When my daughter was about seven years old, her school held a grandparents’ day event. Each kid wrote a poem about his or her attending grandparent. This particular year my maternal grandmother, who was close to ninety years old, attended the event. When it came time to read her poem, my daughter’s first sentence read:
“I love my mom mom, and she always smells like garlic!”
When you are 100 percent Italian, every meal starts with garlic. How insightful of my young daughter to learn this valuable lesson about the daily use of garlic in our Italian culture at such a young age.
Roasted Garlic for Athletic Performance
The effects of garlic on athletic performance are many. Garlic is known to increase oxygenation and combat fatigue. Studies have shown increased aerobic performance even five hours after consumption of garlic. Additional health benefits of garlic include strong antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, making it one of the most important foods we can consume.
As a five-star rated chef, I teach classes regularly and have learned that many people only use garlic as an additive to dishes. I encourage you to roast garlic bulbs as a stand-alone to be enjoyed on its own, almost as a side dish.
There are many ways to use garlic once it is roasted. The simplest is to use a knife to gently remove and eat the golden, roasted cloves. The roasted cloves offer a sweet candy-like flavor that is simply yummy.
Roasting the garlic gives it a consistency similar to that of butter, which offers many ways to add it to your favorite foods. You can spread the cloves on meat, fish, chicken, or even vegetables before roasting or cooking in the crockpot. If you batch cook on a regular basis, consider adding garlic to your list. Many studies show that garlic helps to keep colds and flu at bay, making it a huge plus for any wellness plan.
3 Roasted Garlic Recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Varies
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic bulbs
- Coconut oil
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line cooking tray or oven-safe dish with parchment paper.
- Take bulbs and cut non-root side to flat.
- Apply a layer of coconut oil to cut side of garlic and place oil side down on baking tray.
- Bake in oven until golden and caramelized.
Garlic Bacon Pulled Pork
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 4lb grass-fed pork butt or shoulder
- 3 strips of sugar- and nitrate-free bacon
- 1 roasted garlic bulb
- Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Crushed black pepper
Method:
- Spread garlic all over the pork and add to a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
- Cover with bacon strips.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on low for 8 hours. If using a pressure cooker, check timing according to appliance settings, with the average time being around 45 minutes.
- Once done, shred meat with a fork.
Lemon Garlic Asparagus
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Bunch of asparagus
- Medium lemon
- 5 roasted garlic cloves
- Red palm oil or desired fat
- Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Crushed black pepper
Method:
- Heat cast iron or desired skillet to medium heat. Add red palm oil or desired fat to pan.
- Trim asparagus about 1-inch from the bottom and add to the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn over the asparagus and add about ¼ cup grated lemon rind. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add roasted garlic cloves, cover, and cook an additional 3 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let sit, covered, until ready to serve.
More Delicious Eats from the Paleo Boss:
- Zoodles: A Delicious, Gluten-Free Pasta Alternative
- A No-Fuss, Versatile Frittata Recipe
- 2 Easy Homemade Bacon Recipes
- New on Breaking Muscle Today
Photos courtesy of V. Capaldi.
