Tag: peppers

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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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    Red-hot Roasted Garbanzos

    Ingredients:

  • 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) -low sodium
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil)
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. chili flakes

    • Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400′ F.
    2. Drain garbanzo beans into a colander and rinse well. Spread them out onto a clean cloth or paper towel and gently pat them dry.
    3. Place the garbanzo beans into a bowl and add oil and spices. Mix until all beans are coated.
    4. Spread beans onto a foil-lined baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until crunchy.
    5. Store in a ziplock bag or air tight container

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    Firecracker Flatbread

    If your parrot has a taste for spicy things, this is the perfect recipe.

    Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)
  • 1/2 tbsp. dried crushed peppers
  • 1/2 tbsp. flax and/or sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup diced fresh peppers

    • Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350′ F.
    2. Use a food processor to pulse the rolled oats into a flour consistency and put into a medium bowl. Whisk in the wheat flour.
    3. To the flour, add in extras like dried crushed peppers, seeds, and diced fresh peppers. Try fresh jalapenos, bell peppers, or red and green chilis.
    4. Pour into the mix the warm water and oil (if using coconut oil, make sure it is liquid, not solid). Knead together, dough will be slightly sticky.
    5. Place the dough on a lined cookie sheet, and cover with a large sheet of waxed paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out very, very thinly. You can pre-score the dough into squares or rectangles, or break into bits after cooking.
    6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. For better crispness, move the flatbread to a cooling rack. Let cool until crispy, break and serve!

    Remember! When cooking with peppers, remember to wash your hands thoroughly and do not touch your face or eyes to prevent irritation.

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    You may have noticed that parrot seed mixes, pellet mixes, and cook-able mixes contain dried peppers, pepper flakes, or cayenne! Many parrots love to crunch them up, soak them in their water, or eat the small pepper seeds. Many parrot owners are surprised to learn that birds do not taste the “heat” like we do. What gives peppers their heat is capsaicin. Humans have receptors sensitive to capsaicin, but birds do not! You can also offer fresh peppers like bell peppers, jalapenos, and red and green chilis. Do not offer peppers from jars or cans as they have usually been brined with lots of salt.

    See if your parrot likes spicy foods by offering fresh peppers, or try our Firecracker Flatbread recipe!