Using garlic

I love garlic... and since it has properties that ward off respiratory problems and the cold virus, I thought, I would include some of its uses.

Garlic Soup for Colds and Flu

Next time you feel that you're coming down with a cold, try this helpful recipe.

    3 carrots, sliced
    1 white onion, chopped
    2 Tbsp ginger root, grated
    8 cups water
    1 bunch kale, washed and shredded
    1 bulb of garlic, peeled and crushed
     2 to 3 Tbsp miso

Place carrots, onion, and ginger root in the water, and simmer until onions are translucent and carrots begin to get soft. Add kale and garlic, reduce heat to lowest possible setting, and cook for another half hour. Remove from heat and add the miso, stirring well. Drink the soup during the day, eating little else.


It is highly recommended for respiratory problems like cough and colds and any other illnesses since it also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Tincture: Take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon in a glass of water, two to four times daily


Infusion for topical use: Crush a garlic bulb, and steep in 4 to 5 cups of hot water.

Garlic Tea
With Lemon Juice and Honey

Grind or chop 3-4 cloves of garlic after removing its skin. Make sure that it has been finely chopped or grinded so as to activate the allicin content in it. Wait for 5-10 minutes before boiling it in 3 cups of water to completely activate the said ingredient which is known to be responsible for its healing properties. Turn off the heat once the water boils and add up ½ cup honey and ½ cup of lemon juice into the mixture, then strain.

With Your Favorite Tea

For this preparation, follow the steps above, but instead of putting it in a saucepan, you can put it in a mug with your favorite tea like a bag of green tea. Pour on it hot water, letting it sit for 3-5 minutes. To add more cooling effects and kind of lessen the garlic taste, you can also mix some mint leaves into it.

If you are the kind of person who can tolerate the smell and taste of garlic, then you really do not have to add up anything to it, only hot water will do. You will just have to follow the steps mentioned above. Anyway the ingredients added to it may or may not potentiate the effects of garlic tea, but also adds flavor to it. It is advised to drink it at least 3-4 cups a day for more or less 7 days to totally get rid of that cough or colds or whatever it is that you are trying to cure.

Storing it in the refrigerator will keep it consumable for at least the next day. So don’t let that minor cough or colds bother you or get even worse. Sip up on a cup of your home-made garlic tea and make it go away!


Garlic Juice
The number of bulbs would depend on how much garlic juice you want to extract.

Peel the skin of each clove before putting it in a blender and puree it. If a food processor or blender is not available, a garlic press may be used. To get the juice, strain the pureed garlic using a mesh strainer or a muslin cloth. To maximize the amount of juice you will get, use a spatula and press it over the pulp while collecting it in a bowl. Discard pulp once you can no longer get any juice. Strain the extract further by using a coffee filter so you will have a smooth feel with the juice when you drink it. Now, your garlic juice is ready for consumption. As for the rest of the extract, you can keep it in the refrigerator and use the next day.

( use the pulp with butter and make crostini to eat with your soup or as a snack)

Buon Appetito!

For the crostini:

    12 slices of baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick
    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    Pureed garlic

Assorted topping options:

    Shaved Parmesan, dry jack or Gruyère cheese
    Fresh, creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
    Roasted red bell peppers, home-roasted or bottled, cut into thin strips
    Prepared tapenade (black olive and anchovy paste)
    Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
    Capers, drained
    Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced, or halved, seeded, and diced
    Fresh basil leaves, cut into fine julienne strips or left whole
    Crushed red pepper flakes
    Balsamic vinegar
    Thinly sliced prosciutto
    Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained
    Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced


 To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.