Category: Recipe

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Kung Pao “Fried” Rice

An easy-to-make, healthy recipe, with a variety of vegetables, protein, and grain. Try doubling the recipe to prepare a large batch which can be separated into portions and frozen for convenient re-heat-able meals.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted peanuts
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup peas (or chopped snap / snow peas)
  • 1/4 cup carrot (shredded or diced)
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

    • Directions:

    1. Cook rice according to package directions. (This is a great recipe to use up leftover rice!)
    2. In a small bowl, crack 2 eggs and scramble with a fork.
    3. Chop the peanuts to a size appropriate for your bird. For large birds, leave them whole or halved.
    4. Prepare the other ingredients, such as washing a dicing the carrot, washing and chopping the snow or snap peas if using them in the pod, and peeling and mincing the ginger.
    5. Place a large pan on the stove and set to low-medium. Add the carrots, peas, peanuts, ginger, and pepper flakes to warm and slightly cook for a minute.
    6. Add the egg to the pan and use a wooden spoon to push the mixture around as it cooks. When egg pieces start to form, add in the cooked rice and stir well to finish cooking all the egg.
    7. Let cool and use the sesame seeds to sprinkle on top!

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    Pepper Poppers

    This is a fun fresh treat for all kinds of birds. Many African Greys and Cockatoos who hold their food and meticulously eat it bite-by-bite will have a blast.

    Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp corn (cut from a cob or canned)
  • 2 tbsp finely diced tomato
  • 2 tbsp cooked black beans
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • a squeeze of lime juice (you can even add a tsp of lime zest!)
  • 4-5 fresh jalapenos

    • Directions:

    1. If using canned corn, strain and rinse. Also, strain and rinse cooked black beans.
    2. Wash all peppers. There are 2 ways to stuff the peppers. The first way is to cut off the top and carefully cut or scrape out as much of the insides as you can. This will make more space for the filling. The second method is the cut down the length of the pepper on one side, and you can squeeze the top and the bottom toward each other to gently open the cut and scrape out the insides.
    3. In a small bowl, add the corn, tomato, beans, and cilantro. Add a squeeze of lime juice and mix together.
    4. Fill the peppers and feed!

    Wash hands well after handling peppers and avoid touching your face. REMEMBER, parrot pepper-kisses can be spicy!

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    Birdy Ambrosia

    This sweet ambrosia recipe can be made two ways! It can be served as a mash and fed warm, or it can be rolled into balls and baked for a less-gooey bite-sized treat that can be held in little birdy feet.

    Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 orange
  • 1 banana
  • 1 tbsp chopped pecans
  • 1 tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened)
  • 1 tbsp chopped dried cherries
  • 1 tbsp chopped diced dried pineapple

    • Directions:

    1. To make Ambrosia Balls, preheat oven to 350′ F. If feeding as Ambrosia Mash, you do not need to use the oven.
    2. In a medium pot, add water and the juice of 1 orange and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover pot, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook approximately 20 minutes, or as directed on rice package. An extra tablespoon or two of water may be necessary to keep rice from drying out.
    3. The cooked rice should equal approximately 1 cup, place this into a medium mixing bowl.
    4. Mash the banana and stir into the warm rice. Add in the pecans, shredded coconut, and chopped dried fruit and stir together until evenly mixed. At this point, you can feed out the mash once it has cooled down. For Ambrosia Balls, continue to step 5.
    5. Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking tray. Using a spoon, scoop out a bit of mash and roll into 1″ balls. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool before serving.

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    Sprouting

    It is well-known that sprouted seeds are nutrient-rich; you can find sprouts in health food stores, on menus in salads, and there are home-sprouting kits online. Sprouting has also become very popular for birds as well. An alternative to sprouting is to soak seeds to the point of germination where a tip just begins to emerge. Germination requires less time, decreases chance of mold growth, and is still very nutritious. Sprouting can also be done in the refrigerator, where the colder temperature inhibits mold growth, although the sprouting process takes longer.

    Good seeds to sprout for parrots Good legumes to sprout for parrots
    barley
    buckwheat
    chili/bell pepper seeds
    popcorn
    millet
    safflower
    sesame
    sunflower seeds
    quinoa
    wheat berries**Many other quality mixes can be purchased online.    		 adzuki
    garbanzos
    mung beans
    whole lentils
    whole peas

    **Other large beans may contain toxic compounds and are not best for sprouting and should only be fed if thoroughly soaked and cooked.

    Disclaimer: Sprouts do have the potential to grow mold if not rinsed properly, or not grown in correct environments/temperatures. If your sprouts smell bad, they are likely spoiled and should be discarded.

     The following directions are general steps for sprouting. Some seeds and legumes will vary in their time needed to soak and the time before sprouting occurs. There is plenty of additional information online regading sprouting specifically for birds.

    1. Using a mesh strainer, rinse 1/4 cup seeds/legumes. Put the mix into a glass container and fill with enough water to cover the mix 2-3 inches. Let soak overnight.

     
    2. Pour the soaked mix back into the strainer and rinse. Many people use glass Ball or Kerr mason jars for sprouting along with a special sprouting lid that makes rinsing and draining easy. You can also use cheesecloth or fine-mesh netting secured with a rubberband. Complete drainage and ventilation is important!
    3. Keep the sprout mix at room temperature and out of direct light. Repeat rinsing and straining/draining 2-4 times a day. It is best to drain at an angle, with the opening oriented between 4 and 5 o’ clock.
    4. After 2-4 days, the mixture will be sprouted and ready to serve. Check the odor- sprouts can smell “earthy” and sweet but should not smell foul or pungent. Always rinse and dry sprouts before feeding them to your birds.
    5. Sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for an additional 2-3 days. Drain well before storing as excess water can cause them to spoil.