A From Lex's Pantry side hustle
Leona Hobbs
Summer 2024
Top 5 Spice Blends at Dentsu’s 1U Market
On a warm Wednesday in mid-August, From Lex's Pantry was part of the pop-up marketplace for dentsu employee side-hustles. To be clear, this is my side hustle and Lex's full-time hustle. We shared samples of best-sellers and offered up ideas on how to use our spice blends in everyday cooking.
Lex is a professional food critic, judge, and best-selling author of restaurant guides. She ensures the quality of her growing line of small-batch, artisanal spice blends, rubs, and marinades. With decades of experience and a passion for flavors, Lex shares her hand-crafted creations with you, straight From Lex’s Pantry. 🌶️✨
Contents
- Introduction
- The 5 dentsu bestsellers
- How to elevate the everyday
- Tastier meal prep
- About my sidehustle
- Conclusion
Top 5 Best Sellers at dentsu T.O.
Spicy Guac Takes the Crown
The just-so-darn tasty Spicy Guacamole is the champion. This blend of sweet onions, garlic and 4 spicy chilis, makes it a versatile flavour companion.
Spicy Guac hits you with a pow of chili without any lasting burn. Great sprinkled on avocado toast with a hit of lime juice.
Lex's newest recipe is creamy cheesy spicy guac pasta sauce. Noms. How did I not get invited when she was testing this one?
We've also got the recipe for wickedly delicious guacamole if avocados are more your vibe.
Danforth Greek is a fave
It's almost too easy to sell Danforth Greek Spice blend to Torontonians, where pretty much everyone has enjoyed the fare of Toronto's Greektown.
This zero-heat spice blend, a perrenial best-seller, clocked in at number two at the dentsu summer pop-up.
Try making a salad dressing using some fresh Ontario veggies, a bit of feta and a few olives.
Use it with chicken, either Lex's 4-ingredient souvlaki or as a quick rub on wings.
Butter Masala gets a high five
Lex literally received a high five from one skeptical shopper at the dentsu pop-up who sampled our Butter Masala blend in our market sample dip.
Lex worked so hard to get flavours in the Butter Masala blend just right. She consulted chefs, friends, friends' moms, and tested on family for years to perfect it.
With ingredients you likely have in your fridge and pantry you can use Lex's recipe to create an incredible butter masala sauce for paneer, veggies, chick peas, or poultry.
Shakshuka cha cha
People get hooked once they sample Shakshuka spice blend at a market. I think because its unexpected. Anyone looking for a jolt out of the ordinary should check this one out.
Our Shakshuka blend is a bold and exotic seasoning which captures the traditional flavours of North Africa.
Learn to make Shakshuka! Use Lex's recipe for a one pan dish of eggs in a spicy tomato veg sauce.
Two lucky shoppers at the dentsu pop up bought the only two packages we had of a custom spicy (extra hot) Shakshuka blend Lex made for a customer.
Bay Burger, the happiest accident
Rounding out our top 5 sellers at the dentsu pop-up is Bay Burger Spice Blend. And to think, this most tasty of spice blends was the result of a kitchen mix-up.
Lex was mixing and Gerry was grinding spices for two different steak blends — Montreal Steak and Bricklayer Steak. In error, the ground spices for one ended up in another. This was the start of what became Bay Burger! Lex worked with this new blend to enhance the flavours and adjust the blend until this kitchen mistake became a gourmet delight.
Use it everywhere you'd reach for seasoning in your cooking. For recipes, try our Market Sample dip as a burger spread, or make Kelly's meatloaf.
Side hustle love
I’m the ultimate multitasker for From Lex’s Pantry—I’m an instigator, cheerleader, spice-tester, counselor, and marketer all rolled into one.
The story begins when my friend, Alexa (Lex) Clark, faced a life-changing brain injury that affected her ability to work. This challenge led Lex to shift from her marketing consulting career to starting her own business. With a little (or a lot of) encouragement from her partner, friends, and family—Lex says we “nagged her”—she decided to share her time-tested homemade spice blends with everyone.
From Lex’s Pantry officially launched in 2023 and has been growing steadily ever since. I’m hands-on with everything from testing new blends and working on packaging in the commercial kitchen, to giving pep talks and dishing out tough love.
I think side hustles are important. Especially when you to embrace the learner's mindset. Because I spend my days in client leadership at iProspect, the dentsu pop up was a chance for me to do something completely different.
I spent 10 hours in three short days with my dear friend, Lex (part of it with her partner Gerry, too) in the professional kitchen and behind the booth. It was amazing to be working in Lex's business witnessing her mastery of blending, packaging, and selling spice blends direct-to-consumer. This woman runs a tight operation, let me tell you.
I was reminded of the intimacy of selling a product you're passionate about to someone 1:1. Getting right back to basics was profound. Especially compared to sales at scale mediated by technology (which is a big part of my day job).
Selling to my dentsu colleagues was such a pleasure. I introduced the product line, talked with them about the flavours they enjoy, how they cook, and plan for meals. I was able sell with compassion as someone who works full-time at dentsu and wants to put amazing food on the table with a minimum of fuss.
So now you're all caught up on the side hustle, the latest chapter in my decades-long friendship and collboration with Lex.
Elevate the everyday with flavour
Only the good stuff
Every batch of of the over thirty Spice Blends in the From Lex's Pantry product line, is meticulously crafted with passion and expertise by Lex.
From savory to sweet, our spice blends add an extra burst of flavor to your dishes.
And the best part? All our spice blends, marinades, and rubs are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, additive-free, and preservative-free.
Here are my personal tips to elevate your everyday cooking with our unique and delicious creations that will leave you craving more!
Veggie scramble
It takes less than a minute to use our spice blends to elevate the flavour of your everyday meals.
Enter the Veggie Scramble.
Prepare/chop at least one full serving of veggies - use up whatever's in the fridge - or freezer - or pick whatever's fresh in your garden.
In oil or butter, cook the veggies. Add 1/8 teaspoon your choice of from Lex's Pantry spice blend. (Memphis Zero is just excellent, as is Spicy Guac, and Shakshuka). Reduce heat.
Beat two eggs then add to pan with veggies, cook.
Garnish. Fresh chives from the garden, salsa verde, ketchup, crumbled up sour cream and onion chips. You do you.
Good morning porridge
I have both sweet and savory versions of porridge elevated with our Spice Blends.
The Sweet.
Serve porridge into your bowl and while it is hot, add a dollop of peanut butter. Use the back of your spoon to spread it a thin layer of PB on the porridge.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of one of the Spice+Sugar collection From Lex's Pantry. I've used Pumpkin, Gingerbread, and Eggnog.
Top with fruit - apple, banana, berries, whatever you've got on hand.
The Savory
As your porridge is cooking, chop a fresh tomato, add 1/8 tsp of From Lex's Pantry Spice Blend. Taste, adjust add more blend if wanted, set aside.
Montreal Red, Shakshuka, Danforth Greek, Preston Italian, Spicy Guac, and Bricklayer all work well here.
While porridge is hot, hit with butter or high-qualiity oil, use back of spoon to spread.
Optional: add freshly grated parmesan or other melty cheese.
Top your still hot porridge with your seasoned tomato including any juices.
Grab your spoon and enjoy.
Mac and cheese heaven
My friends, I know what it is to turn to a box of KD at the end of a long day. Let me tell you it takes less than a minute to elevate the flavour of that ho-hum mac & cheese.
Just add a teaspoon of your favourite spice blend when you make the cheese sauce. Wing Rub started this mac & cheese evolution when a friend's kid had the inspiration. Butter Masala KD is fantastic. As is Montreal Red. Spice Guac is great here too.
Lex recommends using a white cheddar mac & cheese to get the best results.
Optional: An easy way to get your veggies in is to add a couple of servings of fresh/frozen veg as you're boiling your pasta. Broccoli, green beans, peas, carrots, all work well.
Meal prep ideas
Sheet pan dinners
If you're like me, you're a fan of the sheet pan dinners for their ease and versatility.
You get your veg and protein, you chop, you toss in oil and hit with your fave spice blend - Danforth Greek, Preston Street Italian, Montreal Red, Shakshuka...pretty much any spice blend works here.
You know how it goes from here. Parchment goes down on your sheet pan. Sread your veg and protein into a single layer on your tray and whack into the oven until cooked. Optional stir: half-way through.
Big batches
As I typically prepare meals for two, I love the satisfaction that comes from making a big batch of ragu, or beans, and freezing it in portions.
Imagine a turkey chili made with our Shakshuka Spice Blend. Or maybe black beans with onions, peppers and Spicy Guac done in the Insta Pot.
Whip up a batch of Butter Masala using chicken, chickpeas or paneer and freeze into portions. Extra sauce freezes well too — perfect to enjoy over veg, rice and/or protein.
Lex & Gerry prep souvlaki with Danforth Greek all the time. Make a big batch of marinade, pop in chicken or pork and freeze in meal-sized portions. Cook from frozen on the grill, in the pan, or in the oven. Boom!
The roast
I like to set up my meal prep or the week with a roast either on the grill or in the oven on Sunday.
Using any of the spice blends in rubs or marinades will elevate a roast. And the pan gravy is extra tasty.
Try Montreal Red and roast a whole chicken, or chicken thighs. Porchetta is great on any roast pork or porkchop. Bay Burger on a turkey breast, or Montreal or Brick Layer on beef.
The left-overs take on the elevated flavour. I do a stir-fry on Monday, Taco Tuesday, and Fried Rice for lunch on Wednesday.
Conclusion
Spices blends From Lex' Pantry are the perfect way to shake up your everyday cooking routine. From amazing breakfasts, to quick and easy lunches, and dinners that may just keep you from ordering expensive delivery. Again. Until next time dentsu friends. There are rumblings of a holiday popup market in the works for later this year. Stay tuned.
What's next?
If you've tried one of our blends and loved it, please leave us a review on our website, @ mention us on socials, tag us #FromLexsPantry, or send a note using the form below.