Herb garlic bread with pesto pasta!

herb garlic mixture

I love to make garlic bread.  I can also eat garlic bread with any meal.  Recently I discovered a new way of making garlic bread that utilizes fresh herbs from the victory garden.  In the past I have made garlic bread with garlic powder, dried parsley, and butter. But now I use only fresh ingredients in place of the garlic powder and dried store bought herbs.  The end result is fantastic and your taste buds will be blown away.

Here is my garlic bread recipe along with a few vegan alternatives for those dairy-free individuals.

no butter and lots of herb garlic mixture

Ingredients:

• A loaf of bead.  I used half of a herb slab from Acme Bread Company. Acme's breads are delicious and freeze well.  I throw the unused half in a Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer. You can also find vegan bread in your area or you can make the bread yourself.  Here is a website that can help you hunt for vegan bread while shopping at your local grocery stores, http://happyherbivore.com/2012/03/looking-vegan-bread-ingredients/.
• 10 garlic cloves. You can use more or less depending on how strong you want your garlic bread. I love garlic and use at least 10 cloves.
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup sage leaves
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened. I sometimes omit this item if I am in a vegan mood or have guest who cannot consume dairy. If you are looking for a vegan alternative consider using a thin layer of soft or silken tofu in place of butter.
• Parmesan cheese, fresh or powdered.  You may also use soy cheese to keep your bread toppings vegan. It all depends on who is eating the dish and how you like it prepared.

half loaf used both fresh and powder Parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut your loaf of bread in half, horizontally.  You can also slice the bread vertically if you want to make small individual slices. I prefer to have one big piece of herb garlic bread and let my guest cut off or rip apart the bread.
3. In a food processor mix garlic, parsley, and sage until creamy. I use my Magic Bullet in place of a large food processor.
4. Spread softened butter over the bread slices or loaf halves. Use soften or silken tofu for a vegan alternative.
5. Spread the garlic herb mixture over the butter.
6. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese or a powder substitute. I sometimes use both since each type of Parmesan has a different flavor.
7. Bake the bread for 15 minutes or until you reach your crunch preference.  I have family members who love both soft and super-crunchy bread.  To match my family's variety of crunch preferences, I bake half of the garlic bread for 15 minutes and the second half for 25 minutes. I am left with a variety of soft and super crunchy garlic bread for all to enjoy.

whole wheat noodles, pesto, tomatoes, and herb garlic bread

I like to pair my herb garlic bread with my homemade pesto pasta and fresh grape tomatoes from the garden.  YUM! Hope you all enjoy this recipe.  Feel free to experiment with additional herbs too. Happy eating and don't forget those breath mints.