Thursday's Nutrition Beat: Does Your Dog Eat Better Than You?

I talk a lot in this blog about proper canine nutrition, but there's definitely a flip side to that coin: the dog guardian who is fastidious about Fido's dinner, but who spends almost none on his own. When I was at Clean Slate, it was not uncommon for us to spend hours preparing dinner for all of the residents, and then throw together a peanut butter sandwich at ten p.m. for ourselves. Not everyone is quite that extreme, of course, but I don't think it's that unusual for the more conscientious dog-mas out there to give more consideration to their pup's plate than their own.

Here, then, is a simple recipe that both you and your pup can enjoy. Because most of us work for a living, I'm a big fan of planning ahead. Make this over the weekend, freeze, and then heat up one evening after a long day's work.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
3 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 yellow squash (small)
1 zucchini (small)
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1 whole chicken, preferably organically grown
1 cup lentil beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic
rosemary to taste

COOK IT UP!

Start by dicing sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, squash, and zucchini - if you have a Cuisinart, it is now officially your best friend (if it wasn't already, of course). Leaving peas and lentils for later, mix your raw veggies together in a large bowl.

Cook entire chicken in a large pot for one hour, with sea salt, garlic, and a dash of fresh rosemary. Add peas and other veggies and bring to a boil, then let simmer for second hour. Veggies are done when they are soft, but not mushy.

While chicken soup is simmering, use a separate pot to cook lentils (cooking the lentils with the chicken soup usually means lentils get overcooked and end up taking over the meal). Rinse the beans in cold water first, then add 1 cup lentils to 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1/2 hour. They are finished cooking when the outer skins peel away easily.

Cook 3 cups brown rice to 6 cups water, bringing water to a boil first and then simmering until rice is done (water has evaporated and rice is fully cooked. Brown rice takes quite some time to cook thoroughly, however if you time it right, it should be done about the same time that everything else finishes.

Once chicken soup is done cooking, let cool thoroughly and strain the mixture, retaining one cup of the broth to store separately. De-bone the chicken and remove the skin from the mixture.

Let rice cool thoroughly, then add to veggies and chicken and blend thoroughly. Depending on the size of your pup, this recipe makes three to six servings. Store two or three single-portion sized containers in your refrigerator, and freeze the rest.

When you're ready to share a meal with your pooch, take a portion for you and one for him. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining chicken broth to your pup's portion, and heat in a saucepan on the stovetop or in microwave. For your meal, add a tablespoon of the chicken broth and a tablespoon of water and re-heat. This is a great, warming ghoulash that covers almost every food group and - despite looking a little questionable - is surprisingly tasty. You and your pup will be amazed at how good "dog food" can be!