We are on a camping vacation this week. While I'm off, I thought it might fun to revisit some ideas from last year's blog archives. This post originally published on March 10, 2010. Have a great week!
Isn't it great when you eat something that tastes so good you forget just how good it is for you? I can think of approximately ten foods that fall into this category, but none please me as much as garlic. Used for centuries for both culinary and medicinal purposes, garlic dates back to 500 A.D and is consumed in almost every culture around the world.
We eat an inordinate amount of garlic, specifically roasted garlic. I tend to throw a few heads in the oven each time I make a cake or bake something that requires the oven to be on for at least 20 minutes. Then we use the garlic that day, or the day following in a myriad of ways. Culinary multitasking at it's best. We have always fed garlic to the kids so the strong, pungent taste is not offensive to them and, in fact, they adore it now.
Without further ado, here is a list of how we enjoy roasted garlic at our family table:
- Smear the roasted cloves onto pieces of sliced baguette and serve as the "carb" portion of your dinner.
- Mash the roasted garlic and spread it over a baked potato in place of butter.
- Place garlic in a saucepan with some olive oil, diced onion and thyme. Saute and then cover with chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree and add a splash of cream. Makes a delicious soup.
- Serve 2-3 heads of garlic as a veggie. The kids will have fun fishing the cloves out of their skins.
- Toss cloves of roasted garlic, baby spinach and goat cheese with warm pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Mash the roasted garlic and combine with some mayo. Spread on bread and top with turkey, lettuce, avocado and swiss cheese for an open faced sandwich.
- Combine roasted garlic cloves with chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and dill for a rustic hummus spread. Serve with assorted veggies.
- Combine roasted garlic cloves and olive oil and spread on pizza dough in place of traditional tomato sauce.
- Make a salsa with mashed roasted garlic, diced red pepper, feta cheese, green onion, oregano and olive oil. Serve with assorted crisps and crackers.
- Saute roasted garlic cloves with any of the following: bok choy, asparagus, broccoli, green beans or snow peas (whatever your kids will happily nosh on).
The simplest, most unassuming item can add such an interesting element to your dinner table. The fact that it also cures colds, repels mosquitoes, manages cholesterol and supposedly treats acne is just an added bonus. How do we create this gem of an ingredient? It couldn't be easier!
Roasted Garlic
- 6 garlic bulbs
- olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel away the outer skin of the garlic bulb and slice 1/2 off the top. Place the bulbs on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle each with some olive oil and a generous sprinkling of sea salt and ground pepper. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil in order to create a foil parcel and bake for approx. 35-45 minutes, or until the cloves are softened to the touch. Allow to cool and remove from the skins by squeezing the bulb to release the individual cloves or pulling them out with the tip of a knife.
Do you enjoy roasted garlic? What is the multitasking-ingredient most often used in your kitchen?
I have a garden full of zucchini and am always looking for new ways to use it. I love this idea! Thanks.
Posted by: custom logo design | 08/27/2011 at 04:14 AM