Great Garlic Made Easy

Everything is better with garlic—even your health. Studies prove the herb can reduce high blood pressure and fight off infections; some even show evidence that fresh garlic can kill antibiotic-resistant staph, E. coli and salmonella bacteria.

Who knew?

The best way to get garlic into your diet is to keep it pre-prepared so that you don’t have to stink up your hands each time you want to cook with it. This recipe is an old stand-by in my kitchen and infuses pretty much everything we eat with a rich, slightly sweet flavor. This recipe is an old stand-by in my kitchen and infuses pretty much everything we eat with a rich, slightly sweet flavor that even my kids love.

You’ll need:

Shelled garlic, preferably organic

Spray organic olive oil

Baking dish large enough to fit the garlic cloves so that they touch but don’t overlap

Glass container

Making it is easy: Simply spray olive oil on a baking dish and roast shelled garlic—we sometimes do as many as 50 at a time—for 30 minutes on 350 degrees, or until they’re mushy and browned.

Transfer them to a covered (preferably glass) container and fill the container to cover the garlic with olive oil. Leave it in your fridge. It lasts forever. (I don’t know about forever, but I’ve kept it for well over three months and it still tastes as delicious as ever.)

When you’re cooking, grab a scoop of the oil (it will have the consistency of butter) and a few cloves of roasted garlic, and toss it in your pan or pot. You can even spread it on bread for bruschetta.

It just makes everything…better.