Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Once you try it, you'll never cook with regular olive oil (or even cooking spray) again.

Time Needed: 10 minutes
Level of difficulty: easy
Materials needed: 1 clove of garlic, 1 bottle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, glass oil bottle (optional)
Directions: Peel the clove of garlic and slice each clove into 1/8 inch slices (don't slice too thin or you'll burn them). You'll probably only want to use 7-10 cloves, depending on how garlicky you like things. Pour about an inch of oil into a pot and toss in your cut garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cloves start to brown. You want to cook them until they change color or you run the risk of breeding botulism, which we can all agree is nasty. Once the garlic is cooked (and your kitchen very pungent), pour in the rest of the oil so that the flavors can mix. Pour the oil into the glass bottle, or if you prefer, back into the bottle you bought the oil in. Place some of the cooked cloves into the bottle before re-capping. This not only makes it look really cool but keeps the garlic flavor strong. Don't worry - it won't get too strong if you leave lots of cloves in. Use in all your recipes as a non-stick cook spray. Because it's olive oil, it's full of omega-3's and is a heart healthy oil. As long as you use it sparingly, it's actually good for your body to take some of it in. And, let's be honest, you'll probably want to make yourself a loaf of Italian bread, pour some oil into a dish, and dip your bread in it to your heart's content. I won't tell anyone that you did. It'll be between you and me...