allergy to onions & garlic

[elisabeth]

Does anyone have any ideas for replacing onions and garlic in cooking as husband no longer able to eat them? I have put ginger in stir fries and that is excellent but things like stews and soups are sadly lacking something without an onion.

[Green Aura]

Have a look for some ayurvedic recipes - they tend not to use alliums of any sort. If your OH likes curries he could be in for a treat!

Do you know what it is he's allergic too - are we talking true allergy (as in seriously ill/dead if he eats any) or minor but annoying troubles like indigestion?

It may be you could use wild garlic or something like that, in season.

[Flo]

Leeks are the next thing down for replacing onions in most recipes. But that comes expensive.

[Thomzo]

Alliums again, I'm afraid, but have you tried chive flowers? They have a strong flavour that is a combination of garlic and onion. I've never seen them for sale so you'd have to grow your own. Just normal chives, allow to flower then pick and pull the individual florets apart and pop into the pan. One average flower packs as much punch as a whole onion and a clove of garlic together. They dry well and last for ages dried. I'm using some at the moment that I dried the year before last. Much easier than chopping and they don't make you cry.

Zoe

[Henwoman]

I put cayenne in soups which gives a little or big kick depending on the amount I add. Thomzo suggests chive flowers, but chives are members of the allium family.

[elisabeth]

OH is not allergic, he has a bad form of IBS and has been using a FODMAP diet which is pretty dire for we who love food. We've found that onions, garlic, and leeks, cause him a great deal of pain. We grow chives so when they flower we'll give it a go. Ayervedic recipes? wow will have to look that up! I've managed to find asofaeteda is good but can't buy it here in france. Also fennel seeds and celery salt cheer up a stock. THank for the cayenne will do that too.
Thanks for the ideas.