I LOVE garlic. All food is instantly made a million times better by adding in extra cloves of garlic- especially if they’re roasted! I may or may not be known to double (or triple…) the amount of garlic called for in a recipe. Sorry not sorry.
Garlic has SO many benefits, and is what I like to call a “healthy diet enhancer.”
Studies have shown that garlic is antimicrobial, so it not only helps to clean your digestive tract, but it can help prevent the common cold. Garlic is also anti-inflammatory, can help with blood sugar regulation, and it may help to reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the benefits of garlic include:
- Removing toxins and expelling pathogens.
- Promoting the circulation of energy and blood throughout the body.
- Speeding up digestion.
- Warming the body.
Clearly, there are a lot of reasons to include garlic in every meal possible!
My favorite way to prepare garlic is by roasting it. I can make a huge batch of roasted garlic and store in a small glass Pyrex container for up to a week. I’m sure the garlic would still be good longer – but it never lasts that long in my house!
If your digestive tract is on the weaker side (like mine!), then raw garlic can cause irritation. I’ll always use roasted garlic in any recipe that calls for raw garlic. I’m looking at you – homemade mayo’s, salad dressings and dips!).
Unfortunately, some of garlic’s health benefits diminish with cooking. Luckily, I have a way to retain the health benefits! Simply crush your garlic and let it sit for about ten minutes before cooking.
Most roasted garlic recipes keep the head of garlic intact. I like to break up the head of garlic and crush each clove with the flat edge of my chef’s knife. I don’t bother with taking the paper off. The garlic will easily squeeze out when you’re ready to use it!
Roasted garlic is a great way to add extra flavor to almost any dish. Any dressing or mayo recipe would benefit from roasted garlic, along with sauteed veggies or grains. One of my favorite snacks is to heat up quinoa or rice, drizzle a little olive oil and throw a clove of roasted garlic on top. SO GOOD!
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Break up the head of garlic by pressing down using the flat side of a large knife. Still using the flat side of the knife, crush each individual clove. Allow to sit for ten minutes.
- Place the crushed garlic cloves in the center of the aluminum foil. Drizzle the olive oil on top and wrap the aluminum foil like a present. Place the wrapped garlic on top of a pan and put in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Take out of the oven, and carefully open the aluminum foil and allow garlic to cool. Store in the fridge and use within 7 to 10 days.
Sources:
American Chemical Society. “Recipe For Healthy Garlic: Crush Before Cooking.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 February 2007. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220034516.htm>.
Haas, Elson M., and Buck Levin. Staying Healthy with Nutrition: the Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine. Celestial Arts, 2006.
Leggett, Daverick. Helping Ourselves: a Guide to Traditional Chinese Food Energetics. Meridian, 2005.