It's All About Food: It's All About Garlic

I think it would be safe to say that pretty much everyone has some form of garlic in their home, whether it's granulated, a head of garlic, minced in a jar, or a huge bundle to ward off vampires. If you do not, then I suggest that you drop what you are doing, go to the store, and purchase some. There are SO many things you can do with garlic. In fact, there are festivals that solely honor garlic. With help from the Food Network Magazine, I will be exploring different ways of using garlic. Maybe you will learn something new and add a little more garlic to your diet!

As well as tasting great, garlic has some health benefits. 3.5 oz of garlic contains 6g protein, 2g fiber, 95% DV Vitamin B6, and 38% DV Vitamin C. Garlic can also reduce the risk of heart disease, can help with infections, digestive disorders, and allegedly helped with lowering blood sugars.

Food Network Magazine

The March 2011 issue of the Food Network Magazine, included the above calendar that shared 31 different ways to use garlic. I thought it would be a lot of fun to explore some of these and other uses. When you think about it, garlic can be very versatile! Follow along on my journey through the world of garlic!

Day One: Roasted Garlic

You'll need:
1 head garlic
1 sheet of aluminum foil
1 tsp oil
oven preheated to 400 degrees.

What to do:
Remove only the loose skin on the head of garlic. Cut off the top 1/2" - 1" of garlic head as shown above. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle top of garlic with oil.

Wrap garlic in foil allowing some space for steam to build. Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour. Enjoy the aroma that will fill your house!

Here's the final product. The garlic cloves have softened and sweetened in the skin. Try squeezing one clove onto a piece of toasted bread and spread it. You'll be surprised at the butter-like quality it has. You can also add it to mashed potatoes, dips, spreads, pasta dishes,etc.

Day Two: Roasted Garlic Hummus

You'll need:
1 tub store bought hummus
*roasted garlic
food processor or blender or knife

What to do:

Spoon the hummus into the food processor. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into food processor. Pulse until well combined. Spoon into serving bowl and serve with pita chips, veggie sticks or crackers.

* I used the entire head of roasted garlic in the hummus. For my tastes, it may have been a bit too much. Next time I may try half of the head. If you LOVE garlic, by all means, use the whole head!

Day Three: Braised Cabbage with Garlic

You'll need:

1/2 head of cabbage, cut into bite size chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
~4oz bottled beer

What to do:
Heat a skillet over med-low heat. Add butter, vinegar, garlic, and beer. Allow butter to melt and stir to combine.