Cooking with Garlic for Health and Flavor

A clove of garlic can transform food...from appetizers to salad dressings to pasta and more. The flavor and fragrance are known the world over, and many cultures rely on garlic as a chief ingredient. But beyond the delicious flavor, garlic is also becoming more and more well known as a health food. Garlic is an antioxidant and has even been credited for helping lower high blood pressure and lower cholesterol. The health benefits have enormous potential, but at the very foundation, garlic is just a great ingredient.

We'll start with the basics; peeling garlic, roasting garlic and then use in recipes. Garlic bread and Caesar Salad are two popular dishes featuring garlic and two must haves in any collection. Finally, we'll move onto a chicken and pasta dish to round out the menu.

Peeling Garlic Cloves

Microwave method: Place the desired number of cloves in a small glass cup and microwave on HIGH for 5-10 seconds for one clove, or 45-50 seconds for a whole head. Remove and then just slip the garlic right out of the skin.

Conventional method: Trim the ends of whole garlic cloves and put in boiling water for 10 seconds. Immediately plunge garlic cloves into cold water, then drain.

Serving suggestions? Any recipe that calls for garlic!

Oven Roasted Garlic

Cut 1/2 inch off the bulb of garlic, exposing the clove tops. Remove some of the loose outer skin, but leave the bulb intact.

Place garlic onto baking dish and pour approximately one tablespoon olive oil on top of each bulb. Put garlic in a cold oven; cover and bake for 50-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve the roasted garlic whole.

Serving suggestions? Sprinkle butter with sea or kosher salt. Spread on hot crusty bread and once melted, squeeze garlic clove and spread over buttered bread.

Another serving suggestion for the Roasted Garlic is in the following recipe for garlic bread.

Roasted Garlic Bread

3 garlic cloves, roasted
2 T. olive oil
3 T. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
dash of parsley
1/4 t. black pepper
1 loaf Italian bread

Roast garlic; peel and mash until garlic cloves form a paste. Add all remaining ingredients, except bread. Mix thoroughly.

Slice bread about 3/4 inches deep every one inch. Spread garlic mixture between bread slices. Wrap bread in foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Alongside the Roasted Garlic Bread, a tangy salad dressing makes this Caesar Salad the perfect complement to the meal.

Caesar Salad

3 cloves garlic, mashed
6 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. anchovy paste (optional)
1/3 T. lemon juice
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. parmesan cheese
1 t. dry mustard
Caesar salad croutons
Romaine lettuce

Wash romaine thoroughly and tear into bite sized pieces. Wrap in a kitchen towel and refrigerate.

Combine garlic with two tablespoons olive oil; soak and mash around a wooden salad bowl. Squeeze anchovy paste into bowl and mash, if using.

Add lemon juice, four tablespoons olive oil and white wine vinegar. Mix well after each addition. Add parmesan cheese and dry mustard; mix thoroughly. Add lettuce and croutons. Toss well and serve on chilled plates.

And we complete our meal with a tangy chicken and pasta dish. This will blend perfectly with the garlic bread and salad and the different textures and similar garlic flavor will make for a perfect combination for a complete meal.

Penne with Chicken and Sundried Tomatoes

1/2 pound penne, cooked and drained
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1 c. marinated sundried tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. butter
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil and saute garlic for two minutes; add chicken and saute three additional minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Pour chicken stock into skillet; add parsley, green onions and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and lower the hear, simmer for 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens. Return chicken to pan and add butter. Stir until butter is blended into mixture. Add penne and season with pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Garlic is an extremely versatile and incredibly healthy ingredient. Paired with olive oil, garlic can create magic in the kitchen. Learning to work with garlic in your recipes can transcend some of your dishes and open up a whole new flavor palette for your meals.