Italian Blend
The possibilities are almost endless with this customer favourite: pizza sauce, salad dressings, bolognese or lasagne, Tuscan bean soup, grilled vegetables for your antipasto platter, roasted tomatoes or potatoes, Italian pasta salad or barbeque meats. Instructions and suggestions included.
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Recipes
Lamb Shank & Barley Soup
2 tbs olive oil
2 lamb shanks
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 potato, diced
2 cups broccoli, chopped small florets
2 cups cauliflower, chopped small florets
7 cups vegetable stock
½ cup pearl barley
2 tbs The Spice Republic Italian blend
1 bay leaf
1 tbs lemon juice
Heat half the oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Sear shanks for 5 mins, turning until well browned on all sides. Remove from pot. Add remaining oil, onion, carrot, celery & garlic to pot & cook for 5 mins. Add potato, broccoli & cauliflower. Return shanks to pot with stock & bring to boil. Add barley, bay leaf and Italian blend, reduce heat & simmer, covered for 1 ½ hrs, skimming surface regularly or until lamb is falling off the bone. Remove shanks from soup & stand for 5 mins to cool slightly. Then using 2 forks, shred meat from the bone. Add lamb & lemon juice to soup. Season. Serve with crusty bread.
Chorizo and Eggplant Puttanesca
1 tbs Olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small eggplant, cubed
2 chorizo, cubed
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup mixed olives, pitted
2 tbs capers
2 tbs The Spice Republic Italian Blend
300g pasta of your choice.
In a large frypan heat oil & add onion & chorizo, sauté for 5 mins. Add garlic & eggplant & cook until tender, about 8-10 mins. Add tomatoes, olives, capers and Italian Blend, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20mins. Sauce is ready when eggplant is fully tender. Cook pasta and add to sauce with ½ cup of pasta water. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese & crusty bread.
One Pot Pumpkin Lasagne Soup
Serves 4
3 cups pumpkin, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
6 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup unsweetened oat milk
1 tbs tomato paste
4 tsp The Spice Republic Italian Blend
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
6 lasagne sheets
2 handfuls baby spinach
Parmesan cheese, optional
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in large pot, add onion, carrots, celery & fry until golden. Add garlic & pumpkin & cook for 5 mins, stir in tomato paste. Add 4 cups of stock, cover & simmer for 10 mins or until pumpkin has softened. Take 1 cup of pumpkin mixture & blend with oat milk till smooth. Add back to pot with the TVP, spices & Italian Blend & add 2 cups of stock. Break lasagne sheets into large pieces & add to soup, cook for 10-12 mins until pasta is al dente. Add baby spinach & top with optional parmesan. Add water if soup becomes too thick.
Roasted Vegetables with Italian Blend
1 large eggplant, cubed
2 medium zucchinis, diced
1 red capsicum, seeded & cubed
125g baby Roma tomatoes
200g small mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 small fennel, fronds removed & diced
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
3 tsps Italian blend
5 tsps olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl toss together all of the ingredients. Place on a lined baking tray (you'll need two) in a single layer & place in the oven. Cook for 30-40 mins depending on their size or until the vegetables are very tender. Keep in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Serve with pasta that has been dressed in pesto & stir in roasted vegetables with a sprinkle of parmesan.