Stop chopping cloves every meal and make your own garlic oil instead
Garlic is a true all-rounder that will bring taste to any dish, no matter how simple it is.
Peeling and chopping it can be a but cumbersome though, and your fingers will often end up smelling garlicy for hours.
Instead of chopping a couple of cloves before every meal, you can add some garlic oil to your dish to achieve the same result. All you need to do is blend some oil and garlic - no need to even chop the cloves.
Here's what you need to make your own:
a clean, dry glass bottle with a cap
a hand blender or chopper
150 ml high-quality vegetable oil (e.g. olive oil)
1 whole garlic bulb
Preparation:
Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a tall blender jar.
Add the oil of your choice so that the cloves are completely covered.
Blend until you end up with a fine puree and then pour the mixture into the glass bottle.
Keep in the fridge to have some instant garlic always at your disposal. The oil will keep for at least nine months if kept tightly sealed.
Recipe for garlic pasta with chilli and lime juice
Your homemade garlic oil can be used in any number of dishes, like this quick and easy pasta recipe which makes garlic the star.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
200 g spaghetti
1-1.5 tsp homemade garlic oil
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or less, depending on taste)
40 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
dash of fresh lime juice (1/4 to 1/2 lime)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: a few leaves of fresh basil for decoration
Preparation:
1. Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente and drain after cooking. Keep some of the cooking water.
2. Heat the garlic oil at low heat in a pan, add the chilli flakes and sauté briefly. Then deglaze with a dash of lime juice.
3. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, add half the Parmesan cheese and toss well. If necessary, add a small dash of cooking water to make the pasta smoother.
4. Season with black pepper and salt to taste, arrange on plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and basil.
