This recipe for a “sad veg” topping is a great idea for using up fridge leftovers.

Not being as well-organised as some, ingredients aren’t purchased in this house on the basis of a weekly meal plan. Which means that, from time to time, a few sad vegetables lurking in the salad drawer need to be used up pronto. They are known in our family as sad veg. But they aren’t sad for long. The main rule is that we don’t ‘do’ waste – and these veggies might be sad, but they’re still as functional as ever: all that’s needed is a little TLC.

This is when I appreciate having home-made fish or meat broths in portions in the freezer. They don’t even need to be thawed out beforehand. Just plonk the frozen broth in the pan, warm slowly and you’re ready to go.

Actually, I quite like leftover days: they produce some of the best meals (for humans and dogs). The downside, sadly, is the improbability of their being replicated. Creative enthusiasm tends to eclipse diligent notetaking.

The point of this post is that just a couple of extras from the Well Dog Pantry and freezer will transform most sad vegetables to an extremely palatable source of extra nutrition for dogs. Mix and match with what you have.

 

Limp celery, broccoli stalks, carrots and mushrooms. Leftover veg that might otherwise be thrown away are valuable ingredients for this topping recipe.

Limp celery, broccoli stalks, carrots and mushrooms

 

I mean, these don’t look much, do they? I wonder how many people would be walking them to the bin? DON’T!! They are perfect for creating a leftover veg and hempseed topping.

Adding a couple of magic ingredients from the Well Dog Pantry can transform this into something nutritional and tasty in 30 minutes. No waste and a healthy, functional topping with little effort and at very little cost.

The magic ingredients: fish stock, ginger and hemp seeds

The magic ingredients: fish stock, ginger and hemp seeds

 

Recipe:

Sad veg and hemp topping

Ingredients:
I’ve noted the weights that I was working with, but obviously this recipe is pretty flexible. Just try and keep a similar fluid- vegetable ratio.

450 ml jellied fish broth
200 ml vegetable water or tap water
Sliced fresh ginger
130 g carrots (approximate), roughly chopped
120 g celery, roughly sliced with leaves
180 g broccoli stalks and floret, roughly chopped
1 tsp thyme
1.5 tablespoons hemp seeds

Method:

Take the fish broth out of the freezer to thaw: if it hasn’t thawed thoroughly, place in pan over low heat. This jellied broth was already semi-thawed but I’ve noticed that jellied broth, with its high collagen content, does appear to thaw quickly.

Frozen fish broth in pan for this sad veg topping with hempseeds

Add slices of ginger (keeping fresh ginger in the freezer will make slicing easier), chopped carrots and sliced celery

Ingredients for this vegetable topping in a pan, coming to the boil     add 120 g of celery, roughly chopped

Add broccoli and mushrooms and a teaspoon of thyme. It already looks more lively!

Ingredients for this Veg and Hemp Topping all together in a pan:

Bring to the boil, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.

Allow to cool, add hemp seeds.

The mixture can be given as a topping as is, or semi-blitzed to leave some texture. If you don’t need it immediately (and you’re just doing this to save the sad veg), the mixture can also be frozen at this point.

Alternatively, you can divide the mixture into two before freezing.

The first half is for the topping and the remainder can be pureed and frozen in snall (e.g. 100 g) portions for inclusion in dog biscuits or hydrating drinks.

Cooked Leftover veg topping after adding hemp seeds     Half of the mixture is semi-blitzed to leave texture for the topping. The remainder is pure aid and frozen in 100 g portions for inclusion in dog biscuits or hydrating drinks

THE TASTING

A bit of topping has escaped – but not for long. Even the outside of the bowl is licked clean!

Definitely approved…

Wire-haired Vizsla Dog tasting sad veg topping     Even the outside of the bowl is licked clean

 

 

 

Important Considerations:

  • Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
  • If you are feeding commercial food, check the label for ingredients 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 and approved by our doggy friends.