I love all things garlic. I think it’s in my genes. So I have to take my chef’s hat off to the Italians for inventing garlic bread. 2 of my favorite foods rolled up into one. Yumm.
Why I love Love You Back Garlic Bread
These days, I’ve given garlic bread an upgrade by using whole-grain bread (for added B-vitamins and fiber) and skipping the oil. I’ve found that a low-fat plant-based way of eating gives me many more health perks than if I ate white bread that’s soaked in olive oil. My immune system is stronger–so that means less sickness and cavities. My eyesight has improved (no more eye floaters and the doctor has reduced my eye prescription 3 times), plus I’ve said goodbye to many allergies, and even pre-diabetes.
And I still enjoy garlic bread. In place of the oil, I make a delicious broth that I brush the bread with. Sometimes, I’ll make garlic toast by cutting a garlic clove in half, then rubbing the hot toast with the cut side down. The toast quickly absorbs all the natural oils in the fresh garlic, leaving me with that unbeatable taste and fragrance!
What do I put on my garlic bread?
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- hearty amount of garlic salt and garlic powder
- fresh minced parsley or sprinkles of dried parsley (if desired)
How to make the garlic bread
- Cut your whole-grain baguette into thick pieces. If you don’t have a baguette, cut any whole-grain bread you’re using into thick slices.
- Pour the vegetable broth into a shallow dish, such as a pie pan–something that is about 1/4 inch deep. Dip each piece of bread into the broth for about 2 seconds, just enough to get it wet but not sopping.
- Lay all the bread slices, wet-side up, onto a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle each piece with a hearty amount of garlic salt and garlic powder.
- If you’d like some parsley, either mince up some flat-leaf Italian parsley or sprinkle on some dried parsley.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes in a 375-degree oven with the cover on. Then remove it and bake for 5 more minutes.
If you don’t like using foil, cover first with a sheet of parchment paper before adding the foil on top. This will give you garlic bread that is crispy on the edges and moist in the middle. If you like extra-crispy garlic bread, try broiling it for a minute or two.
If you have any leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheat in an oven or toaster oven.
Garlic HealthBites
Garlic has been used all over the world for centuries, ever since Hypocrites once prescribed it for an illness. Modern medicine is now embracing garlic’s health properties too. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties help blood flow more freely through the body and can help to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. It also increases nitric oxide in the blood vessels which helps your arteries and veins to dilate, thus preventing plaques from forming. There is some evidence that garlic can help reduce bone loss by increasing estrogen in females, which can be a big win for your bone health after menopause.
