Christmas is Only 8 Days Away!

The most wonderful time of the year is only 8 days away! Have you finished all of that Christmas shopping for family and friends? Everybody has that one friend/family member that is absolutely impossible to shop for. At the Garlic Survival Company, they have got you covered! For those hard-to-shop people, they offer a great deal on their Garlic Survival Garlic Lovers Gift Set! This gift set includes twelve of their most popular products ranging from marinades, salsas, pasta sauce, chopped/crush garlic and much more! A perfect gift for that individual who enjoys the taste of garlic in anything and everything!

Garlic Lover's Gift Set!!

The Garlic Survival Co. also offers a variety of gift sets that are perfect for the holidays! Enjoy!
                                     

Recipe of the Day: Garlic and Thyme Quinoa Patties

Quinoa has been taking the health world by storm! Our recipe today is focused around this miracle seed and lets go through a little nutritional information before we consume it, shall we?

It is the new superfood that all dieters crave about. It is protein rich (14% by mass) and its protein content per 100 calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet! The protein found in quinoa is also better than most food sources because it has complete proteins which is hard to come by. It is high in fiber, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and very easy to digest.

This year, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially declared that the year 2013 be recognized as the "International Year of the Quinoa!" How awesome is that? A tasty recipe that uses the international ingredient of the year! Quinoa is also a great source of antioxidants. Pair this superfood with garlic and you have yourself a delicious, but mainly nutritious treat. Enjoy

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Don't those look delicious! I love having mine with some ketchup.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes 

Makes – 20

 

Ingredients

 

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

 

Method

 

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. 

 

Scoop some mixture in the palm of your hands to shape a patties approximately 5cm in diameter and 1cm thick. This size will yield approximately 20 patties with the mixture you have. (You can make them smaller and thicker or large and flatter as per your preference.)

 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Gently place 4-5 patties in the pan and shallow fry, cooking each side for 2 minutes before gently flipping over with a small spatula to cook the other side. Repeat till all patties are cooked. Use a tablespoon of oil each time you start cooking a new batch of patties.

 

Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

 

Notes

 

These are delicate patties and a tad tricky to shape as they may stick to your hands or fall apart in the pan. Gently handling will prevent them from falling apart. once one side is cooked, they become easier to manage and even flatten nicely for even browning.

 

If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to help them hold their shape.  

Moist patties with crunchy exterior.

A Unique Twist on a Classic Dish!

Everyone remembers those days when you were young and constantly craved Mac 'n Cheese. I sure do. Some of us never grow up and to this day, I still crave that old classic dish. One beauty around this dish is the ability to customize and basically do whatever you want with it. Throw some bacon or lobster into this dish and it completely transforms it. Change it from a side dish to a main entree easily.

The Gourmet Stuff !

Today, I share with you ROASTED GARLIC MACARONI AND CHEESE!!! Does it not sound delicious. The debut of this iconic dish merited more than a classic preparation. Someone cue the whole head of roasted garlic. Yes, a whole gargantuan head of garlic that’s roasted, mashed and then whisked into the easiest, cheesiest cheddar sauce.

ROASTED GARLIC MACARONI AND CHEESE

yield: 12 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 30 MIN

 

cook time: 1 1/4 HRS

INGREDIENTS:

For crumb topping:
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups Panko Japanese bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

For pasta and sauce:
1 head garlic
Olive oil
1 pound uncooked pasta (such as cavatappi, shells or rigatoni)
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk
5 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cheddar cheese (white, yellow or a mix of both)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Make the crumb topping:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and chives, stirring to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until toasted slightly. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Make the pasta and sauce:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Slice the top one-third off the head of garlic. Place the bottom portion on a piece of foil, drizzle it with olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Place the top portion back on the head of garlic and crumple the foil to create a sealed packet. Roast the garlic for 30 minutes.

Remove the roasted garlic from the oven and squeeze the cloves into a bowl. Using a fork, mashing the cloves into a paste. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Butter a 13x9-inch shallow baking dish.

In a large, heavy saucepot (such as a Dutch oven), melt 1 stick butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and reserved garlic paste. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until golden. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper until well combined.

Add the pasta and the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pot, stirring to combine. (It will be soupy. See Picture) Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle it with the reserved crumb topping and place it on a sheet tray (in the event it bubbles over while baking). Bake the macaroni and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes until it's golden brown and bubbling.

It will be soupy looking before cooking!

Extra Notes:

The garlic head can be roasted, and the garlic gloves mashed, 1 day in advance. Store the garlic paste, covered, in the fridge.

The macaroni and cheese can be baked in a large baking dish or several smaller ramekins for individual servings.

Hopefully, your final dish should look something like this (if done right!). Enjoy

Try Cooking With Real Garlic!

Fresh Off The Braid!

When it comes to cooking with garlic, I do not like to mess around. When you go to your local grocery stores, it is hard to find some real, fresh garlic that is right off the braid. Most of the time, they do not even offer whole cloves for sale; you have to buy them out of a jar. When it comes to garlic, you want it fresh and not processed because it will remove a lot of the nutrients that benefit your health. Also, I enjoy having that fresh taste and the freedom to use my garlic cloves in any way I want!

I have been searching the entire web for the best garlic braids because once you try them fresh off the braid, you will instantly realize the differences in taste and even the smell. A lot of the time, I will buy a braid and let it sit in the kitchen as a decoration while I consume the braid slowly! You will be surprised with the amount of comments you receive for having a fresh garlic braid hanging in your kitchen. People actually think I am a gourmet chef just because of it haha! They are pretty amazing to look at and even better to consume. I highly recommend any garlic lover to try it fresh if they haven't already. Also a little tip from a true garlic fanatic, garlic from Gilroy, California is the best (well it is the garlic capital of the world).

I have found some high quality garlic braids that are seasonally harvested from Gilroy off of this website and at a great price too. They also come with a ribbon and card that look good when placed in your kitchen.

The Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is truly an amazing vegetable. Very few individuals actually know the health benefits that come from garlic. Not only is it delicious and easy to add to anything, there are too many benefits to list.  So lets start with the benefits:

• Garlic is great for the immune system and helps control the growth of bacteria.
• Garlic helps treat skin infections
• The anti-clotting properties of ajoene found in garlic help in preventing the formation of blood clots in the body. Hence, it may also increase the risk of bleeding after surgery.
• It helps reduce blood pressure
• Garlic has the ability to moderately lower our blood triglycerides and total cholesterol and reduce arterial plaque formation
• Garlic is known to have anti-inflammatory property. It can help the body fight against allergies.Garlic has been show to improve allergic airway inflammation
• Garlic increases insulin release which helps regulate blood sugar levels.
• Daily intake of garlic has been found to lower risk of most types of cancer. This anti-cancer property is due to allyl sulphides found in garlic.
• Improves iron metabolism
• Garlic has aphrodisiac properties ;)
• Direct application of garlic to an achy tooth will help soothe the pain due to its analgesic and antibacterial properties.
• According to recent research, garlic may help to regulate the formation of fat cells in our body.

 For more garlic health benefits and nutritional information, be sure to check out the wikipedia page and here

Hey Everybody!

It is my goal to create a blog for all of the garlic lovers out there, such as myself, that only contains the best, most unique recipes and ideas. There are many health benefits from garlic and it is also delicious. That is why I have such a passion for this unique vegetable. Some of the health benefits include lowered blood pressure, cardiovascular health improvements, reduced cholesterol, combat allergies, regulates blood sugar levels, aids in weight reduction, and much more. Also, it is so easy to add it to numerous dishes and make it part of any healthy, daily diet.

I love to experiment with garlic and add it to anything and everything. I would add garlic to salads, breads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, breakfasts, anything-you name it! You have to be a little daring and adventurous to find those cool, new recipes that could take the cooking world by storm.  That is why I need your help to introduce myself and others to some unique and funky recipes you use for garlic! Feel free to leave any feedback or comments and lets get this ball rolling. Garlic should be a part of everyone's diet due to the benefits and ease of adding it to virtually any dish.

Enjoy this brief video on the health benefits on garlic!