One of the most wonderful things about great food is that it’s so much fun to share with friends.

I’ve noticed that a love for cooking and eating together seems to be true across lots of different species, including zebras, dogs and humans.

One of my best friends is a super cool dog named Miles (which perfectly describes how far he can run—especially when he’s chasing a coyote).

Miles and I have lots in common, but a love for fun food is one of ZeStrongest.

In fact, Miles loves food so much that he occasionally tries to eat me (I realize I’m a bedraggled little zebra who looks a bit like a dog toy—but food, really?).

Miles and I figured this issue could cause problems in our friendship, so we decided that real friends know how to compromise.

So here’s our compromise: I agree to help Miles whip up yummy, healthy snacks—and he agrees not to eat me.

Our latest kitchen adventure was a healthy dog-zebra riff on the popular human snack of cookies and milk. In this case: crunchy biscuits and creamy smoothies (carnivore-style for Miles, herbivore-style for me).

Both of us like to think of ourselves as pretty creative, so we considered a lot of different ingredients for our recipes–some more exotic than others.

We instantly agreed on one thing: using as much protein-packed peanut butter as possible. Then we did a few tastings to discover the ultimate flavor combos.

Miles had some pretty wild culinary ideas, including beef jerky treats,  a rubber chicken, shredded tennis balls—and some things he found in the backyard that I’m not even going to mention (except that one was created by a coyote and another by a horse).

After a lot of careful deliberation, we decided to go with Wholegrain Peanut Butter Biscuits and Almost Anything Goes Smoothies (scroll down for recipes).

How did everything turn out? Well, watch our video (below), check out our recipes–and decide for yourself.

Here’s to sharing great food with ZeBest of friends!

RECIPE: Wholegrain Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Miles and I made these biscuits with our very own hooves/paws—so you know it’s super-easy! We did have a little help from one kid and one adult human. If you are a kid, dog or zebra, be sure to have an adult help you with this recipe—especially using ZeOven!

What You Need:

2 large eggs (packed with muscle-building protein)

1/3 cup peanut butter (a great source of plant-based protein and pure yumminess)

1/4 cup warm water (or chicken broth, if your dog is not a vegetarian)

1 tsp. honey (because friendship is sweet)

2 cups whole wheat flour (complex carbs give you long-lasting energy)

1/2 tsp. salt (because dogs and zebras take each other with a grain of salt)

What You Do

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F, then get out two cookie sheets. We lined ours with Silpats, but regular, ungreased baking sheets are A-OK.

2. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one), mix the the peanut butter, water and honey until they look happily smooth and silky (you can let your dog decide when that is).

3. Carefully break open the eggs and add them to the bowl. Mix them into the peanut butter stuff.

4. When you have a nice bowl of smooth, peanut-buttery creaminess, mix in the flour and salt. If you are using hands/paws/hooves, you’ll need a sturdy spoon and a dash of energy. If you’re using a mixer, be sure it’s on the lowest speed or the flour will fly all over the place. Miles and I found this out the hard way!

3. When everything has turned into a ball of dough, put it on a clean work surface. Squish the dough into a rectangle, then use a rolling pin to smooth and flatten it (just like cookie dough).

4. Use your favorite cookie cutters (Miles voted for bone-shaped ones) to cut the dough into biscuits.

5. Arrange the biscuits on your cookie sheets, about an inch apart. Bake them for 20 minutes, then check to see how brown and crisp they are—it all depends on your dog’s taste. You’ll need an adult human to help you with this part!

6. If your dog and adult helper think the biscuits are done (remember, they’ll get crunchier as they cool), then take them out of the oven. If not, let them bake for about 5-10 more minutes, then check again.

7. When your homemade biscuits are cool enough to eat, toss or hand or hoof one to your dog—and check out the smile on ZeFace of your best friend!

 

RECIPE: Miles’ Almost Anything Goes Smoothie for Dogs

As I mentioned, Miles is quite the epicurean canine. What can I say? His human is a super-creative guy at Williams-Sonoma! Miles agreed to whip up ZePerfect balance of healthy, savory-sweet flavors (with no tennis balls or—well, you know). As for my own energy-booster, I took Miles’ advice and found tons of healthy fruit-and-veggie smoothies on his human’s website. And now: here’s Miles’ signature recipe!

What You Need

1 cup chicken broth (Miles prefers homemade, but canned is just fine)

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. plain yogurt

1/2 of a medium-sized banana, cut into chunks

1 baby carrot, sliced into about four pieces

1 tbsp. of crumbled, cooked bacon or chopped-up beef jerky treats (liver treats are great, too)

What You Do

1. Put all your ingredients into the blender, then puree them until they’re not separate ingredients anymore—but one creamy, healthy smoothie.

 

2. Pour the perfect portion for your dog into his or her favorite container—and watch that tongue slurp up the ultimate smoothie!

 

3. This makes enough to serve one big dog and maybe a couple of canine friends (depending on their appetites—be sure not to give your dog too much). If you have leftovers, you can freeze them in an ice cube tray for a cool treat.

P.S. If you like epicurean canines, you might want to check out the story of my buddy Rico — he’s an authentic Italian-born truffle dog! Bone appétit!