March Madness starring Black Garlic
March Madness is upon us! It's pretty hard to believe that it's already March, but typically March Madness signifies a sort of thaw in Wisconsin after the long, cold winter so we personally are thrilled!
We're hoping these delicious black garlic recipes provide you with some inspiration for all of your watching parties will help carry you through this year's Madness. (We're still trying to get over the fact that Wisconsin isn't in the playoffs...we don't want to talk about it)
Adding black garlic to your potluck dishes will not only impress your friends, but will also add a unique flavor that's both fun to use in your cooking and fun to eat. BONUS: We've all heard about black garlic's health benefits, so if you needed another excuse to eat queso, we've got you covered.
Without further ado, here are the top 5 recipes you need to make your watch parties extra tasty.
1. The Classic - Black Garlic Queso
Is it even a sports party if you don't have chips and dip? This delicious recipe is straight out of our kitchen, and is an absolute cheesy dream. Step up your chips and dip game with this unique take on an old classic.
Ingredients
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1.5cups of sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 tablespoon salsa
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Thoroughly stir in the cornstarch. Stir in the sour cream. When the mixture becomes hot and bubbly, mix in cheddar cheese and salsa and black garlic. Continue stirring until cheese has melted and mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
2. The Fancy Upgrade - Baked Camembert with Black Garlic & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
We promised delicious, but we never promised healthy! Here's an incredible recipe courtesy of food blog My Fussy Eater for a delicious, creamy, beautiful addition to any party.
Ingredients
8oz round of camembert (boxed)
1 bulb black garlic
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tbsp of oil (from bottle or from jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
balsamic glaze to garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180c / 350f. Remove the camembert from all its plastic packaging and place it back into the box, leaving the lid off. Score the top of the camembert with a sharp knife.
Remove 3 cloves of black garlic from the bulb and slice each into 4 or 5 pieces. Push these into the camembert, along with some thyme. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and mix with the oil and balsamic vinegar. Place half of the tomatoes in a bowl to one side. Pile the remaining half on top of the camembert and top with a few sprigs of thyme.
Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Stick a knife into the centre of the camembert to be sure that it has melted enough. If it hasn’t, return to the oven for another 1 or 2 minutes. Drizzle the camembert with balsamic glaze and serve with toasted ciabatta, the remaining sun-dried tomatoes and black garlic.
3. The Healthier Option - Black Garlic White Bean Hummus
Every table must have at least one healthy(ish) option, and this Black Garlic White Bean Hummus from Food52 is a fun dish to introduce to your friends. You can't go wrong dipping your fresh cut veggies or pita into a bowl of this!
Ingredients
One 12-ounce cancannellini beans
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 head black garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Place the beans in a small saucepan and add water until just covered. Add the baking soda. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. The beans will be a little mushy, which is okay.
Drain the beans and place into a food processor with the tahini, black garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse several times to combine, scraping down the sides as you go. Add water as necessary if your mixture is too thick. Pulse continuously until velvety smooth.
4. The Obligatory Messy Finger Food - Black Garlic Rubbed Wings
Another favorite from our Black Garlic North America Kitchen. These wings take a bit of time (must be refrigerated and air-dried for 24 hours), but are SO worth the effort. The rub is mouth-watering and the hardest part may be waiting the necessary 24 hours to eat these babies! Make sure you grab one while they're hot because they will disappear off the plate faster than you can say Black Garlic Rubbed Wings.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon Black Garlic Puree
Peanut Oil (enough for deep frying)
1 pound chicken wings (drumettes with the first and second wing joint only)
a healthy helping of homemade Dry Rub
Dry Rub Ingredients
1/4 cup paprika
1/8 cup black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Blend 1 teaspoon Black Garlic Puree with a few tablespoons of dry rub. Once blended, adjust for taste. Rub the paste on your chicken wings, and air dry for 24 hours in the fridge. Heat your oil in a deep sauce pan until ready, and fry the wings until done. Enjoy!
**Keep the dry rub on hand for use in meat recipes. Excellent with smoked meats!
5. The Sweet Tooth - Goat Cheese, Black Garlic and Honey Tarts
These tarts are one of those dishes that look really fancy and tricky, but are shockingly easy to put together. You probably have puff pastry in your freezer (because you bought it in a moment of inspiration and failed to use it because what do you even do with it?), so whip it out and impress your friends with these gorgeous, scrumptious little tarts courtesy of Coco Cooks.
Ingredients
1 sheet of puff pastry cut into 4 pieces
1 log of goat cheese
4 - 8 cloves of black garlic
honey to drizzle
dried herb blend
salt
1 egg, beaten
Directions
Defrost the puff pastry. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush puff pastry with beaten egg. Crumble goat cheese atop the pastry, leaving a small border. Mince the black garlic, trying not to mash it. Sprinkle a clove or two of the minced black garlic on top of the goat cheese on your pastry. Drizzle honey liberally. Add a pinch of salt and dried herb blend to each piece. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until golden and slightly caramelized.
Enjoy!