With recipe planning this week, my husband Tyler wanted a new dinner recipe. One that has bold flavor with a variety of uses. This recipe, Herbdacious, pairs with a dozen various uses and meals.

Published March 24, 2023
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Why this recipe works

Garlic. Garlic is amazing.
Sauteed. Roasted. Minced. Fried. Baked.
Garlic goes with everything.
This recipe, for Herbdacious, contains two entire heads of garlic that are sauteed in oil.

According to Vivian Howard, the author of This Will Make It Taste Good, whole and fresh garlic is best for this recipe. Do not use pre-minced garlic or bagged unwrapped garlic. With pre-peeled garlic, they sometimes can be slightly rotten, and it is hard to keep track of them when in the fridge. Additionally, the garlic that is minced in the jar is not as fresh as raw garlic. For this recipe, make sure to use raw garlic and take the extra effort to peel it and use it fresh.

Want your own copy of This Will Make It Taste Good? Check it out by clicking HERE.

Recipe

Ingredients for Herbdacious

2 heads garlic
2/3 cup oil
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh dill, mint, chervil, or cilantro
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup scallions, greens only
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
Grated lemon zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions for Herbdacious

1. Peel the garlic and then set them aside, make sure to use fresh garlic for this recipe!

2. In a small saucepan, measure and then add the oil and also the whole garlic cloves, then heat the pan to low.

3. Simmer the garlic until just slightly browned, around 20 minutes. Do not let the oil boil, if it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat until the oil stops boiling.
If some of the garlic cloves are large, feel free to cut them in half before cooking.

4. Once the garlic is browned, remove it from the pan and let it rest to cool completely.
Elliana was so excited to help with this recipe!

5. Rinse the basil in a sink colander, and then set it aside in a bowl.
This Makerstep Over the Sink Colander is SERIOUSLY my favorite thing in the kitchen and is used every day.
Not only does it help to keep your food OFF the sink basin (because, eww), but it is dishwasher safe and extends to most sinks!
We use ours for fruit, vegetables, pasta, herbs and more. I have even used it to strain out the big bits while making homemade chicken broth. Check it out by clicking the link for my blog below.

Chicken Stock made from Scratch

6. Roughly chop the scallions, the green parts only, and then set them aside.

Shred the Parmigiano Reggiano

7. Using a microplane, shred the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into a bowl, then set aside.
I seriously LOVE my microplane, and cannot believe I lived without one in the last 36 years.
The way it shreds cheese is amazing. Nothing sticks to it and it creates the BEST zest!
Click below to get one for yourself!!

8. Measure the dill, mint, chervil, or cilantro into a bowl, then set aside.
Cilantro = soap.
Cilantro was not added, but feel free to use cilantro if you wish!
However, I did use 1 pack each of dill and mint.

9. To a Cuisinart Food Processor bowl, add all of the rest of the ingredients, including the cooled garlic and all of the oil.
This includes the parsley, basil, mint, dill, lemon juice, salt, Parmigiano Reggiano, scallions, lemon zest, and all of the garlic with the oil.
As I am allergic to raw lemon, I used bottled lemon juice that has been pasteurized and omitted the lemon zest.

Having an allergy to most raw fresh fruits has major drawbacks, like having to avoid raw fruits and their skins.
Using bottled lemon juice is beneficial for me because it is then pasteurized, which is cooked, and therefore less of an Oral Allergy Symptom for me.

Process the Herbdacious

10. Once all of the ingredients are added, using the blade attachment, place the top on the Cuisinart Food Processor and then process the ingredients until completely smooth and green.

11. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the Cuisinart Food Processor, and then continue to process.

12. Once smooth, transfer the Herbdacious to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
This deliciousness was going to be used for dinner tomorrow night, with Meatloaf, so all I did was cover it with plastic wrap.

Making Herbdacious a day ahead of time will help all of the ingredients come together.

This Herbdacious recipe, made on Wednesday, is going to be used with a new recipe for Meatloaf from Vivian Howard’s book, This Will Make It Taste Good. Stay tuned for this recipe for Meatloaf later this week with the star of the show, Herbdacious.

If you still want your own copy of Vivian Howard’s newest cookbook, click HERE to find it on Amazon.
~Monica

Herbdacious Recipe

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