So, some of you may be surprised that I actually cook. I will admit that it doesn’t happen often, but on occasion even the ultimate business woman has to entertain.

Being on a banting diet can be difficult, I have been banting for about two and a half months now and eating out, or entertaining friends, can sometimes be a bit of a stretch, as most dishes seem to contain carbohydrates in some form or the other.

Enter my super easy, banting friendly fish pie, using cauliflower instead of pastry, and bound together with eggs, cream and butter –

I modelled this receipe on the traditional Cape Malay snoek pie, but technically you can use any fish to make this dish, even mackerel or kippers are great. You can also add other vegetables to the pie – whatever floats your boat really. Accompany with a fresh salad or roast vegetables and a dash of chilli, and you are on your way to a happy and healthy family 🙂

I have been a fan of Mediterranean Delicacies range for a number of years, and often keep a number of their items in my fridge to add to salads etc – so I pretty much just used what I had to hand, and boy did I surprise myself and my guests with what came out of the oven.

Mediterranean Delicacies carries full ranges of olives, feta’s, cheeses, pickled fish, pastries and even a very delicious halva (ssshhh, don’t tell anyone its not banting friendly) and are super easy to spot in their distinctive white and blue packaging at most Pick n Pay’s, Checkers and Food Lovers Markets around SA.

Cape Malay inspired Snoek Pie – for the Banting…and busy

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Heads of cauliflower

500g Spinach

250g Button or black mushrooms

1 Medium onion

10ml chopped garlic

80g Mediterranean Delicacies marinated sundried tomatoes

500g Mediterranean Delicacies smoked snoek fillets (can substitute with kippers or mackerel)

250g Mediterranean Delicacies Dutch Edam cheese

50g Mediterranean Delicacies grated parmesan style cheese

50ml Olive oil

5ml Lemon juice

5ml Mustard (Dijon or Whole Grain)

Fresh herbs – such as thyme and parsley

2 Eggs

80ml Cream

100g Butter

Method:

Rinse the cauliflower heads and break off the florets. Place florets in lightly salted water and gently boil until soft enough to mash.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and half a medium onion, chopped. Chop mushrooms and add to the pan. Cook until soft.

Rinse and drain spinach very well, and chop in to large pieces. Add to the ingredients in frying pan. Cook until slightly wilted.

Flake the smoked snoek, removing any bones or skin and add to the frying pan, along with sliced sundried tomatoes and turn off the heat. Add a handful of chopped herbs. Mix well, and then place in a large oven proof dish and distribute evenly over the base of the dish.

Melt butter until slightly soft but not hot. Add eggs, cream, lemon juice and mustard, and whisk until thick and creamy. Pour this mixture evenly over the vegetables in the oven proof dish.

When the cauliflower is soft, drain well and place back on the heat for one minute, while stirring constantly, to remove excess water. Mash with a potatoes masher until the cauliflower resembles mashed potato. Spoon the cauliflower over the vegetable and cream mixture in the oven proof dish. Sprinkle grated Edam cheese and parmesan cheese over the top.

Place in the oven at 180°C for roughly 40 minutes or until the cheese forms a golden brown crust.

Serve warm.

Side Dishes and Accompaniments

• Chop cucumber and tomatoes in to large pieces. Add Mediterranean Delicacies feta, calamata style olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, brown pickled onions and capers with a sprinkle of olive oil for a healthy side dish to accompany the pie.
• Chop Mediterranean Delicacies green and red jalapeno chillies, mix with chopped garlic and a sprinkle of olive oil and serve as a tasty accompaniment.