St. Patrick’s day is almost upon us, and for once I had the foresight to buy me a Shamrock cookie cutter! We’re getting ready to film our “Luck of the Irish” episode with an amazing Irish character, champion oyster shucker and owner of the hot pub/restaurant The Ceili Cottage, Patrick McMurray. I produced the first season of The Heat With Mark McEwan (now host of Top Chef Canada) and Patrick was shucking away in one of our episodes and he just charmed the livin’ daylights out of the crowd, so Laura and I are super pumped! He’s going to make an Irish stew that people and their dogs are going to go crazy for.

I’ve got my Irish on (not up), so I thought it might be fun to make a green treat for My Dog’s Breakfast. I don’t like using food coloring, so I used two of nature’s emerald beauties to naturally color them. Spinach and Peas!! They turned out well, and they actually taste like those roasted pea snacks. The dogs love them (surprise, surprise).

Happy St. Patty’s day and I leave you with my favourite Irish saying:

“Don’t give cherries to pigs or advice to fools.”

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of whole wheat flour
I cup of cooked peas (from frozen, they’re greener than the canned ones)
1 cup of spinach
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
tsp sea salt

Optional – 1 additional egg for egg wash

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, add the cup of flour and tsp of sea salt.

Now, puree a cup of peas and a cup of spinach with the canola oil. If you don’t have a power tool – get one. Ok, if you don’t, just mash your peas and chop chop chop that spinach like a chump. Er, champ!

Add the green mixture to the flour, and crack in your egg on top. Blend together until dough forms – it will be a damp dough. Now, I like to wrap in parchment paper and put in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes, but you don’t have to.

Look at how beautiful this emerald dough is!!

Now, sprinkle dough with flour and roll out to about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. You don’t want them too thin or they will turn brown on the edges in the oven. Use your shamrock cookie cutter to cut out your shapes, or use your wily ways with a knife to make them look like a shamrock. OR…you can make circles or squares, they’re still gonna be green and be festive for St. Patty’s day.

*Optional – lightly beat an egg and brush it on top of the treats to make them glossy. You don’t have to do the egg wash, they’ll still look great without it.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

“Sláinte!” (Cheers!)

* Please note that I’m neither a vet nor an animal nutritionist, so it’s advisable to consult with your own authority when trying new foods, and also to ensure that your dog’s home cooked diet is balanced & includes all of the nutrients that are necessary for your dog’s health.