Beef, cauliflower and pumpkin topping

Beef, cauliflower and pumpkin

We are lucky enough to be given a lot of beef bones from time to time, which means we have a constant supply of quality beef broth. Good beef bones with bone marrow make an excellent gelatinous broth, most of which is frozen in batches for future use in toppings or treats.

Naturally, under the wistful eye of a four-footed “assistant”, some broth just has to be used straight away – and the easiest way to do that is to create a quick topping with leftovers and ingredients selected from the Well Dog Pantry to make a tasty and healthy combination.

The first thing to do after making a beef broth is to pick off any meat from the bones. It might not look like a lot, but something like 250g from a batch of beef bones is too much to throw away. Think of all that goodness – never mind how much the dog loves it!

Beef, cauliflower and pumpkin topping

Ingredients

1.8 litres of gelatinous beef stock
500 ml water
165g ground beef (waste from beef broth)
430g cooked cauliflower and cooked cauliflower leaves
450g frozen pumpkin cubes
300 ml pasta water
50 ml organic turmeric juice
Ground black pepper
20g nutritional yeast

For this quick topping, I kept back 1.8 litres of the beef stock before freezing the rest. It was so gelatinous this time that it could easily withstand dilution with a further 500ml of water. Add water carefully: if you are at all doubtful, go by eye.

Note:

A topping shouldn’t be too liquid so addition of water will depend on the thickness of the original stock. As a basic rule, use less water and add more later if the topping is too thick.

Method:

Bring beef stock and added water to the boil (see note above).  Add ground beef, nutritional yeast and pumpkin and simmer for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.

This recipe freezes well. Freeze in relatively small containers, say about three or four servings at a time. Allow to thaw and then keep in the fridge.

Important Considerations:

• Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
• As some commercial foods contain fibre as an ingredient, check the label to see whether it’s in your dog’s food before giving more. Excessive intake of any foods can have adverse effects.
• Ensure (where possible) that you use high-quality, organic products specifically formulated for pets (or better still, human grade ingredients) to avoid any potential adverse effects.
• Introduce new foods gradually to avoid adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhoea.
• I provide nutritional information purely as a helpful guide. Nutritional information on ingredients is obtained from the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central site (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html) and any nutritional information provided in recipes is based on an online calculator: calories and other information will vary based on brands, ingredients and other factors.
• Check nutrient levels and recommendations for your dog’s weight, age and activity. For example this nutritional guideline produced by FEDIAF.
• I am not a professional nutritionist. I am sharing recipes that I have created and tested in my kitchen and that have been tasted by our doggy friends.