March 3, 2023

Explore Worldly Flavors in Your Own Kitchen

Do you ever get tired of cycling through the same few meals? Well, it could be due to a lack of flavors from around the globe! We know making the trip for these tastes comes with limitations, but many people can “travel” by cooking different cultural meals at home. Food is an incredible way to experience another culture, country, and cuisine all in the comfort of your own kitchen. Making use of new dishes, ingredients, spices, tools, and techniques could even change your outlook on cooking, with one of the very best versatile ingredients being garlic! Garlic is an exceptional way to add a bold taste to any dish without the extra sodium or calories. From garlicky Asian sauces to Italian pasta dishes, garlic shows up in many worldly cuisines. In this article, we will provide you with a few different recipes that incorporate garlic, in all its forms, into diverse dishes. If you want to branch out and take your taste buds on the trip of a lifetime, read on!

How Garlic is Used Around the World

To understand the ins and outs of garlic, you should be familiar with how people use it all around the globe. For starters, garlic’s native land is located in Middle Asia. Some scholars believe the exact origin of garlic lies somewhere between West China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In those places and many others around the world, garlic is a necessary ingredient in everyday life. It contains active compounds that benefit almost all parts of the human body. Throughout history, garlic has been used as a tonic, a medical treatment, a good omen, and, as we know it, an ingredient. Even our ancient ancestors used garlic as a bold flavor, in the same way we do now!

Worldly Recipes to Level Up Your Next Meal

It can be difficult to start branching out into different ethnic cuisines when you’re not quite sure where to start. To expand your palate across the seas, here are three dishes that use garlic in some uniquely simple ways.

Asian Style Beef and Garlic Stir Fry

Beef and garlic stir fry is an incredibly popular dish from China, and, with beef and garlic cloves being the stars of the show, this meal doesn’t require many ingredients! In fact, it’s made even easier if you use Spice World’s Fresh Organic Garlic, or if you’re not familiar with peeling garlic, there’s also pre-peeled Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic for your cooking convenience. You can find these products in the produce aisle of your local retailer.

To make Asian-style beef and garlic stir fry, you will need:

7 oz. of beef steak
2 cloves of Spice World’s Organic Peeled Garlic
1 tablespoon cooking oil
¼ cup sliced red onion
2 whole green onions, cut into sections

To make the Asian-style sauce, you will need:

1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 small pinch of salt
½ tablespoon cooking wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Asian-style beef and garlic stir fry directions:

In a hot pan, add the steak and cook it for 3 minutes. Transfer the steak onto a plate and cut the steak into small cubes
In a wok, add oil and fry the Spice World’s Organic Peeled Garlic Cloves until lightly browned on the surface
Place the beef cubes and red onion into the wok. Fry the beef, red onion, and garlic cloves for another 3 minutes
Lastly, pour the sauce, add in the cut green onions, and mix well.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Italian Pasta with Garlic and Oil

If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal from Europe, this Italian pasta with garlic and oil is just the ticket. In Southern Italy, garlic is a very common ingredient incorporated into all types of dishes. That being said, the garlic found in Italy is a little milder in comparison to our American-grown garlic, but Spice World’s Squeezable Organic Garlic is sure to upgrade this Italian-inspired pasta.

To make this Italian pasta with garlic and oil, you will need:

Spaghetti or Fettuccine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of Spice World’s Squeezable Organic Minced Garlic
1 whole lemon, juiced entirely
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 cups of spinach
Parmesan to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Italian pasta with garlic and oil directions:

Boil the pasta per package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside
In a pot, add olive oil and saute Spice World’s Squeezable Organic Minced Garlic for 1 minute
Then, add in red pepper flakes and spinach, and cook the spinach down until wilted
Return the pasta to the pan and stir in more olive oil and lemon juice
To serve, remove from the pot and sprinkle parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste

Camarones Al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)

Camarones Al Ajillo, better known as shrimp in garlic sauce, is a dish most commonly found in the country of Colombia. This quick and easy recipe can be served as an appetizer or as a main entrée and can be plated with rice or tortillas. You’ll need a good bit of garlic to make the delicious sauce and Spice World’s Fresh Organic Garlic is the perfect choice when crafting this Colombian cuisine.

To make Camarones Al Ajillo, you will need:

2 tablespoons of butter
5 tablespoons of olive oil
8 cloves of Spice World’s Fresh Organic Garlic, finely sliced
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Camarones Al Ajillo directions:

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil on low heat
Once hot, add Spice World’s Fresh Organic Garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
Once the garlic is tender, not browned, increase the heat to medium and add the shrimp
Saute the shrimp, cooking for 2 minutes per side or until cooked through
Lastly, add in the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes
Serve on a plate with tortillas or rice

These delicious meals are a fantastic way to travel the world through flavors! Each dish is full of worldly tastes thanks to garlic being at the very center of it. For more mouth-watering recipes, flavors, and ingredients, visit this link!