July's Ingredient is Garlic (posting 1 of July's ingredient)

One of my favorite recipes with garlic is Honey Garlic Chicken--so along with other experiments in the kitchen this is one of my goals is to find the best Honey Garlic Chicken recipe.


So far this month: 
1) I boiled garlic gloves with my potatoes when making potato salad---it gave a very delicate garlic taste that went well with the salad 
2) Tried a couple different Honey Garlic Chicken recipes
3) Perfected Chicken Cashew Stir Fry
4) Added it to my hash browns (potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, salt, black pepper) and that was very nice--yummy yummy
5) Made pizza sauce 
6) Created a spinach/garlic/shrimp mini pizzas, that I loved---Dan didn't like the spinach
7) Found out when adding garlic to a pan to add it with your last ingredient so it doesn't burn and so you can get optimal flavor


Images: http://webmalayalee.com/portals/2010/12/19/garlic-can-reduce-risk-of-arthritis/

Ingredient of the month

I've decide to choose every month one ingredient to spot light. It will be an ingredient that I will study and play around with in my kitchen and than periodically report on what I've found as well as what recipes I've tried and invented.

Split Pea Soup

2c split peas (dry)
1 1/2c ham
2 medium/large carrots
2 stalks celery
1c onion
9c water (as the soup cooks, check periodically to make sure there is enough liquid, you don't want to let it dry out, because it will burn)
2tsp salt (probably will need to add more just for taste)
2tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
black pepper to taste

Add ingredients to crock pot and cook for 8 hours slow.

Soup is done when the split peas are nice and smooth.

To serve you can add some Franks Hot Sauce

Nutritional information about split peas
http://www.livestrong.com/article/344927-are-split-peas-healthy/

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2521/2