This happens to me all the time. I love garlic and really wish I could eat garlic with every single dish – garlic mashed potatoes? Oh god I could live off that. But everytime we shop at the grocers, it just doesn’t make any financial sense to buy only 1 or 2 cloves. In fact I don’t think we could even do that.
It’s important to also know that you should store your garlic in room temperature and in a place that gets a lot of air. Don’t put garlic in your fridge, this actually speeds up the decay process. And when you buy garlic, make sure you choose the ones that are tough. The harder they are the longer they’ll last.
What do you do with all your leftover garlic before it goes bad?
1. Garlic butter spread
Mix crushed garlic cloves with softened butter and a pinch of sea salt. For an extra flavour hit add some chopped fresh herbs or chilli. Great to use with grilled meats and seafood or toss through steamed vegetables.
2. Veggies coated in garlic
Tossing veggies in a mixture of olive oil and minced garlic is one of the best no-stress tricks to putting together a vegetable dish. This technique works on nearly any vegetable!
3. Make your own bread?
Add garlic into the dough for either a garlic naan bread or whatever doughy goodness you’re baking.
4. Stir-fry veggies with garlic
A classic bok choy stir friend in garlic is always a winner. Mix this up with kailan, kangkung, and whatever leafy greens you enjoy. This is one of the best ways of utilising your leftover garlic because it’s healthy!
5. Butter garlic mashed potatoes
MY FAVOURITE. There can be no other way of doing mashed potatoes. You need lots of garlic. Go crazy. Add other herbs and a ton of butter too for that creamy flavour. (drool)
6. Oven baked garlic cloves
When you bake your veggies, throw in a couple of bulbs of garlic whole – forget about peeling them and what not. Go rustic. Add a few herbs. Trust us, this will be one of the best things you’ve ever had. The baked/roasted garlic comes out soft and it just melts in your mouth. Spread it on toast even! You’ll be fighting with your friends for this one.
7. Add garlic into your pasta
Making an aglio olio? Garlic. Mushroom pasta? Garlic. Seafood pasta? Garlic.
8. Garlic sauce
You know how whenever we eat at Tarbush or any other Lebanese restaurant, the garlic sauce is always one of the most favoured condiments? I guess garlic lovers can relate. We dip our fries in them, add more to our shawarma, ah it’s just so good. Well you can make your own garlic sauce with all that leftover garlic.
9. Add into cold salads
Do you make your own som tham? Or just serve up a few simple recipes for your salad dishes – why not add diced garlic into them too?
– Cover Image: artisanhouse.com.au
