As you know from an earlier post, my dogs are vegan and I feed them V-dog kibble. I usually order 30-lb bags, 2 at a time, direct from the V-dog website because none of my local pet stores carry V-dog kibble. Well, we had a dilemma when I tried to place my last order toward the end of December. V-dog was completely out of stock and not expecting a shipment until mid- to late-January. I had enough to last only about 2 weeks!
In order to keep my girls vegan and healthy, I created a recipe using ingredients that I know are safe for dogs and also provide a balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and antioxidants. You may be surprised to find that this recipe includes coconut oil, which also has benefits for pets.
For the Dogs: Sweet Potatoes & Brown Rice with Black Beans & Veggies
Ingredients:
- 3 large sweet potatoes or yams (or 5 small), washed and pierced several times with a fork
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large carrots, diced
- ½ bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces, including the stems
- ½ cup coconut oil (start with 2 tablespoons and increase to ½ cup over a period of about 3-4 weeks)
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Place the sweet potatoes or yams on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the sweet potatoes or yams are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30-45 minutes (for a softer consistency that will mash easily, leave in for about 60 minutes).
- While the potatoes are baking, combine the brown rice and water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for until the rice is tender and the water is all absorbed, about 40-45 minutes.
- After 20-30 minutes, quickly add the carrots and kale to the rice and cover for the remaining cooking time.
- When the potatoes are done baking, remove from the oven and dice the flesh and skin (or mash the flesh).
- Combine the rice and veggie mixture, along with the black beans, potatoes, and coconut oil in a large bowl and stir to mix well.
- Serve while warm and fresh or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Makes ~8 1-cup servings. Use your dry food serving size as a guide for how much to feed your pooch. I give my 60-65 lb girls a 1-cup serving twice daily.