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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

10 Legs in the Kitchen

Monthly Archives: January 2016

Food Matters: by Ginger

31 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by Stacey Bender in Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Dog writing, food writing, Homemade Dog good, Paws Custom Pet Food

 

PS_food from above

I used to be the gal that really got excited by going to Dick’s Drive-in with Mom and Dad because they always gave me bites of their hamburger (which, by the way, was really delectable).  Buffy, my sister who I only met once, got to go all the time and she got her own burger.  I even heard that our Uncle Petey used to take her through the drive-thru at another (not-to-be-named) drive-thru and get her her own burger when he pup sat for her in the “old” days.  They were tight.  I was led to believe that I would get my own burger too, but it turns out that Mom and Dad decided to become more healthy in their eating habits since I’ve been around, which coincidentally, trickled down to me and my prescribed eating habits.  I never got excited about eating the food they called my “prescription diet”, whatever that was suppose to mean.  They thought I would love it because it was made with duck and potato but I found it to be uninspiring and bland.  Who can honestly get excited about dry, hard nuggets of duck and potato, processed so intently that it tastes only of smelly, vile chemicals, in a “healthy” way.  I tasted Mom’s duck and her potatoes, and I can say for certain that my food tasted nothing like hers.

This led me to become a (bad) beggar, or at least that is what they called me.  I know it was annoying, but how would you feel if you had to watch someone cook every night, creating wonderful aromas, and all you got to eat was fake-tasting duck nuggets?  I was constantly asking to join the family for dinner, because, well, I am part of the family, and I too care what my food tastes like!

But that was a long, long time ago.  One day, the bag that was kept in the cabinet above our eating area (containing our fake nuggets), suddenly disappeared (!) and our bowls were instead filled with a much more palatable meal.  This pleased me very much.  Buddy became a ravenous (and noisy) eating machine, and I was happy to go along with it.  Instead of ignoring my old food put out in the morning until hunger got the better of me at night, I too began waking up, wanting to be fed our new food.  In fact, I’d wake my parents up with my textbook snarfing to get them to the kitchen asap!

After the initial euphoria wore down, I started to realize we were eating much better food, and I must admit, we have a pretty civilized set-up for dining, but (and this is a big “but”) it still wasn’t as good as the stuff Mom cooked.  I still smelled those tantalizing aromas each day and yearned for the food that they ate.  Yes, I got to taste it, but that was just like dangling a carrot in front of my nose (but oh how I do love my carrots; sometimes they dangled carrots and I would dance on my back legs).

Then, it happened.  Something good came out of something bad, which in turn made it good again (did that make sense to you?).  It might sound confusing, but hang in with me here.  Last year Buddy stopped eating his food.  I mean, like seriously, stopped!  At first, I helped him out by eating his portion too, but then I got a little suspicious that something might be wrong.  I decided to stop eating so much too.  There were a lot of visits to Doc, but she didn’t even poke me a lot of those times, just him, and then there was a lot of coddling of Buddy that went on, which I didn’t like so much.  He didn’t seem very good and I started to wonder if it was something he ate?  Uh oh, I was eating it too!  Hmmm, I was feeling okay?  I threw-up a few times but other than that, I was just fine.  Within days of his not eating, there was a big change in the kitchen.  The food that was cooking and those incredible smells I was smelling, were for us.  Before I knew it, Buddy was eating again.  I was definitely eating again, and this time I was eating the kind of food I wanted to eat.

Our Mom is a very good cook.  I now know what it feels like to have a home-cooked meal every day.  I understand how earth-shattering it is to be able to have variety in my meals.  I am on top of the world!  I am so glad to be alive!  The best part is that Buddy is alive too!!  He has been better ever since (and even though he gets other things done to him that I am glad I don’t have to endure), I know he likes being around too!  Keep it coming Mom!

The moral of the story is that food matters to us all.  Eat well, live well, be well.

 

PS_G from front

Life’s messy, clean us up!

PS_3finished meal in metal bowl

Doggy Turkey Delight

Stacey here:  I admit that sometimes I was a distracted Mother and ran out of my stash of food for the pups.  I know they think I cook for just them every night because they do have a home-cooked meal every day and night but the truth is, I often have help.  Along with my creations, I also buy custom made-for-them food from Paws Custom Pet Foods to have as filler for the times I can’t (or don’t have time to) cook for them.  I buy the nutrition bottle or kit plus an herbal supplement specifically for kidney disease from Paws, so that I can cook for my pups myself.  I try to mix up the ingredients and recipes to make it more interesting for all of us.  This rendition of pressure-cooked turkey breast, sweet potato, quinoa and peas was a particular pup pleaser (there were some other ingredients too).

I use a pressure cooker to make this but if you don’t have one, you could cook in all together in a slow cooker (I am guessing for 3-4 hours on high) or braise it in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours or so until turkey is cooked through and shreds away from the bone.

It comes together without as much effort as it sounds and makes the house smell like a Sunday dinner at Mom or Grandma’s house.  It was so good that I found myself eating it too, which is quite the point; why feed something to the “family” that you wouldn’t eat yourself…yum!

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs  bone-in turkey breast (I got a Kosher breast from Trader Joe’s), most of the skin removed

3 cups water (or more as needed)

16 oz shelled English peas (you can buy a bag of these at Trader Joe’s)

12 oz green beans, cleaned and diced into 1/4″ dice

8 oz sweet potato, uncooked, skin removed and diced into 1/4″ dice

6-8 oz peeled baby carrots, diced into 1/4″ cubes

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (I use red quinoa)

1 egg yolk (optional)

4 tsp Paw’s Custom Pet Foods nutrition (optional but highly recommended)

4 tsp Paw’s Custom Pet Foods detox supplements (optional)

 

COOK

Put the water into the vessel of a pressure cooker (I use an electric Cuisinart pressure cooker) and add the turkey breast.  Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

When all the steam has released, remove the meat from the bone, discard the bone, shred it and chop a little bit.  Add the meat back to the vessel.  Add the remaining ingredients, (except for the nutrition and supplements).  Add a little water if it has evaporated (it should not cover all the way but be enough in the bottom to add steam).

PS_2just turkeyk.jpg

Cook on high pressure for 10-minutes more.  When all the steam has released, check the ingredients to be sure everything is soft.  If you want it to be softer, cook for 2-3 minutes more on high pressure.  This is personal depending on your dog’s size and ability to chew.

stew cooked in cooker

Transfer the contents of the vessel to a sheet pan to let it cool.  At this point, I use a potato masher to just smoosh it a bit to break up the peas.

PS_B G watching plated

Once cooled to room temperature, add the nutrition and supplements (if using), and mix well.

Transfer to containers for storage and to freeze.  I used ones that were recycled from food bought at Paw’s Custom Pet Foods that held 1 1/2 lbs each.

PS_portions

Ginger and Buddy combined, eat 1 1/2 lbs per day, so I froze two containers and left the others fresh to feed for the next several days.  If you have questions about feeding size recommendations for your pup, contact Shelly at shellyfuller@pawscafe.com.  She is very approachable and loves to make sure your dog is eating well.

 

PS_clean up licking the plate

Let the kids clean up

So long… our Friend (by Ginger)

17 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by Stacey Bender in Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

kale, Looking Good Dog Grooming Seattle, Monkfish

PS4_plated close

Monkfish with pan drippings

I woke up this morning going about my usual routine; a long, full body stretch, followed by a down dog (that’s me), then an up dog (me again) and a loud snarf. The morning was cool but the sheets were warm and as I jumped from the bed, I rolled to and fro, feet up in the air, letting out a signal that I wanted to be rubbed. When that didn’t work, I went on to scratch myself, hard and fast, under the arm. Before I could move into biting at my back, I was hit in the head with a flying panda bear; pretty sure Buddy sent Panda my way, probably to get me to stop making such a racquet.

PS_panda

It couldn’t have been Buddy or I, look how innocent we look…

I just can’t seem to get over this itch though! I know I have my allergies and some days they bother me more than others but lately, it has been a REAL _itch. The kind of itch that makes me go into a scratching fit for real relief rather than just for attention (more acupuncture please).

This time of year is always a little crazy in that there are Holidays going on (well there were holidays going on). Santa Claus came several weeks ago and the time leading up to his visit was a little hectic and varied from the usual order of business. For instance, a few days before Santa came, Buddy’s and my usual morning routine was diverted from that leading into a peaceful day of relaxation and calm sprinkled in with squirrel watching and biting my tail (cuz it really does itch now). Did I mention I’m allergic to pine (aka Christmas) trees?  Oh, but I love them so.  Ahhhh, but it was our spa day. On spa days, instead of longingly watching Mom and Dad leave for work, tails down in something they call “Snuffleupagus mode”, Buddy and I get bundled up in our coats and harnesses and carried by Mom to the car. Buddy starts to shake. I’m not sure if he is cold or just thinks we are going to see Doc, but I feel invigorated because I know we are going to see Victoria (I love Victoria and Buddy does too). Victoria cuts our hair (and has all of the time we have ever been with Mommy & Daddy). She does more than that though, she spoils us with her sweet, friendly charm and her patience for our shenanigans (especially Buddy’s). She is nice to everyone but we always feel extra special and secretly know that she would do anything for us. We get plenty of water and walks and love, even though there are many other dogs that are vying for her attention.

I didn’t always feel this way. There was a time that I hated going to that place. When I was a puppy, I was afraid of the water and thought the brush was a monster with big spiky fangs….yikes! Going to see Victoria (and Sue) meant being dipped in water and scrubbed. It meant being dried with a machine that blows air on us that is loud, and it meant getting rid of all the braids that formed in the time between visits. It also meant leaving feeling pretty and dainty when all I wanted to do was romp around in the leaves and the dirt, chewing on twigs. But now, being the Princess that I am, I like to feel pretty and Victoria always makes me feel pretty (and the product she uses leaves us smelling good).

Since I have been going there for so many years, Victoria also knows what I/we like. For instance, she knows that Buddy and I have sensitive ears and so she puts cotton balls gently inside them during bath time and drapes a hood over our head to protect them from the noise of that crazy air machine. She knows we like to be put front and center so we can see all the action coming and going through the front door and out on the street. She knows we like to sit together (Buddy and I), even though we used to pretend not to like each other when Buddy first became my brother. We also like Victoria to talk to us and tell us how wonderful we are.

So, you can imagine my surprise when, as we were about to leave, she told us she was going to miss us. I asked her to explain and as she did, her eyes teared up and her voice cracked a little. Funny though, cuz as she told us about her new adventure, I could tell it was something she looked forward to doing.

Buddy

Buddy thinks he’s always the last to know.

From here (Looking Good Grooming) though, it was time to for her to retire, from this. I have been around the block a time or two. I know good from bad. I know right from wrong. Most of all, I know friend from foe. Victoria is our friend and no matter where she goes, it will never be just good bye, but rather, so long…until we meet again, when I can say “hello”.

bud and ging in car

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Monkfish Medallions with pan drippings and sautéed kale (with mushrooms and cipollini onions)

For Victoria, we present monkfish, because monkfish is actually “angel fish” and Victoria has been our angel. Also, monkish is a delicious, delicate white fish that is firm in texture but soft on taste. Mom always cooks a chunk for us, wrapped in foil to keep it moist and soft but without the salt and pepper they put on theirs. There are many sauces that would work with this but keeping it simple is just as good and much less fuss. Mashed potatoes or polenta is also a nice accompaniment to complement the texture of the fish.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb monkfish – trimmed of cartilage (ask your fishmonger to do this.  You are looking to have a nice, clean log (isn) of fish.
Salt and pepper to season
Flour for dusting
Olive oil and butter to sauté
A splash of white wine
1/2 head kale cut into 1-inch pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 Crimini mushrooms, stem removed and sliced
1 large or several small cipollini onions, cut into wedges

PREPARE & COOK MONKFISH

1.  Slice the monkfish into 3/4-inch thick medallions.
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper then dust with flour.
3. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan until hot, but not smoking. Add the fish medallions and let brown on the first side, without touching (approximately 3 minutes). Turn and cook 2-3 minutes more.
4. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lemon and let simmer until it is mostly evaporated.
5. Add 2 pats of butter and let melt. Swish around the pan to coat the bottom of the fish and add a splash of white wine.  Let simmer slightly until warm and remove from heat to plate.

PS2_cooking

MEANWHILE, LET’S COOK THE KALE:

1.Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and cippolini onions. Saute for 5 minutes or until just soft.
2. Add the kale to the pan (I like to massage the kale first in olive oil, lemon and a pinch of salt just to loosen).
3. This should cook over medium-low heat while cooking the fish. Stir or toss periodically.

SERVE:

Plate the medallions of fish with a small pile of kale and a small pile of either mashed potato or polenta (red potato mash is pictured). Drizzle the pan drippings around the medallions of fish and squeeze over more lemon if desired.

PS_plated 1

Ginger's head

Looking back to the salon as we drive off.  Until we meet again my dear friend…

 

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