How to Make Roasted Garlic Spread - Recipe for Health

Though the health benefits of eating garlic are somewhat diminished by cooking, studies show that cooked garlic still retains many of the healthful properties that are abundant in crushed, raw garlic. Roasted garlic is a delicious and easy preparation, and it has many uses in other recipes.

For the healthy recipe below, all you need are fresh garlic bulbs, and a little bit of oil and salt to taste. Roasted garlic also keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• square of foil, about 10" by 10"
• two bulbs of garlic
• olive oil
• salt to taste

1. Peel two garlic bulbs completely and cut off the woody parts from the bottom of the cloves. Place the peeled garlic cloves in the center of the foil square.

2. Fold up the sides and corners of the foil to make a bowl. Add about tsp of olive oil to the bowl, or for an exotic twist, add 1 tsp light sesame oil. Also add 1-2 dashes of salt according to your taste.

3. Fold up the foil to make a sealed bag with the garlic cloves inside. Be sure to leave plenty of room, and shake the bag so that all the raw garlic pieces get coated with oil. Poke one or two holes in the foil to let out steam.

4. Pop the bag into the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. The less time you cook it, the more raw garlic flavor and health benefits you get.

5. When they are cooked, put the roasted garlic cloves in a bowl and use a fork to smash them to the desired consistency. Watch out, the oil makes them slippery.

6. Use the roasted garlic spread to make garlic toast, or as an ingredient in classic Italian foods, such as pesto or bruschetta.