Any Onion&Garlic-Free Recipes Wanted
#305587 - 04/21/07 08:18 AM
|
|
|
Calli66
Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 124
Loc: New Mexico USA
|
|
|
Hi, I am new to Heather's Board--just got the cookbook and got so hungry reading it!
But I have not been able to eat onions or any culinary quantities of garlic for over 25 years--so-- most of the snacks and main dishes are going to taste pretty different without those (to me) HUGE quantities of garlic.
I haven't had much fun cooking in years due to this dietary limitation, but was wondering if anybody could make any fresh and innovative suggestions for recipes. And no, I can't eat leeks, scallions, shallots, onion powder, or garlic powder either.
Thanks!
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
hi hope I don't sound really ignorant here but have you tried just doing the recipe but missing the onions and garlic out? there's loads of recipe's for main meals in the index so just look through those and see what it tastes like minus the onion/garlic. I really think that the best bet here is to experiment without. Also use herbs to boost flavour like coriander, basil etc and season with pepper.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Yes, I know I can leave the garlic and onions out--I've been doing that for 27 years. But I was so inspired by the gourmet recipes in Heather's book, that I was hoping for some new gourmet ideas to try that don't just eliminate the G & O's, but are truly creative in and of themselves. I'm so bored with my own cooking (not my best talent).
I do use basil, turmeric, Italian seasoning, etc., and of course I can make the desserts, but I'm always looking for a new approach.
Thanks,
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
I used to have problems when I ate onions and didn't eat them for a long time. A friend of mine whose husband works for the Japanese version of the Department of Agriculure - told me to chop my onions 45 mintues before I uses them. Then when you cook them they are easier to digest. It sounds crazy but it seems to work. Now if she had a remedy for garlic I would be so happy. Natsuko
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Natsuko-Thanks so much for your reply!
I feel so alone having this food sensitivity. It really prevents me from enjoying restaurant food--everything is made with onions, garlic, or the powders. I can't even communicate to the servers or staff--they'll say," Well, try this--it doesn't have MUCH onion in it."
I have lived in FEAR of onions for many years, and that fear makes me hesitate to try your chopping-beforehand idea. It makes sense, though--perhaps some of the sensitizing ingredients are the volatiles--or maybe exposure to air changes the active chemical to something else. I wish I knew.
Garlic doesn't seem to be as deadly for me. I avoided it for years, too, but recently I have been adding very small quantities (sauteed) to large family-sized dishes of cooked food. By "small" I mean less than 1/4 of a clove. It really adds to the flavor, and doesn't bother me too much.
I just might try your idea with a tiny amount of onion and see what happens--very daring for me. Do you know what variety of onion would be the mildest?
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Over here we can get long green onions, leeks and the plain round onions. I buy my vegetables at the local farmers market (one advantage of living in the country) and they are just sold as "round onions."
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Thank you. I just went shopping for food today, and threw caution to the wind----I bought one small (2 cm), round, white onion. But haven't cooked it yet. I will let you know if the experiment succeeds. I will try only 1/4 of it to start.
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
I'll be very interested in the results of your experiment. As I posted in reply to you on the other thread, I have avoided the entire onion family for years as even a tiny amount has me in pain for ages. I think I heard somewhere that if you chop and boil onions first, then discard the water, you can use them safely - probably, like the other method, this gets rid of the volatile oils. I don't really want to try it yet, though - I'm not as brave as you! Hope it goes well - like you, I have had very limited choices when eating out and always leave out the onions when cooking for myself.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Rio,
FYI--I'm still procrastinating, onion-wise!
If and when I work up the nerve I will report on the results. But not today--just got back from 2 hours at the dentist---prep for a crown--ouch! (felt in wallet, mostly).
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Ouch indeed, Calli66. I feel your pain - I'm having more root canal treatment next week. As I type this, my husband is cooking onions (to go in his and the kid's dinner) but I'm sticking to plain chicken breast as usual. Oh well. One day, maybe ...
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
I know what you mean! I got my onion sensitivity at 29, before I had kids at 31 and 33. We never had onions in any food as they were growing up. As teenagers, they both became interested in cooking, and to them, onions were an exotic vegetable!
When I first began eliminating onions, I used to LOONG for them. When I'd walk down a city street and onion-aroma would waft out of an open cafe door, it would make me heady. Later, I got so sensitive (in a bad way) that just the odor of metabolized onions on someones's breath would upset my stomach.
C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
LOL - my kids are teenagers too and after years of my onion-free cooking, they have also now discovered this 'exotic' vegetable for themselves! You sound a lot like me - I loved onions and ate them right up to my late twenties, too. But as the IBS issues worsened, I realised how senstive I was to them. Like you, if I just smell raw onion, I can literally 'taste' it for hours afterwards. So if anyone wants onions in my family, they cook them, not me!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|