4 Easy Ways to Use Garlic in Your Meals

Garlic isn’t usually described in very complimentary terms. 

More often than not, this ingredient that I so commonly use is often described as pungent, burp-inducing, smelly, horrifying, and in many Vampire movies, it is said to be been used as a Vampire-repelling object.

Garlic Cloves

Garlic is a very fundamental component in dishes all over the world.

According to Wikipedia, Garlic is a fundamental component in many or most dishes of various regions, including eastern Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, southern Europe, and parts of South and Central America. The flavor varies in intensity and aroma with the different cooking methods. It is often paired with onion, tomato, or ginger. The parchment-like skin is much like the skin of an onion, and is typically removed before using in raw or cooked form. An alternative is to cut the top off the bulb, coat the cloves by dribbling olive oil (or other oil-based seasoning) over them, and roast them in an oven. Garlic softens and can be extracted from the cloves by squeezing the (root) end of the bulb, or individually by squeezing one end of the clove. In Korea, heads of garlic are fermented at high temperature; the resulting product, called black garlic, is sweet and syrupy, and is now being sold in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Loose garlic cloves

Whether you are a fan of garlic or run away at the smell of it, here’s why you should eat it:

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1. Garlic is known to fight off infection and can kill a number of bacterial strains including Salmonella.
2. The antioxidants in garlic help to protect body cells against degeneration.
3. Garlic is believed to ward off cancer.
4. Garlic protects against common illnesses such as the common cold and the flu.
5. Garlic stimulates metabolism and helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

Since it has so many medical properties worth mentioning above, and a food which I personally believe to be one of best ingredients you can use to garnish, flavor and spice up your dishes, here are some easy methods to add garlic to your meals.

4 Ways to Use Garlic in Your Daily Meals:

1)    Eat Garlic with Bread

Garlic + Bread = My favorite way to eat garlic!

One of my favorite ways to eat garlic is when you can still see it in its original form, in small chopped pieces, mixed with butter on toasted bread. It doesn’t really matter if you’re using pita bread, a French baguette or even white bread slices from a store-bought loaf. Garlic + Bread is the perfect combination for a very appetizing starter and a fantastic way to leave your guests begging for more. Some very mouth-watering entrees include (click on the links below for full recipe):

• Garlic Bread Bruschetta
• Garlic & Parsley Pita Toasts

2)    Use Garlic in Soups

Use garlic in soups! (Image Credit: Stevo Soups)

Soups, whether Asian or Western, whether thick of clear, are always a great way to incorporate garlic into your meals. Chopped very finely and then pureed, or left whole in a soup, garlic gives your soups the extra special “oomph” and a very delicious homemade flavor. Here are some soups you can make with garlic (click on the links below for full recipe):

• Cream of Butternut Squash
• Cream of Vegetable Soup
• Cream of Carrot Soup
• Cream of Asparagus
• Mushroom & Carrot Soup
• Soups from Stevo Soups

3)    Include Garlic in Sauces

Use garlic in sauces such as Pesto Sauce

Ahh, garlic, garlic and more garlic. If garlic in soups and garlic on bread isn’t enough to fulfil your appetite for this very strong-tasting ingredient, try making a sauce with garlic as its base. A very famous sauce with a strong garlic taste is the pesto sauce. Here’s a fool proof, non-cook recipe to make pesto sauce, which you can eat over any type of pasta (click on the link below for full recipe):

• Spaghetti in Healthy Pesto sauce

4)    Use Garlic in Rice Dishes

Use garlic in your rice dishes!

I’m not sure if it’s to do with the fact that I’m Asian or whether I was brought up in a family whose tastebuds are very skewed in favor of garlic, but I use garlic in practically every dish with rice, another favorite ingredient of mine. Be it Chinese-style fried rice or risotto, I just don’t see why we can’t add a clove of garlic or two! Try some of these recipes yourself (click on the links below for full recipe)!

• Laksa Beef Fried Rice
• Fried Rice
• Beef Risotto

Enjoy your weekend with plenty of garlic – just make sure you take a breath mint after your meals!

I hope you found the methods to use garlic useful – do you have any other ideas to share?