Hi Gabe,

Oh no, you are not doomed to burned garlic! There are actually a couple of ways you can avoid that icky burnt garlic taste.

The first way shows that you are on the right track when you say to cook the vegetable before the garlic. This is the way I like to cook chopped asparagus: You’ll want to heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the vegetable. When the veg is close to being done (anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size and type of vegetable), add some minced or slivered garlic. If the pan is looking dry, you might want to add a bit more oil. Then cook and stir until the vegetable is cooked all the way through and the garlic is softened and cooked, but not browned. Sometimes I’m wrong with the timing, and the vegetable isn’t done, but the garlic is starting to brown. When that happens, I throw in a tablespoon or two of water or broth; that tempers the garlic, but allows the vegetable to continue cooking. (If everything is cooked but there’s still liquid in the pan, just turn up the heat for a half minute or so to evaporate it.)

You can also steam the vegetable first, then cook it as you described: Cook garlic in a little bit of oil to soften, then throw in the steamed vegetables. This is what I do when I want to ‘do-ahead’ the veg. I can steam green beans (or broccoli, or most any vegetable) hours ahead of time, then right before serving it’s just a few minutes to heat the pan, add oil and garlic, then warm up the veg in the garlic oil.