Prep Smart: Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic

Research has identified garlic as the #1 anti-cancer veggie, so it is important to incorporate it as frequently as possible! Roasting garlic completely transforms the flavor, from bold with a bite to mild, sweet and even nutty!  I often slip a packet or two of garlic cloves into the oven when I am cooking something else, so that I always have some in the fridge (or freezer)! Sometimes, when I am quite ambitious, I roast an entire bag of garlic heads (17-20)! (See details below about how my method is different when I roast entire heads of garlic).

Ingredient 1 or more heads of garlic, cloves separated but NOT peeled

foil and parchment paper

Procedure To roast a handful of cloves – Peel off the outer skin from the head of garlic so that you can access the individual cloves, but DO NOT PEEL the individual garlic cloves, however crush* them to breakdown the cell walls. Wrap the unpeeled garlic in a foil packet lined with parchment paper (made by folding a large piece of each), and then pre-heat the oven to 350F.

To roast multiple heads of garlic – Leave the heads of garlic whole, and cut* across the middle (so that you have a “top” and “bottom”), but keep the head together. Wrap each head in a square of parchment paper and then a square of foil to keep it all together.  Then, pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Roast garlic packets at 350F for 20-30 mins or until just soft* when gently squeezed. Let cool just until they can be handled and slip off the skins. (See tips below about the consequences of overcooking.) Store peeled, roasted garlic tightly wrapped in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for several months.

Prep Smart/Cook Smart Tips:

*When the garlic’s cell walls are broken, a chemical process begins which produces the highest level of cancer-fighting phytonutrients. The chemical process takes ~10 minutes, and doesn’t happen if the garlic is immediately heated or exposed to acid (citrus juice, vinegar, tomato). However, once the phytonutrients have been formed, they are heat stable. So, whenever possible, cut, chop, crush, mince garlic and let it sit before roasting it, adding it to a hot pan, or recipe (especially one that has an acidic ingredient).

*If the garlic roasts a bit too long, the flavor will still be great, but the cloves will be sticky and it will be more difficult to peel.

*If the garlic burns you will have to throw it out, as the garlic will be very hard and taste bitter, so check it every 5-8 minutes after about 20 minutes.

*You can also roast individual cloves in separate packets by size. In the past, I have made 3 separate roasting packets, one for the very small cloves, one for the medium sized cloves and another for large cloves, as the smaller the clove, the shorter the roasting time.

It will be easy to find ways to enjoy this roasted garlic! Perhaps you can start with Mia’s Garlic Trees, a delicious “go-to” recipe for our family, featured in an article about preventing cancer with your fork, a yummy Garlic and Herb Vinaigrette (note picture for recipe shows whole garlic cloves, but follow procedure above, as I cut have been cutting the head in half width-wise since I learned about the benefits of breaking down the cell walls!). I also feature roasted garlic in my Mediterranean spread, which is delectable on Greek Fajitas!

When choosing garlic, the head should be firm, not “squishy”.

Timaree Hagenburger, a plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), certified exercise physiologist with a master’s degree in public health, has over 20 years of experience as a nutrition professor. She is a sought after speaker, media personality and author, who works with private clients, and in corporate wellness, has contributed to several cookbooks and published her own cookbook, The Foodie Bar Way: One Meal, Lots of Options, Everyone’s Happy (www.foodiebars.com)! Timaree is also the founder of an incredible online membership community, The Foodie Bar Way of Life, that makes loving the food (and living a life) that loves us back… simple, satisfying, sustainable AND FUN! You can contact her about working with her through 1:1 dietitian nutrition coaching, for hands-on cooking instruction and to inquire about arranging a speaking engagement.