Flora Cuisine Event - with Jean Christophe Novelli

I recently attended a Masterclass with Jean Christophe Novelli in association with Flora Cuisine.  Jean Christophe was as charming and swoonworthy as ever and remembered me from the last time we met at his Cookery School, I have an excellent and memorable piping technique and palate apparently. *snigger*

The event was to highlight the versatility of Flora Cuisine and celebrate the launch of the new Flora Cuisine Cook Book.

The book was created by Mums and Dads for Mums and Dads using recipes submitted to the Flora Hearts Facebook Page by keen cooks up and down the UK.  Flora Cuisine decided to collate those recipes into a cookbook.

Hundreds of recipes were whittled down to 30 recipes by Flora Cuisine judges and Jean Christophe Novelli. The final recipes featuring in the book were chosen based on originality, ease of preparation, taste and appearance.

The recipe book will be available in October through the Flora Hearts Facebook Page. However, customers at Asda will receive a free copy of the book when they purchase three bottles of Flora Cuisine from 5th October to 27th December.

The recipes Jean Christophe cooked for us from the Cook Book were:

Chocolate Beetroot Cake by Katy Buxton

Serves: 10 – 12

Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 40-50 mins

For the cake:
200ml Flora Cuisine
250g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain chocolate, broken into pieces and melted in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering
water
100g plain flour
100g self-raising flour
100g drinking chocolate (not cocoa powder it's too rich)
1 tsp baking powder
200g cooked beetroot, roughly chopped and whizzed in the food processor until very finely chopped
(almost pureed)

For the filling:
2 tbsp raspberry jam
150ml whipping cream, whipped until thick

For the ganache:
115ml whipping cream
100g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to gas mark 5/190°C /170°C fan/375°F.

Beat together the Flora Cuisine, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth; about half a minute in the food processor should do it.

Add melted chocolate and mix together thoroughly.  Sieve the plain and self-raising flour, drinking chocolate, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the centre, add in runny chocolate mixture and fold the mixture together. Fold in the finely chopped beetroot.

Divide the mixture among two greased, lined 18cm (7 inch) prepared cake tins. Bake in the oven for 40 – 50 minutes until cooked through.

Cool on wire rack and remove greaseproof paper from the base of each cake.  Sandwich the two cakes together. If necessary, level the top of one cake off by using a sharp knife and slicing off any prominent risen peak. Spread the newly levelled top with a nice thick layer of jam. Turn the other cake upside-down and spread the whipped cream evenly over the base before turning it the right way up again and putting it on top of the jam-covered layer.

To make the ganache, place the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.  Add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture combined. Pour into a bowl and whisk until fluffy and cool. Spread the ganache smoothly and evenly over the top of the cake.

TIP FROM KATY BUXTON: I use Flora Cuisine to grease and line the cake tins which is perfect. I also line the base of each with a circle of greaseproof paper which I then grease and coat with flour.

Photo courtey of Flora

Mum's Cod and Vegetable Parcels with Lemon and Lime Butter

Serves: 4

Prep:15-20 mins
Cook: 30-35 mins

4 x 100g portions of boneless cod fillet
2 spring onions (finely sliced)
2 red peppers (finely sliced)
1 courgette (finely sliced
1 carrot (peeled and finely sliced)
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
25ml Flora Cuisine
Salt and pepper
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1 lime (juice and zest)
25g Flora Spread

In a frying pan add the flora cuisine and gently fry the vegetables and garlic until tender add the lemon and lime juice and zest.  Keep to one side

Tear 4 sheets of tin foil and grease each with Flora Cuisine, place the cod fillets on top, spoon over the vegetables and juice mix top with a knob of Flora Spread and wrap up to form a foil parcel.

Bake in a hot oven (approx 200°C, 180° fan) for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cod is cooked through.  Serve in the foil parcels and let the guests break into them to release the fragrant steam.



Photo courtey of Flora

The recipe book will be available in October through the Flora Hearts Facebook Page which also has loads of offers, additional recipes and event information. Customers at Asda will receive a free copy of the book when they purchase three bottles of Flora Cuisine from 5th October to 27th December.

** The travel expenses I incurred attending the event were reimbursed **