Kris Rotonda and his fiancée Denise Fernandez dove into the world of preparing home-cooked feasts for their pooches and landed feet first. They have four dogs: Rocky, Coco, Kobe and Jordan.
"I started cooking for my dogs because it's a healthier way to go for meals," Rotonda says. "Plus, it's just fun, and my dogs are an important part of my life."
The local couple's Doggy Cooking Network videos on YouTube act as the hub for their pup-friendly recipes, ranging from party mix to Turkey Day leftovers. Two food formulas they shared with CL call for ingredients like brown rice and egg.
Bacon Rice Cakes
Ingredients
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 slices lean bacon, cooked, finely chopped (Retain bacon fat)
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
Directions
Mix chopped bacon and rice. Add egg and breadcrumbs to rice and bacon mixture. Combine thoroughly. Wet hands to prevent sticking, and then form the egg-rice mixture into 4 thin patties.
Reheat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat. Add the rice cakes and cook, turning once until golden brown (about 4 minutes on each side).
Chicken Cakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup of peas, thawed
1/3 cup of rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 egg
2 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the rice, peas, chicken, egg, breadcrumbs and parsley. Form into 4 equally sized patties.
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken patties and cook, turning once, until golden-brown for approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and let cool slightly.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2015.