Thursday, May 31, 2012

Garlicy Goodness- An easy way to spruce up a meal

Roasted garlic, while not the best date food, is a great way to add tons of flavor to any meal, but dieters often avoid it because it is generally laden with tons of oil. When making my famous cauliflower pizza one day, I decided I really wanted to spread some roasted garlic on the crust, but I am a huge proponent of avoiding mounds of oil at all cost (too many unnecessary calories in my opinion!), so I decided I would experiment, and luckily for all of us, I determined that a quick, simple spray of coconut oil was a satisfactory amount to roast a head of garlic with the same amount of flavor you would get from pouring oil over the head of garlic, as most people do. For those of you who don't know how to roast a head of garlic (don't feel bad; I was there myself a year ago!), I will give a brief recipe/guide for my guiltless roasted garlic, which I consider a refrigerator staple! It stays for ages and is a great addition to any pasta dish, sandwich, etc.






First, get your broiler ready! To roast a head of garlic, you start by cutting off the top section of the head of garlic, so that all of the cloves are exposed (as shown above). You can save the tiny pieces you cut off and sauté them with some onions and mushrooms (another fridge staple of mine which I add to my eggs in the morning, sandwiches, pasta, etc.) Once you've removed the tops, it's time to add your oil. All you really need is a quick spray, which you then massage into the cloves of the garlic so that when it roasts, it seeps throughout the entire head. I use coconut oil spray because it's my favorite, though for a more traditional roasted garlic, you could easily use olive oil spray. By using the spray, you are saving hundreds of calories compared to the average head of roasted garlic which is doused and dripping with oil, and it's so unnecessary! Anyway, wrap the head of garlic in some tinfoil, pop it into the broiler, and roast away! I let my head roast for about an hour, sometimes a little longer. It will be extremely fragrant, so if you're having company over that day, I might suggest lighting a few candles afterwards!


Feelin' Frisky? You can even add some spices or herbs to the top of the head of garlic which will cook through the head as it roasts to give it even more flavor. Me, personally, I don't need it, but it's a yummy addition every now and then! Pin It

No comments:

Post a Comment