Garlic is a potent herb that can do wonders for your health. Chock-full of a powerful antioxidant called allicin, many cultures have used garlic as medicine as well as food. Eating a diet that is high in garlic may help to prevent certain cancers, lower your risk of heart disease and boost your immune system. Despite its strong flavor garlic complements many different foods, so adding more garlic to your diet is easy.
Add minced garlic to marinades. Garlic goes well with all meats and seafood. You can mix garlic with nearly any marinade that you already use. Some examples include a garlic-lemon juice marinade, a garlic-soy sauce marinade or a garlic-ginger marinade.
Cut up pieces of raw garlic and add them to your favorite baked pasta dish, such as lasagna, eggplant Parmesan or baked ziti. Add the garlic to the pasta before baking. You can also add garlic to your pasta sauce for dishes like spaghetti.
Saute garlic to include it in sauces, dips and salad dressings. Garlic provides a rich flavor to these condiments, while also giving you the added health benefits.
Toast garlic slices in a skillet on your stove top. Toss the toasted garlic slices with your favorite steamed vegetables, like asparagus, green beans or broccoli, to add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
Add roasted garlic to your mashed potatoes or grits. You can use garlic instead of butter or cheese to make these dishes healthier.
Use plain garlic powder instead of salt in recipes or as seasoning at the table. A diet high in salt can cause health problems, so replacing salt with garlic can improve your overall health.
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Writer Bio
Ireland Wolfe has been writing professionally since 2009, contributing to Toonari Post, Africana Online and Winzer Insurance. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Master of Arts in mental health counseling. She is also a licensed mental health counselor, registered nutritionist and yoga teacher.