Garlic is part of the alium family and grows in bulbs that consist of numerous separate cloves. The bulbs are encased in white or off-white papery sheathes that are removed before eating. Garlic is commonly associated with Mediterranean and Asian dishes, but it compliments nearly every food. In addition to improving the taste of food, garlic offers many health benefits: it lowers blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health, protects against many types of cancer, and displays strong anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties, according to the George Mateljan Foundation.
Step 1
Add chopped or minced garlic to spaghetti, lasagna and other pasta dishes. Garlic is also a nice addition to cold pasta salads, provided you cook the garlic first and then allow it to cool before adding it to the other ingredients. Raw garlic may be too overwhelming for cold dishes.
Step 2
Flavor breads with garlic by brushing butter, garlic, oregano and other herbs onto your breads before or after cooking. To make garlic butter, heat a stick of butter in a saucepan until it liquefies and then add minced garlic to taste. Pour the melted butter and garlic into a plastic bowl and place it inside your refrigerator to cool.
Step 3
Use garlic to flavor baked or mashed potatoes, but be careful when frying or sauteing potatoes with garlic. These cooking methods increase the risk of burning the garlic, and burnt garlic is extremely bitter.
Step 4
Sprinkle garlic powder on vegetables instead of salt to reduce your sodium intake and add a new and interesting flavor to boring vegetables. Green vegetables, such as asparagus and broccoli, may especially benefit from the addition of garlic.
Step 5
Mix garlic into dips, salsa, salad dressings and sauces to add flavor to your salads, breadsticks and other foods. You can make a garlic and butter sauce for dipping shrimp or crab, or combine garlic with soft cheese and onion to add spice to potato chips.
Step 6
Season meat, poultry and seafood with garlic. Garlic-based marinades work well for nearly all types of meat, or you can rub garlic onto beef or seafood before cooking.
Step 7
Bake garlic into your cookies or brownies. Cooked garlic has a very mild, nutty flavor that goes well with chocolate and other sweets.
Tips and Warnings
- Garlic supplements are available in most pharmacies if you desire the health benefits of garlic but do not enjoy the taste. Garlic Central recommends purchasing organic garlic when possible, choosing firm bulbs and avoiding garlic that has already begun to sprout. Garlic cut into finer pieces generally has a stronger flavor than garlic chopped into larger pieces. Cooking time also affects the taste of garlic, with longer cooking times mellowing the flavor.
Things You'll Need
- Knife
- Garlic press
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