3 Simple garlic dishes

TIP To remove the smell of garlic from your hands, rinse them in water and rub them on stainless steel.

Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini

1 head garlic

1 (8-ounce) baguette, cut across in 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft goat cheese

1 sun-dried tomato packed in oil, minced

6 basil leaves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon chopped)

16 to 18 baby arugula leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top 1/4-inch off the head of garlic, exposing just a little of the cloves. Wrap the head in foil and place in the preheated oven until the garlic is very tender, about 1 hour. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2. Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet and toast until slightly crisped, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and let cool.

3. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze out the soft interior from the peel. Mash with a spatula; add the goat cheese, tomato, and basil and combine thoroughly. Spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the cooled toasts. Top each crostini with an arugula leaf. Makes 8 servings (16 to 18 crostini).

Nutritional analysis for each serving 114 calories, 5 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 175 mg sodium 

Rosemary Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

4 pounds chicken pieces (bone-in)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

40 cloves garlic, peeled

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or other ovenproof pot or skillet with a tightfitting lid) over medium high. Add the chicken, skin-side down (working in batches if necessary) and cook until browned, about 4 minutes on each side.

2. Add the wine, broth and tomato paste and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the pan surface. Add the garlic cloves, cover the pot and bake in the oven 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (to 175 degrees) and garlic is very tender. Serve chicken and garlic with panned juices. Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional analysis for each serving 296 calories, 29 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 16 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 368 mg sodium 

Garlic-Rosemary Studded Leg of Lamb

15 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves

1 (6-pound) leg of lamb, trimmed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a roasting pan and rack with cooking spray.

2. Combine the garlic and rosemary and chop them finely by hand or in a food processor. Use the point of a paring knife to make 1/4-inch deep slits over the entire surface of the lamb: you will make about 24 slits in all. Place some of the rosemary mixture in each slit; season the outside of the lamb with the salt and pepper.

3. Roast in the center of the oven until a meat thermometer (not touching the bone) registers 140 degrees for medium-rare or up to 155 degrees for medium well, about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Nutritional analysis for each 3-ounce serving 255 calories, 25 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 283 mg sodium