Garlic Magic

You probably aren’t looking for another pumpkin recipe.

The next few months I’m going to share recipes that, when combined, create one of my favorite meals. All have wonderful health benefits that I can’t wait to share. As we approach cold and flu season let’s start with an ancient remedy that is now commonly prescribed in many doctor’s offices due to its wide range of healing properties. Garlic.

When the kids were little we would crush fresh garlic, mix it with butter and serve it on a cracker to the kids to boost their immune system. Now we enjoy the garlic spread at many restaurants. Even Trader Joe’s has a garlic spread and dip that is delicious.

Check out these amazing benefits of garlic:

You can find some of the studies here, here and here.

There is a learning curve to making it yourself but the benefit is that you get to choose the oil you use. Although a quality olive oil would be my first choice, it’s too heavy of an oil for this recipe. Avocado oil is my next choice. Even if you are getting it from a restaurant the benefits of the garlic often outweigh the risks of a lower quality vegetable oil due to the small amount that is typically used. Hopefully, you are using garlic in your soups, stews, and marinades as well. You can also get the active ingredient, allicin, in supplement form if the flavor is not to your liking, like if you are a unicorn or something because who doesn’t like garlic!

There is a skill to making it yourself because it uses a process called emulsification. Emulsification is a chemical process that produces a creamy substance from mixing an oil with a liquid. It can be tricky but rewarding once you’ve got the knack.

You can find directions for this creamy and delicious health booster here: Garlic Spread