What is it about kids and sticks? It seems like they’ll eat anything as long as it’s a straight line – even fish. Cucumbers, carrots, you can even get them to eat celery (with peanut butter and raisins – traditional aunts on a log!). Which kid doesn’t love pretzel sticks? I don’t know about yours, but if I were to offer my kids pretzels twists vs sticks, they would definitely go for the sticks. Try frying french fries in circles instead of sticks, would your kids eat them? Mine wouldn’t. I think you get my drift :)
And it’s not just kids. I once did an experiment with waldorf salad. I made a traditional recipe with diced apples, celery, and walnuts and it just didn’t go. I tried the same exact recipe again, but this time, I cut the apples into thin matchsticks. It was gobbled up.
What is it about the texture of sticks that we all love? Maybe it’s that word that rhymes with stick – shtick :)
For this “sticky” supper, I made some homemade fish sticks with tilapia (as long as I call them “fish sticks” my kids will finish them off. Call it fried fish and they won’t touch it), shoestring fries, and carrot and cucumber sticks. Serve it alongside some ketchup, and your “shticky” kids will thank you!
Home-Made Fish Sticks
tilapia fillets
eggs
Panko bread crumbs
spices of your choice (I use salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder)
How to:
Cut tilapia fillets into strips. Beat eggs and season with spices of your choice. Dip tilapia into eggs and then into panko crumbs, coating well. Fry until crisp and golden.
Tip: when breading and frying fish or chicken, set up a dredging station. Some people like to dip into flour, then eggs, and then bread/panko/corn flake crumbs. I skip the flour step because I don’t find it necessary. I like to use tongs, instead of getting my hands dirty all full of crumbs, and having to keep rinsing them. If you have a few pairs of tongs, like I do, you can use one at each station.
So true – we all love things that are shaped pretty! I just got a mandoline (won it online actually) and I am having such fun making foods in pretty shapes!
Love the idea of homemade fish sticks, and love your photos. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Rivki! What kind of mandoline did you win? I recently bought one, but I’m not so happy with it…
Delicious!!! Even my picky four year old gobbled it up and asked for me to make it again!!
so happy to hear, thanks!