Cookin' with Robbie Dawg
The inspiration: Robbie and LuluMonthly canine culinary tips and recipes from Lisa Fortunato, founder and owner of Robbie Dawg, Inc., an all-natural dog treat bakery based out of Brooklyn, NY. She is also the author of her own doggie cookbook.
Thaw Yourselves Out with Some Comfort Food
Pet-Friendly Cooking Tips from Lisa Fortunato
As winter descends and the days get colder and the weather is unpredictable, soup is a delicious and nutritious comfort food for both you and your pet! You can prepare simple yet satisfying soup in ten minutes if you have a few staples on-hand in your pantry. It is important to start with all-natural and, whenever possible, organic ingredients. I stress these points repeatedly because it is important to get into the habit of reading labels. Something as simple as chicken broth can contain high amounts of salt, preservatives and even monosodium glutamate. It could also have ingredients, like onions, that are toxic to dogs. Why consume these products when there are healthy and safe choices available? Yes, they sometimes cost more, but even stores like Costco offer organic chicken broth at very competitive prices. Your food will taste better, you and your dog will feel better, and will need to simply adjust a few of the ingredients depending upon who is eating it.
Pantry Stock Ingredients
Organic Chicken Broth: Most brands of organic chicken broth is packaged in resealable aseptic cartons and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to ten days.
Imported Pasta: There are numerous pastas to select from at the grocery store. Imported pasta contains durum wheat semolina, which contains a great deal of starch, protein, and gluten. Less-expensive brands use semolina flour, which is actually a less flavorful white flour that does not hold up when cooked.
Pecorino Romano Cheese: Whether you select imported or domestic, Pecorino Romano cheese is made from sheep's milk and is the perfect hard Italian grating cheese. Select a wedge that is aged at least eight months and keep the cheese wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a resealable bag in the refrigerator. Grate only what you need. Stored grated cheese will lose its flavor and even become stale. Never buy cheese that is pre-grated or comes in a box or can.
Broccolini: Broccolini is just a fancy way of saying baby broccoli. The stalks are not as thick and the heads tend to smaller and not as dense. If unavailable, regular broccoli or even broccoli di rape are fine substitutes.
Featured Recipe: Broccolini & Orecchietti Soup
Orecchietti are small, disc-shaped pasta; the name comes from the Italian word orecchio, which means "ear." However, any small shape of pasta will work fine. You will want a good brand, as you want the pasta to stay tender and not turn into mush as it cooks in the soup. Pasta contains gluten - that is how it retains it shape and texture once cooked - so if your dog is sensitive to gluten you can always use rice.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch broccolini, chopped
1 box organic chicken broth
1/3" rind from a piece of pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup orchetti pasta
1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped broccolini, mixing with a wooden spoon while the broccoli cooks. Do not over cook; you want the broccolini to stay crisp.
3. Add the box of chicken broth and Pecorino Romano rind and bring to a boil.
4. Add the pasta and continue cooking at a low boil till al dente.
5. Cool soup to room temperature and add 1/4 cup to every 1/2 cup of kibble you feed your dog. To make it extra special, sprinkle a little grated cheese over the soup and kibble mixture.
Enjoy!
Please always be cautious when altering your pet's diet in any way.
Try These Recipes:
Doggie Pizza Biscotti
Pumpkin Pie Dog Biscuits
Thanksgiving Recipes
Robbie dawg is a woman-owned Brooklyn, New York based business that bakes handcrafted organic dog biscuits in 15 flavors. Each month sine its founding in 2005, robbie dawg has donated over 30 pounds of biscuits to the dogs at Bideawee. For more recipes, Lisa recently completed a cookbook for Adam's Media called The Everything Cooking for Dogs Book. The cookbook contains 150 recipes, as well as a section on nutrition and ingredients.
Sew Velcro strips into the sock opening so it can be closed up and easily reopened. Next, fill the sock with batting, scrap fabric, or dried catnip, and seal shut. In no time, your kitty will have a new favorite plaything!
