Category: Recipes

​Easy to Make Mexican Food Recipe for Your Dog!
 
We always noticed that Suzy watched us when we were eating Mexican takeout from our favorite shop. She wanted some badly but we knew that certain items used in Mexican such as Onions are harmful to your pooch. Dairy, including cheese and sour cream, avocados and fatty foods in general can upset some dogs’ stomachs- pretty much everything used in tacos.
 
So we set out to find a solution. Here’s a recipe for  pup-quitos that your dog will love.  Read the whole article by Cia Emry Fox here. 
 
Mexican - Pup-quitos

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, cooked*
1 pound of ground beef
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, julienned
*Note: Each potato will yield about a dozen pup-quitos.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Peel the skin off sweet potatoes. Discard the skin.
3. If your sweet potato flesh is hard, then grate the potatoes. If your sweet potato flesh is soft, then pull the potatoes apart into strings — kind of like separating string cheese.
4. Press approximately 2 tablespoons of sweet potato flesh into each cupcake liner. Use your fingers to mold the potato into the shape of the liner, thereby forming little cups.
5. Bake the sweet potato in the oven. If your sweet potato flesh was hard, bake for 15 minutes; if soft, bake for 20 minutes.
6. While the sweet potato is baking, unwrap the ground beef and place it in a non-stick skillet on the stove, with the heat at medium. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the meat into small, equal-sized pieces as it cooks. Keep turning and stirring the meat so it doesn’t overcook in some places and undercook in others. The meat is done once all the pinkish-red has changed to brown.
7. Once your meat is browned — or, if it’s very fatty meat, you may also need to do this a few times as it’s cooking — carefully drain the grease from the meat into a disposable container. We keep an old coffee can in the fridge for this purpose; you can use a tin can or an old drink bottle. Just don’t pour the grease down the sink! It can stick to the pipes when it hardens and cause plumbing problems.
8. Remove the potato shells from the oven. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of hamburger into each cup. Garnish with zucchini and red bell pepper. I purposely cut the zucchini and bell pepper to make it look more like lettuce and tomato, but that was purely for fun. Your dog won’t mind if you do it a different way.
When wrapped, pup-quitos will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Do you know other fellow dog lovers that would be interested in seeing our recipes? If so have them join our community at http://ifmydogcouldcook.com
 
Check out the new items that have been added to our store.
Visit the If My Dog Could Cook Community Store. Now you can shop for fun items for your fellow dog lovers, friends and family. We add new items daily. 
 
If My Dog Could Cook – Dog Tested – Dog Approved.

​

​

2 lbs Ground pork

2-2 1/2 lbs Ground beef

1 large Sweet potato

1 large Apple, cored

2 Carrots (or 8 baby carrots)

1 Cup of Kale

1/2 Cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 Cup Rice

1 1/2 Cup Water

Put the ground meats in a 4-6 quart crock pot. You can really use any ground meat that you would like. (Some dogs like the beef and pork best for taste).

Peel and chop the potato, apple and carrots into 1″ pieces. Chop the kale.

Add all of the fruits and veggies to the crock pot and mix with the meat.

When the meat mixture is close to being done, cook up the rice with the water on the stovetop. We use long-cooking rice (bring the rice and water to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes).  When the rice is done, mix into the meat mixture.

Voila! Dog food.

Separate the food into 1/2 cup -1cup portions in small baggies or Tupperware. We keep most of them in the freezer and pull out about 4-5 servings at a time and store them in the fridge. When meal time comes, we squeeze a bag down the middle to split the serving in half, microwave the meal serving for about 30-40 seconds and then mix into her regular dog food. (We cut down on the kibble to save money and avoid over-feeding.)

Have you visited the If My Dog Could Cook Community Store yet? Now you can shop for practical gift items for your fellow dog lovers, friends and family. We add new items daily. 

Before you go - Please tell your friends about If My Dog Could Cook and tell them how much you like being a member of our community.

Dog Tested – Dog Approved!

We here at If My Dog Could Cook are particularly thankful for you, our readers and followers.  We would like to share this special recipe so that your dog can eat a healthy holiday dinner along with your family.  As an added bonus, you will note that you may already have many of the ingredients on hand making this a great first-time recipe for beginners. 

Special Thanksgiving Recipe

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have you seen the new If My Dog Could Cook store?
Announcing the launch of the If My Dog Could Cook Community Store! Now you can shop for practical gift items for your fellow dog lovers, friends and family. We add new items daily.

Before you go - Please tell your friends about If My Dog Could Cook

Dog Tested – Dog Approved!

Cook the sweet potato in a microwave for 5 to 8 minutes until firm but tender.
Set aside.
Slice the stew pieces into smaller chunks, about the size of a nickel.
Cook the stew pieces in a tablespoon of vegetable oil over
medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until well-done.
Remove the beef chunks from the pan, reserving the drippings.
Dice the sweet potato.
Heat the drippings over medium-low heat. Slowly add flour and
water into the dripping while whisking to create a thick gravy.
Add the meat, sweet potato, carrots, and green beans into the gravy
and stir to coat.
Cook until the carrots are tender – about 10 minutes.
Serve cool.
Store remaining stew in the fridge for up to five days.

Please tell your friends about If My Dog Could Cook.

Be on the lookout for our next email!

 If My Dog Could Cook

​​This recipe uses chicken, which is a good source of protein, and lots of vegetables to create a flavorful mix. Green beans help your dog feel full and vegetables promote a healthy intestinal tract.

Ingredients
    4 chicken breasts
    1/2 cup of green beans, chopped
    1/2 cup of carrots, chopped
    1/2 cup of broccoli, chopped
    1/2 cup rolled oats.
    4 cups of low-salt chicken broth

Directions
 
​Remove excess fat from the chicken breasts and cut the breasts into small nickel-sized chunks.
Cook the chicken breasts in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until no longer pink.
Add the chicken, vegetables, rolled oats, and chicken broth to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the carrots are tender – about 15 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving.
Store leftover casserole portions in the fridge for up to five days.

Pro Tip: You can use a small amount of olive oil to fry the chicken if you are having trouble keeping the chicken breasts from sticking to the skillet.

​

​Dogs need large amounts of protein to keep them healthy and active. Your pup should get the majority of his protein from whole meat sources, such as fresh chicken. Beans also have a good amount of protein.
This recipe blends chicken, beans, and vegetables to create a healthy and tasty mix.

Ingredients
    4 chicken breasts
    1 cup of kidney beans, drained
    1 cup of black beans, drained
    1 cup of carrots, diced
    1/2 cup of tomato paste
    4 cups of chicken broth

Directions
 Remove the excess fat and dice the chicken breasts into nickel-sized pieces.
Cook the chicken breasts in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
Add the chicken, beans, carrots, tomato paste, and chicken broth into a large pot and cook over medium heat until heated through – about 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before serving.
Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to five days.


Pro Tip: You can add a 1/2 tablespoon of fish oil to this recipe. The flavors are strong enough that even picky eaters won’t notice the added healthy ingredient.

Be on the lookout for our next email!

 If My Dog Could Cook

​

This basic dog food recipe includes turkey for protein and vegetables for added vitamins and minerals. Turkey has less fat than beef, making this an ideal recipe for pups that could stand to lose a few pounds.
Ingredients
4 cups of water
1 pound of ground turkey
2 cups of brown rice
1 cup of carrots, chopped
1 cup of green beans, chopped
1 tablespoon of fish oil (optional)

Directions:
Cook the ground turkey in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until the meat is cooked through.
Add the brown rice, turkey, and water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the rice is soft and tender.
Add the carrots and green beans and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Allow to cool before serving.
Store extra dinners in the fridge for up to five days.

Pro Tip: Avoid using heavy oil to brown the turkey. The high fat content of the oil may upset your dog’s stomach.

​

​

​Beef and Vegetable Balls

Some dogs prefer meaty treats over sweet ones. These treats have a hearty meat flavor and good aroma that all dogs love. When I made these, my dog stood outside the oven door, not so patiently waiting for the treats to cool.

Ingredients
2 6-ounce jars of organic beef and vegetable baby food
1 cup of whole-wheat flour (or white substitute)
2 cups of dry milk
1 cup of water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Drop the mixture onto a baking sheet in large spoonfuls.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Allow to the treats to cool completely. Store leftover beef and vegetable balls
in the fridge for up to five days.

Pro Tip: These treats do not keep as well as others. Try cutting the recipe in half if you only have one dog.

​

​