The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (22 page)

Aspic, a savory gelatin, is a time-tested way to prepare vegetable and meat ingredients. Use the aspic in place of broth in recipes, as a low-calorie treat, or as an addition to another meal.

Yield: 5 cups

2 pounds pigs’ feet

Water, as needed

5–8 large chicken drumsticks, thighs, or any cuts with bones

1 large carrot

1 celery rib

2 teaspoons salt

1. Soak pigs’ feet in cold water and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. Place chicken and pigs’ feet in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove and discard water.
   
3. Cover meat with fresh water, with just
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   " water over the meat. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 hours.
   
4. Add carrot, celery, and salt; simmer for 1 hour.
   
5. Remove meat and vegetables from broth. Discard pigs’ feet and celery rib.
   
6. Filter broth through sieve.
   
7. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Slice carrots and place in the bottom of a medium bowl. Top with shredded chicken. Slowly pour broth over chicken and carrots, then refrigerate bowl overnight.
   
8. Set the bowl in hot water for a few seconds, then invert bowl on a plate to remove aspic, using a slim spatula to separate gelatin from bowl if necessary. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or separate into portions and freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Poultry Aspic

Creating an aspic dish is a novel way to add variety to Fido’s meal. It makes a nice presentation for special occasions, too, if you prepare the recipe using multiple small bowls the size of your dog’s meal.

YIELDS: 5–7 cups

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), washed

2 large turkey wings, washed

Water, as needed

2 carrots, cut in 1" pieces

3 celery stalks, cut in 1" pieces

2 cloves garlic (optional)

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1. Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for another recipe.
   
2. Place chicken and turkey in a large stockpot. Fill with just enough cold water to cover. Cook over medium heat and bring to boil.
   
3. Skim off fat and foam. Add vegetables and again bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 4 hours.
   
4. Remove from heat. Remove chicken and turkey, discarding bones and skin. Use two forks to shred meat, reserving it in a container.
   
5. Strain broth to remove vegetables; reserve those for use in another recipe.
   
6. Place shredded meat in the bottom of a large bowl. Top with egg slices.
   
7. Gently pour strained broth over mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
   
8. To remove aspic from bowl, dip bowl in hot water and invert on a plate, using a slim spatula to separate gelatin from bowl if necessary. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
   

Beef Marrow Aspic

Making your own beef stock, jellied as aspic, from marrow bones is inexpensive and easy. You can continue to use the bones to make multiple batches of stock. The stock will begin as a jellied aspic, and as the bones cook down, it will gradually become more liquid as you reach seven or eight days of use.

YIELDS: 2–3 quarts

3 pounds beef marrow bones (beef feet recommended)

2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar

3 carrots, chopped in 1 rounds

3 celery sticks, chopped

Water, as needed

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and top with enough water to cover 1" over meat. Turn slow cooker on low.
   
2. After 8–10 hours, use tongs to carefully remove bones. Using a knife, push marrow into the soup. Return bones to pot.
   
3. Cook on low for 24 hours.
   
4. Cool broth and strain, using meat and vegetables to add to your dog’s meal. Store broth and freeze for later use. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. (The refrigeration forms the aspic; because of the long, long cooking time, the minerals and marrow from the bones will leach into the water and create the aspic when refrigerated.)
   
5. Add water back to bones to make another batch of broth, or discard bones. (Never feed dogs cooked bones; the risk of splintering is much higher in cooked bones.)
   

Jellied Chicken Salad

Humans usually consider chicken salad a side dish, but it can also be a cool meal for your pooches. It’s especially welcome during warmer weather.

YIELDS: 4 cups

1
³
⁄
₄
cups Homemade Chicken Broth (see
Chapter 15
), divided

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped celery

1. Pour
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup of chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour gelatin in chicken broth, stirring to completely dissolve. Add remainder of chicken broth and continue to stir to mix.
   
2. Stir in chicken and celery, then pour into a large bowl or loaf pan.
   
3. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 12 hours.
   
4. To remove, dip bowl in hot water and use a thin spatula to separate the salad from the bowl as you invert it over a plate. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.