesn't allow cannibalism. My dogs had never been that interested in their food, until I started cooking for them. Now they can't seem to get enough.

Starting off with grains:
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Pearl Barley
Steel Cut Oats
Oatmeal

Vegetables:
Cabbage
Spinach
Brussels Sprouts
Green Beans
Carrots
Eggplant
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Butternut Squash
Pumpkin
Bell Peppers
Kale
Peas
Tomatoes (NO LEAVES)
Sweet Potatoes
Red Potatoes


Fruit:
Blueberries
Peaches
Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Bananas

Added:
Coconut Yogurt
Peanut Butter
Tahini
Apple Sauce
Lentils

Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets

Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets
Serves 8; 30 minutes of fewer; Gluten Free; Vegan

Sweet potatoes and lentils get cooked in a curried broth inside packets for a lightly spicy dish. Serve with quinoa.
I made the full recipe, and it makes a lot of food! I suggest, if you are not serving this for a party, you might want to half the recipe. I actually served it with home-made tortillas.

2 cups finely diced sweet potato
1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup fresh green beans, thinly sliced (I substituted peas)
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 Tbs. hot sesame oil (I used regular, the dish turned out sweeter then spicy)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils or 1 15-oz. can lentils, rinsed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place 4 16-inch lengths of foil on work surface. Fold foil in half from short side. Unfold. Shape corners and edges of one half into semicircular "bowl" with 1/2-inch sides. Coat insides of foil with cooking spray.

2. Combine sweet potato, bell pepper, green beans, and raisins in medium bowl. Add oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Whisk together broth, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a small bowl.

4. Divide sweet potato mixture among packets; top with 1/3 cup lentils. Pour 1/4 cup broth mixture over lentils, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Fold other half of foil over ingredients, and crimp edges in overlapping folds until packets are sealed. Transfer packets to baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.

5. Transfer to plates. Let each person open packet carefully-escaping air will be hot.

Per packet: 265 cal.; 9 grams prot.; 7 grams total fat (1 gram sat. fat); 43 grams carb.; 0 mg chol.; 253 mg sod.; 10 grams fiber; 13 grams sugar

Found: Vegetarian Times May/June 2010

Green Beans with Cranberries

Green Beans with Cranberries

In honor of the up coming holiday season and EVERYONE in my family asking for this recipe. The next several recipes can be used in your holiday meals..... Happy Holiday Season!
In the spring I like to substitute raspberries

2 lbs. of green beans, trimmed
1 cup of cranberries
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbs. of fresh parsley
4 Tbs. of vegetable oil
3 Tbs. of maple syrup
3 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts/almonds

1.) Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2.) Put the green beans into a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until remaining moisture on beans evaporate. Stir in 2 Tbs. of vegetable oil, cranberries and parsley and coat well. Cook until heated through about 5 minutes.

3.) Whisk together vinegar, maple syrup, and remaining oil. In a large serving bowl add green beans/cranberries and walnuts. Coat with vinegar/syrup mixture tossing to cover the green beans and cranberries. Serve and enjoy.