My dog Luca has a very sensitive stomach and recently had an episode that sent him to the veterinary hospital overnight. I noticed that the treats I had been giving him (an American brand) seemed to make him worse and could have contributed to the problem to begin with. So, I stopped all store bought treats. This obviously was not making Luca a happy dog since he was accustomed to getting treats twice a day. So, now I was on the hunt for the perfect treat to substitute for the store bought variety. I read many recipes for dog treats on line. But I wonder, who in their right mind wants to give dogs some of the ingredients in those recipes. Some had sugar, some had salt, most had corn and wheat, and those were not the weirdest ingredients I found. Well, I was not about to put those things in the treats. Luca has been on a special home made diet of turkey and rice and peas and sometimes carrots and eggs. So, I wanted his treats to be as wholesome as his diet. So, here is the recipe. Luca loves them. Ingredients 6 chicken legs or an equivalent amount of chicken 1 cup of rice flour (much easier to digest than wheat and corn) 1 egg 1/4 to 1/3 cup of frozen peas 1/4 cup chicken broth To make the treats Step 1: Place the chicken legs in a sauce pan and cover with water. Cook until the meat is well done. Step 2: Remove the meat from the pan and let cool completely. Reserve the broth for later. Step 3: Place the peas in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave for 30 seconds. Step 3: Debone the chicken legs and place the meat and peas into the bowl of a a cuisinart type of machine. Step 4: With the metal blade, grind the meat and peas very fine until it starts to stick together Step 5: Remove the meat and peas to a mixing bowl and mix in the egg, flour and chicken broth until the ingredients are well mixed and form a ball. Step 6: Take small portions of the mixture and roll into approximately 3/4 to 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Note, since these are not going to spread out when they are baked, you can most likely fit all of them onto one baking sheet - this will make about 24 treats. Step 7: With a fork, press down the mixture making horizontal and vertical indentations with the fork. Step 8: Bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 40 to 50 minutes until the outside is golden brown and crisp. Note: the inside will remain a little bit soft. Step 9: Remove from the oven and let the treats cool completely. I usually put about half of the treats in the freezer and the remainder in the refrigerator.
Here I am with Luca this past summer in Lago di Garda, Italy.