Back in the day, one of the elder relatives in our Irish extended family had the hope of inspiring me toward more ladylike and classy behavior, and used to tell me in sorrowful tones that my room / homework / hair / playtime outfit after playtime / looked “like a dog’s breakfast.” As a kid, my reaction was to be equally crestfallen and puzzled: What does a dog eat for breakfast? Today at the stove I made up one proposed option.

This is for the dog downstairs. If the whole family would like some too they are welcome — there’s a whole potful. This dish is red beans, organic white rice, minced steamed organic kale, parsley, raw shredded carrot, garlic (one clove, removed from the rice after cooking), coconut oil, nutritional yeast, Bragg’s Aminos, and a pinch of turmeric.

Dogs must not eat onions (nor raisins nor grapes nor chocolate nor alcohol), so there are no onions in this recipe. Bragg’s Aminos ought to be ok for them, because it’s listed in reputable whole-food plant-based dog recipes on the internet. My inspiration for this spontaneous concoction was Eric O’Grey, who collaborates with the Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine. He has posted several creative recipes for dogs on line and in his book Walking With Peety, a warm-hearted memoir about health recovery and the benefits of adopting a shelter dog.

At a time when world news is so grave, isn’t it a fiddling baroque pastime to be devising dog dishes, and to be toting around carrot sticks and other dog treats on the street? Well, unlike cats (who are obligatory carnivores), dogs are opportunistic omnivores. If we cooked them more vegetables and beans and whole grain for at least part of their diets, there would be less packaging to throw away, and it could save money. Besides, this is the stuff I eat every day. (This was my breakfast too, straight out of the pot.) Another reason is pet diplomacy; I used to give a wide berth to two dogs who had a dominant manner and were not about to share the sidewalk at all. Their owners used to drag them away, saying “Leave it!” Now those dogs swoon at a whiff of me and my treat bag, and the owners and I are all smiles. But the most important pretext is the same reason why I bother gardening: it makes friends with more neighbors. At a time when world news is so grave, it seems to cheer up folks to pause and socialize and see their companions munch on something good for them.

Today I set aside some of those soft-boiled red beans. In the cast-iron skillet, rubbed with just a touch of coconut oil, I dried and roasted them at medium-low heat. After they were done I put them in a separate bowl and tossed them with a little dash of Bragg’s Aminos and nutritional yeast, then slow-roasted them dry over again. They were good, with a good umami flavor. Boiled red beans open inside out and turn crispy, making a nice crunchy topping for salad or rice. Angelina’s dogs really go for my boiled roasted chickpeas, so I took the roasted red beans down to their play space for a taste test. The bean crunch was a big hit with Super-Pup and Bingo. Then Caboodle, their high-spirited pal from next door, liked it too. Granted, Caboodle’s owner pointed out that her dog gets excited if somebody hands her a rock. The taste test was still a good conversation piece, and that was the whole point. It’s in the fridge now. I’ll carry the crunchies in my treat bag on evening walks this week around the neighborhood.