Tuesday, September 14, 2010

ROASTED GARLIC

If you like cooking with garlic, you'll LOVE cooking with roasted garlic! As raw garlic is strong and slightly spicy, roasted garlic becomes mild, sweet, and carmelized; perfect for spreading, mashing, and mixing. Roast up a big batch, and keep stock, so you can always and easily add a little something special to your favorite foods!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of garlic
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-leaving the skin and cloves intact, cut off the top 1/4" to 1/2" of the garlic head, exposing the the top of each clove of garlic
-drizzle the top of the garlic with about 2-3 tsp. olive oil
-generously sprinkle salt and pepper on top
-wrap garlic in aluminum foil
-cook in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes
-remove from oven, and allow garlic to cool
-peel away foil
-squeeze the garlic, and the soft cloves should come right out, or use a knife or fork to gently pull out the cloves
-keep in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator
-add to recipes as you see fit, enjoy!

SHOUT OUTS:
No particular shout outs... I do though, have a family that LOVES garlic, so a little extra in any meal is a treat!

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-Roast multiple heads of garlic at once, just wrap individually in foil.
-Mash up the roasted garlic and:
---add it to pasta sauces, soups, mayonnaise, gravies, pestos, and salad dressings
---mix with sour cream or goat cheese, and top a baked potato
---spread it onto crusty bread with a slice of brie or pair slice
---mix with cream cheese or hummus and create a cracker or vegetable dip
---place in a food processor with kalamata olives and capers for a delicious tapinade
---add to melted butter, and spread over a corn cobb
-When you sprinkle on the salt and pepper, sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley for more flavor.

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