cells started giving off hydrogen sulfide which serves as a chemical messenger that helps relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. This discovery might explain some of garlic’s cardiovascular benefits. Of course more studies are needed to show whether a clove a day really does keep the doctor away. In the meantime, enjoy your garlic bread, and do not worry about garlic breath. Just think what the insides of your arteries must smell like, and how well they are probably working due to your strong intake of wonderful garlic. As for concerns about garlic breath, the best solution I have found is to feed garlic to all of your friends. When two people eat garlic together, no one smells a thing. You can try eating parsley, which is supposed to help cut the odor. I have also been told that rubbing your hands on stainless steel will get the garlic smell off your hands. But, I am much more interested in trying the following trick - I have heard, that if you want to flavor your greens, but do not want to add chopped garlic, you can pierce a garlic clove with a fork, and use it to stir your greens. It will give your greens a nice healthy garlic flavor without tainting the breath we exhale! Garlic is not only tricky in regards to its lingering odor, but it is also difficult to cut! The best way I have found to remove the paper from a clove of garlic is to lay it on a cutting board, gently place the side of your knife on top of it, and crush it with a SMACK! This achieves several things, the least of which is loosening the paper or making the chopping twice as easy. The most beneficial result, I think, is the emotional release. Mad at your boyfriend? Go ahead girl, hit that clove. Frustrated at your boss? Smash it!! Abused by the phone company? Come on, pulverize it!!! Ah, that feels better. You see, the healing begins even before you eat it. While working on this article, I thought of a recipe to share that uses a lot of garlic. It was one of those very cold and gray January days when this particular recipe came to mind. I wanted a recipe that would stick to your ribs and warm your insides - a comfort soup. So, I decided to share my recipe for Roasted Garlic Soup. If you want the soup to be vegetarian, then use vegetable stock, and for a vegan soup, then leave out the butter and cream. To make it less rich, use milk instead of cream.
Roasted Garlic Soup
Ingredients 5 medium heads roasted garlic 3 Tbsp. butter 3 medium leeks, or 2 large leeks, white and pale green only, sliced 1 medium-large red potato, peeled and cubed 1/2 white onion, sliced 1 tsp garlic, coarsely chopped 3 Tbsp flour 1 Tbsp dry sherry 1 quart low sodium chicken broth 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste 1 tsp Better than Bouillon reduced sodium chicken bouillon 1/2 cup heavy cream
Garlic croutons for garnish
12 thin slices of baguette 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small clove of garlic, mashed to a paste with salt Dried pepper flakes, fresh thyme or dried basil
Let oil, garlic, pepper flakes and herbs sit a few minutes to combine flavors. Then brush and spoon on sliced baguette. Bake 6 - 8 minutes on a baking sheet at 350 degrees in the top half of the oven. To make the arrival of your soup even more aromatic, rub the edges of bread with raw garlic.
Roasted Garlic 5 1
1/4
heads of garlic Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove some of the garlic’s papery outer layers, and slice 1/4 - 1/2 from the tips of the heads to expose the cloves. Arrange the heads, cut- side up with the cubed potatoes on baking dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and roast for either one hour or until the cloves are tender.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Extract the soft cloves with a butter knife, or squeeze the garlic head and gently press the roasted garlic out with your fingers. Mash garlic and set aside. You should have just a bit more than a 1/2 cup.
While the garlic roasts, begin to prepare the soup. In a large stock pot melt the butter and sauté the leeks and onions, then season with salt and pepper. When they are tender and aromatic, add the garlic. Cook for one minute. Add flour and cook while stirring for about three minutes. Add sherry and then chicken stock, chicken bouillon and thyme. Bring to a boil and add the roasted garlic and potatoes. Stir to combine. Simmer for about half an hour, and then re-season and puree using a hand held blender or food processor. Add the cream and bring back to a simmer and turn off. Serve with garlic croutons. Enjoy! Serves 6