My two favorite cooking ingredients, that is.
These two things I don't believe I could easily live without. They are both based on serious dilemmas in my life.
- I love garlic. In everything. In large quantities. I'll use the jarred pre-minced garlic in a pinch but it doesn't taste the same to me. And I hate hate HATE to peel and cut fresh garlic.
- I love balsamic on everything. Caprese, ciabatta, brussel sprouts, salads, cereal, coffee. But I'm terrible at making balsamic glaze - I always end up burning it and then have nothing but burnt balsamic and a saucepan that requires tons of scrubbing. That's sad.
So when I found these two angels I knew it was destiny. Try them, I think you'll agree with me.
TJ's frozen crushed garlic cubes
These beauties can be found in the frozen aisle, near the frozen veggies. Each package contains 20 cubes; and each cube is one clove of garlic, already smashed. I keep them in the freezer until I'm ready to use and they taste like the real deal (because they are!) What a time saver.
When my kids are dying for some "cheesy pasta" I simply boil some noodles, and then when they are done and draining in a colander, I add some EVOO and a cube to my hot pot, until the garlic cooks a bit. I add the pasta back in and add some grated parmesan cheese and pepper. Done!
TJ's bottled balsamic glaze
Now this bad boy is always always stocked in my pantry. It's the consistency of a thick syrup and packs a [balsamic] punch! And because it's already in a nice little bottle, it's easy to put on your finished dish in a fancy way!
I use this for my caprese skewers; I take a pretty skewer, and assemble with a cherry tomato, folded basil leaf, and small mozzarella ball. Once I have all my skewers arranged on a platter, I drizzle this all around for that beautiful finishing touch!
