Sorting through the piles of readers' Desperation Dinners Recipe Hall of Fame submissions, we weren't surprised to discover many of you found it nearly impossible to pick only one. People often ask us which recipe is our favorite, and we can't decide on just one, either.
Julie Pahutski of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "My old 'Desperation Dinners' cookbook has the battered, scribbled-in look of a well-loved kitchen accessory. My kids (now 9 and 11) have been raised on Desperation meals and so far are turning out pretty well!
"My daughter loves your Shepherd's Pie (Page 56 in the cookbook) so much that she requested it several years running for her birthday dinner. My son loves your Flexible Jambalaya (Page 90), and it's a great way to get some veggies into him! My husband loves your French Peasant Supper (Page 68), which seems far too sophisticated for something that goes together so quickly.
"For me, I'll vote for the Beat-the-Clock Stir Fry (Page 52), which I have desperately modified many times depending on what I have on hand. (The sauce alone is worth the price of the cookbook!)"
Finally, the Pahutski family decided to nominate Golden Fried Fillets for the Hall of Fame.
"It's basically the only way my kids will eat fish, and I love it because it tastes fried but it has a fraction of the fat of deep fried," Julie says.
You can check out Julie's other favorite recipes in our cookbook, "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997) available at your local library, bookstore or online bookstore.
Menu Suggestion:
Golden Fried Fillets
Purchased coleslaw
Purchased corn muffins
GOLDEN FRIED FILLETS
Start to finish: 20 minutes
1 cup plain cereal flakes, such as corn flakes (for 1/4 cup crumbs)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (see Cook's note)
1 tablespoon butter
4 thin fish fillets, such as tilapia, flounder or trout (about 6 ounces each)
Cook's note: The brand Old Bay Seasoning is a mild seafood seasoning found alongside the blended seasonings in most major grocery stores. If you can't find it, use another mild seafood seasoning blend in equal quantities.
1. Pour the cereal flakes into a large zipper-top plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin to make fine crumbs. Add the flour and Old Bay Seasoning, and shake well to mix.
2. Melt the butter in an extra-deep, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, add the fillets to the bag one at a time, close the bag and shake to coat with crumbs. Shake off the excess crumbs into the bag. Add each fillet to the skillet as it is coated.
3. Cook the fillets until they are golden brown on the first side, about 5 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook until they are browned on the second side, about 5 minutes more. They should be opaque throughout and flake easily with a fork.
4. Carefully place a fillet on each serving plate and serve at once.
Serves 4
Approximate values per serving: 188 calories (17 percent from fat), 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 88 mg cholesterol, 32 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, trace amount dietary fiber, 485 mg sodium.
Beverly Mills is a former food editor of the Miami Herald food section and a mother of two; Alicia Ross, a former food columnist for The Raleigh News and Observer, also has two children. They have been living the desperate life for years and years. Send desperate tales of woe or everyday success stories and your favorite quick recipes to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. You can e-mail Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at bev-alicia@desperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.