Healthy Garlic Bread

Ok, those of us in love with the allium family know all about the glory that is garlic bread, right? Hot, crispy around the edges, dripping lashings of butter, fragrant with garlic, just asking to be torn to pieces and stuffed into one's hungry maw....

But one thing garlic bread isn't is healthy. Most recipes call for tons of melted butter. This one is made with heart-friendly olive oil, scads of Garlic, fresh herbs and large grained sea salt. If you are watching your sodium intake just omit the salt, its still delicious!

Healthy Garlic Bread

Serves 6 as a side dish. The choice of herbs is up to you, I list here the ones that I am partial to. This is a wonderful recipe to showcase fresh herbs from the garden.

1 (preferably whole wheat) baguette, split length-wise and then cross wise into 6 pieces total.

1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 to one large head garlic, minced or squashed

1 small handful basil leaves, minced

1 or 2 sprigs rosemary, minced

2-3 sprigs of oregano, minced

1 heaping teaspoon large grained sea salt (optional)

Optional: while not quite as healthy, the addition of 2 tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan or reggiano cheese contributes another layer of flavour to the garlic bread.

several grindings of fresh black pepper.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the bread and mince the garlic and herbs.

2. Mix the garlic and herbs with the salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Stir in cheese if using.

3. Place the bread face up in a bake pan and using a pastry brush or a spatula, spread the cut surfaces with the garlic-herb-oil mixture.

4. Place the garlic bread in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges get golden. A couple seconds under the broiler can toast the surface further if desired.

5. Serve immediately. Perfect with a fish or steak dinner along with a side salad or grilled vegetables.