• Lesson from Sugi: Dogs like to eat things that taste good!
• Sugi says, “I love these special pancakes made with love”

For some dog reason lately, Sugi has been very picky about his food. Things he used to love—squash, buckwheat noodles, rice noodles, azuki beans—don’t interest him right now. It can be frustrating offering  food and him turning his head away! I tried to entice him with various foods including goat dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, and tofu. But after a week of these, I noticed he developed itchy ears and congested breathing, so I’m thinking he’s  allergic to dairy and soy products.

On a weekend over the holidays, I tried this vegan oat pancake recipe from Guten Free Vegan Girl for myself. These pancakes are delicious! They are even better cooked as waffles! Oats, the type of flour used in the recipe, are one of the most protein-rich grains with 17% protein compared to rice which is 7%.

I adapted the above recipe for Sugi by substituting the apricots (too sweet for him) with banana and adding some veggie puree. The pancakes do not have any sweetener, and they are full of protein, fruit, veggies and omegas so I believe they are a nutritious meal:

• 1 1/3 cup organic oat flour
• 1tsp. baking powder
• 1 organic banana
• 1/4 cup pureed cooked organic yam and carrot
• 2 tbsp organic hemp or flax seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• about 1 1/3 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk beverage (I use So Delicious brand)

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to mix up the flour with the baking powder. Put the other ingredients (except the coconut milk) together in a small bowl and mash until smooth. Add the mashed ingredients to the dry ingredients. Then add the coconut milk, whisking until smooth, until you get the thickness you want. Add more if you want. Use a spoon to put a dollop (about 1/8-1/4 cup) of batter onto an oiled pan. Cook until dry on the up side. Flip and cook the other side, just like you would regular pancakes! You may have to add a bit of coconut milk as the batter sets while you’re cooking.

You will see in the picture that I’ve cooked them as small (about 3″) grittle cakes on a special grill that spans two burners. Once done, I let them cool on a rack. Sugi (20 lbs.) eats about 6 of these per day (in addition to other lovely treats…). He seems satisfied and is not losing any weight, so I’m happy… Delicious!