Tilapia Po'Boy and Cold Blueberry Soup

It has been a while! Turns out that two young children, a full time job, an adjunct faculty position, volunteer commitments, and a global pandemic do not leave a lot of time for other activities. Yet, I am cooking more than ever these days and am constantly experimenting and looking for new recipes and options. I continue to focus on speed yet health and whole foods, quite a difference from my pre-children days whenever everything was made from scratch, but I also look for constant variety.

In this case, I had been craving my favorite shrimp po'boy sandwich from Woodruffs in Philadelphia... but living in a suburb, I don't get there too often, and especially not now when we go absolutely nowhere. I also recognize that while amazingly delicious, it likely isn't the healthiest option out there. So my solution? A healthy po'boy that hits the same notes but with little guilt. I chose to pair it with a chilled blueberry soup since for some reason I put that in the same 'southern' category, but really, what doesn't go with a delicious po'boy?!? So let's get to it!

Total Time: 4.5 hours (nearly all chilling time for the soup)

Tilapia Po'Boy

Time: 12 min

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb tilapia

2 tsp olive oil

6 brioche rolls (look for whole grain)

1/4 c low fat mayo

1 tbsp Creole mustard

1 tbsp no salt added ketchup

6 romaine leaves

1 beefsteak tomato

Mix together the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Rub it on both sides of the tilapia. Then get a pan heating over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat evenly. When the oil is hot, put the tilapia fillets in. Cook for 4-5 minutes then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside.

While the tilapia is cooking, split your brioche rolls and lightly toast them to your preference. Note that I buy Wegman's brioche rolls. I love Wegmans because any fresh bread you buy there uses whole wheat flour even though they do not specifically advertise that. If you are purchasing elsewhere, do seek out something whole grin even if you need to change the roll type.

After getting the rolls toasting, while the fish is still cooking, turn to the other two steps. Mix together the mayo, creole mustard, and ketchup. Don't have creole mustard? No problem. Use Dijon mustard with a splash of Worcestshire sauce. Finally, slice up the tomato and tear up the lettuce.

To enjoy, spread Creole sauce on one half of your toasted roll. Pile on the tilapia, tomato, and lettuce. Enjoy!

Chilled Blueberry Soup

Time: 4.25 hrs (just 10 min hands on time)

Ingredients:

4 c fresh blueberries (can also use frozen)

1 c orange juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

1 pint fat free half and half

Put the blueberries, orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure everything is mixed evenly and the sugar is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice salt.

Pour into a freezer-friendly container and chill until cold. This will take likely four hours and may be easier to do overnight or while you're at work. Stir in the half and half and enjoy.