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Health & Fitness

Blog Post: Roasted Garlic Goodness

Go from good to fantastic with a couple of ideas and an easy recipe. Perfect for summer get-togethers!

I love garlic. It is my go-to seasoning and I use it in most dishes that I prepare.  What I love about it is that it is so versatile. How many ingredients work whether you mince it, chop it, slice it, smash it, leave it whole or roast it? 

Well, garlic works fantastically every way. What’s also interesting about this little gem is how different it tastes raw, cooked or roasted. When it’s raw, you only need a small amount to make a huge impact. But, when it’s roasted. Oh my goodness. There is just nothing like it.

Pure sweet, garlicky goodness. 

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I like to use it with my favorite appetizer. On a platter I place slices of baked sourdough baguette, leaning against a wheel or big chunk of brie (room temperature), sliced pears, candied pecans and then, roasted garlic, either left in the bulb or removed and put in a small dish with a knife. It is always a huge hit and it’s super easy to prepare and serve. Add a glass of wine and you’re all set.

But, let’s say you weren’t serving appetizers, then what? How could it be used?

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Last weekend we were having a barbeque and I was grilling tri-tip, slicing it thin and serving it slider-style. I knew I was going to top it with caramelized onions but I had not decided what I was going to put on the Hawaiian sweet buns. And, then it came to me! Of course, roasted garlic! They came out perfect and the garlic gave the sliders just the punch it needed.

Once again, my reliable roasted garlic came through. I will definitely be making the sliders again soon!

Try roasted garlic this summer when you have guests over – either as an appetizer or in a sandwich or…. anything else you think of. You can’t go wrong.  Your family and friends will request it again and again.  And, it’s super easy to make. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1 bulb (or several) of garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut a small amount, crosswise, off the top of the garlic. You can keep the little top or discard it. There shouldn’t be too much garlic left in it.  Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper onto garlic cloves. Tightly wrap it all up in foil and bake it for approximately 45 minutes. Garlic is done when it is golden and soft.

To remove the garlic cloves, either use a fork or just squeeze it out.  It can get a little messy but it’s worth it!

If you’ve made roasted garlic before, feel free to share other ways to use it.

Enjoy!

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