Although vegetables prove to be beneficial in providing fiber, essential nutrients, and a source of carbohydrates; getting dogs to eat vegetables proves difficult for many pet parents. Why eat “icky” greens when there are tasty pieces of meat on the side?
Witch’s Brew Veggie Stew
Brew up something spooky and nutritious this Halloween by cooking a Witch’s Brew Veggie Stew!
“Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,–
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.”
Bone broth is a highly palatable liquid created from slow boiling bones with connective tissues and meat. Cooking vegetables in bone broth is a simple way to prepare vegetables for optimal digestion and to make them more appealing to your pets.
Witch’s Brew Ingredients
Step one is to create the Witch’s Brew for the base of the vegetable stew. The brew is a bone broth created with off cuts from fall seasonal proteins.
4 Raw Duck Feet
3 Raw Duck Heads
2 Raw Venison Raw Meaty Bones
2.5 Quarts Filtered Water
1/2 Cup Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Off cuts, such as heads and feet, include additional ingredients not found within regular marrow or raw meaty bones. Feet have a high concentration of ligaments and tendons which gives bone broth a gelatin consistency. Heads have small glands, brains, and eyes that pack a nutritional punch.
Regular bones can be used when creating a bone broth! Off cuts are not necessary, but add a spooky spin to traditional bone broth recipes.
Witch’s Brew Instructions
There are many methods to cook bone broth for your pet. The crockpot and electric pressure cooker are the two most common pieces of equipment used when cooking broth.
Crockpot Method
Assemble Ingredients
Place all ingredients into a crockpot to cook the Witch’s Brew.
Set Cook Temperature
Set the crockpot on low to slow cook all ingredients.
Cover Crockpot
Place lid on crockpot but do not seal the crockpot shut.
Cook Time
Allow ingredients to slow simmer for 24 hours.
Maintain Water Level
Add water when water evaporates during cook time.
Electric Pressure Cooker Method
Assemble Ingredients
Place all ingredients into a pressure cooker to cook the Witch’s Brew.
Cover & Seal
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal maintain pressure.
Set Pressure & Cook Time
Allow ingredients to cook for 3 hours under high pressure.
Release Pressure
Open the seal valve to allow the the pot to depressurize.
Once the Witch’s Brew is complete, strain the broth to remove all bones and meat scraps. If there are large pieces of meat remaining in the strained scraps, save them to add into the veggie stew and discard all cooked bones.
Veggie Stew Ingredients
Vegetables are a primary source of carbohydrates for energy and fiber for gut health. They also provide essential nutrients useful for completing nutritional requirements in raw diets. The vegetables selected are seasonal flavors for fall and are perfect for the Witch’s Brew!
28oz Raw Butternut Squash
16oz Raw Acorn Squash
10oz Raw Beets
10oz Raw Broccoli
10oz Raw Kale
8oz Raw Beet Greens
2.5qts Witch's Brew
There are many other vegetable options that can be used in the Witch’s Brew. Different ingredients can be selected to cook a variety of brew flavors.
Veggie Stew Instructions
Many dogs refuse to eat blended vegetables in their raw diet and prefer them cooked. Slow boiling vegetables in bone broth prepares vegetables for optimal digestion and creates a flavorful stew dogs cannot resist!
Slow Boil Witch’s Brew
Add the strained Witch’s Brew to a large pot over medium heat until broth has a slow rolling boil.
Wash & Chop All Produce
Thoroughly wash all squash, root vegetables, and leafy greens before cooking. Once vegetables are washed, chop into small bite size pieces.
Cook Vegetables
Squash, broccoli, and root vegetables require a longer cook time than other ingredients and should be added to the Witch’s Brew first. Allow the vegetables to cook for 7 to 10 minutes before adding additional ingredients.
Steam Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are to be added last because of their low cook time. Place leafy greens on top of the Witch’s Brew and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the leafy greens to steam for 2 to 5 minutes before mixing into the Witch’s Brew.
Mix Ingredients Evenly
Be sure to mix all ingredients together evenly. A large cooking spoon is helpful when mixing all of the vegetables together before serving and storage.
Serve & Store
Add portions of the Witch’s Brew Veggie Stew into your pet’s raw meal. Portion out the Witch’s Brew Veggie Stew into storage containers. Excess can be frozen in freezer safe containers for a later use.
Things to Remember
There are many other preparation methods to include vegetables in your dog’s raw diet. Picky dogs cannot resist the temptation of bone broth and will become bewitched with Witch’s Brew Veggie Stew!
Post photos of your pet’s vegetable stew on social media using #PRVeggieStew to share your recipes with other raw feeders!
