I left work one day recently, ran errands afterwards, came home hungry, but didn't resort to eating ice cream or Almond Joys for dinner. I ate real food — a hearty fish sandwich. And I didn't go slumming at any drive-through windows to get it, either!

This dish took me less than 30 minutes to make, start to finish. It had crunchiness from both the crispy fish and the fresh cabbage; creaminess and a hint of tartness from the sauce; and a bit of sweetness, too, from the cabbage and the bun. And because I used vegetables and a whole wheat bun, I could even delude myself that I was combatting the calories from the frying oil!

My fish sandwich was a simple meal, but a really delicious one.

Corn Chip-Crusted Fish Fillet Sandwich with Creamy Cole Slaw

Cole Slaw:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
3 cups shredded cole slaw mix

Fish:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup ground corn chips
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 4-ounce tilapia fillets
4 tablespoons oil, for frying

To Finish:
2 whole wheat sub buns

Make the slaw: In a large mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and lemon pepper; stir in cabbage and set aside.

Prepare the fish: Combine the Egg Beaters and pepper sauce in a shallow bowl. Combine the ground corn chips and seasoning in a shallow bowl. Take each tilapia fillet and dip both sides into the egg mixture; then dip the fish into the corn chip mixture, coating both sides well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the fillets into the hot oil, and fry for 3 minutes per side until crisp and golden. Pat dry on paper towels.

Finish the sandwiches: Cut the sub buns all the way through, lengthwise, if necessary. Place the bottom of each bun onto the countertop and divide the slaw among the buns. Top with the fish fillets, then cover with the tops of the buns. Cut in half, horizontally. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4; the sandwiches are very generous, and a half-sandwich would be plenty if served with side dishes.

Mary Bilyeu writes about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

You should also visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.