The Best Way to Prepare Garlic
Garlic lovers rejoice. Here’s some good news for your heart and your breath.
Lightly cooking garlic to help soften the smell won’t rob it of those heart-protective compounds known as thiosulfinates. So you can cut back on the mints and start feeling better about baking, boiling, or sauteing it. Just don’t microwave it. Wondering why?
Get a Crush on Garlic
When researchers set out to see how various preparation methods affected garlic’s ability to break up clusters of artery-clogging platelets in the bloodstream, they tried boiling, baking, and microwaving both crushed and uncrushed garlic cloves. Lightly cooked crushed garlic aced the test — as long as it wasn’t cooked in the microwave. This cooking method sapped the garlic of all its good-for-you attributes. No matter how you serve it up, always crush garlic first. Crushing the cloves is what releases the beneficial thiosulfinates in the first place.
Sweet Garlic Dishes
Share this great garlic news with folks at your next holiday gathering, and let them sample its heart-healthy powers by bringing some Garlic and White Bean Dip :
1/2 cup Roasted-Garlic Oil (see below)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup Oil-Poached Garlic Puree (see below)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Put oil, onion and salt in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is softened but not browned, 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add garlic puree and lemon juice and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Serve warm or cold.
Also, try Garlic Lover’s Rub on your favorite meat or veggie.
If you love Garlic like Ido, try Roasted Garlic Orzo from our friends over at www.elementarychef.com.
garlic
Leave a Reply