GARLIC!
Garlic is such a nutritious and delicious food isn’t it? Besides its benefits for making anyone seem like a pro chef, garlic is so helpful for sickness and ailments. Read on to find out what I’m talking about and join my virtual cooking club for more recipes! (See menu tab labeled virtual cook club).
Garlic is anti-microbial, modulates the immune system, promotes circulation, feeds the good gut bacteria (prebiotic fiber), supports liver detox and methylation, and helps alleviate bronchial congestion amongst other benefits! A master herbalist I learned about in nutrition school, Rosalee De La Foret explains how all these actions help out our bodies in times of sickness! Eaten regularly, garlic helps us stay well. Raw garlic can be used with honey or oil to soothe sore throats. Garlic in raw or supplement form can help kill off bacteria causing cold or flu-like symptoms. It may also lessen the symptoms. Rosalee also explains that garlic’s spiciness thins mucus helping it to be expelled from the body. Garlic oil can also be used for ear infections! You can read more about all the great benefits of garlic and tips to use it for specific issues on her website here.
I personally love cooking with garlic pretty much daily and always reach for garlic supplements when I’m trying to avoid getting sick or trying to overcome sickness! If you’re interested in looking into a great garlic supplement to have on hand, I’m excited to say I can offer a wide-variety of top brand supplements for you to shop at 10% off through my online fullscript dispensary! I’m also happy to answer any questions you have or offer suggestions. To check it out, click here and email me with questions at abby@chefabbalina.com!
As far as cooking goes- I have a few quick tips to use garlic. First off, I always suggest chopping garlic 5-10 minutes before cooking. This is because garlic (and onions actually) contain sulfur-containing phytonutrients that are great for detox and methylation and when garlic is cut, these phytonutrients mix with oxygen and convert to compounds that can more easily resist heat and benefit the body! Chopping garlic finer and letting it sit longer both multiple this effect.
Raw-garlic is so delicious raw in small amounts in recipes like pesto, salsa, and chimichurri!
Roasted Garlic– check out how-to with pictures below! Roasted garlic has a sweet, caramelized flavor that will add depth to many different dishes. Here’s some ideas of how to use it: spread on toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and flaky sea salt, use in hummus, mix with yogurt and herbs to make a dip, add to grass-fed butter with herbs and cream in a mixer to make compound butter for bread, add to pizza, add to soups or pasta, mix into mashed potatoes or any mashed vegetable (like cauliflower or celery root), add to roasted veggies, make a salad dressing, add to salsa
Garlic powder– I love adding garlic powder to roasted white sweet potatoes, dressings, soups, and really any vegetable dish that needs some pizzaz.
Sauteed garlic– add chopped garlic to soups, sauteed vegetables, pasta sauces, etc for a great flavor base
HOW TO ROAST GARLIC!! It’s soooo easy!
Whole roasted garlic:
1. Carefully with a large knife cut about a 1/4 of the top of a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves.
2. Drizzle with avocado oil, sprinkle with salt, then wrap in foil. 
Bake at 350 for one hour. 
Allow to cool then squeeze out the garlic cloves using your fingers by starting at the root side and moving up. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Individual roasted cloves of garlic– spread individual cloves with the skin still on out on a baking sheet. Roast at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool then use your fingers to unwrap the garlic cloves from the skin. minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
NOTE: roasting individual cloves will yield a more choppable garlic clove with a deep, caramelized flavor versus the whole roasted garlic which will be softer.
I hope you enjoyed learning all about garlic and its many benefits! I’d love to connect with you and help you along your health journey! As a holistic nutritional health coach, my goal is to share knowledge, resources, and encouragement for individuals to find optimal health for themselves. I help clients find food and lifestyle habits that support their goals and lifestyle. Besides one-on-one virtual coaching sessions I also offer an extremely inexpensive virtual cooking club where I share healthy recipes and do cooking demos. Check it all out right here on my website or email me at abby@chefabbalina.com to connect! Make sure to also follow me on instagram and facebook for extra health tips and recipes @abigaileholistic.
In health,
Abigail
Holistic Chef/Health Coach
Abigail E. Holistic 