How To Build A Poke Bowl

The Poke Bowl is becoming more mainstream and is pronounced “Po-kay”  not “po-key”  or poke you in the eye kind of poke!  LOL!   The origin is Hawaiian and it means to slice or cut.  I always love to learn about different cultures of foods.  The first time I had a Poke bowl was in Vail, Colorado a couple of years ago.  It was amazing!  The traditional way to make them is with fresh raw fish such as tuna or salmon.  However sometimes it is hard to find fresh raw fish in my neck of the woods so I resort to the non-traditional way with a different foundation of other proteins.  I have made a few of my own and I want to share with you how to build a poke bowl and the four main ingredients.

1.)  Choose a Base.  There are several things you can use as a base.  My preference is jasmine rice.  However you can use sushi rice, soba noodles or brown rice.  Some people even use leafy greens.

 

2.) Choose a protein.  As I mentioned above the traditional way to make poke is with a raw fish such as salmon or tuna.  If you get either of these make sure to request sushi grade.  I also love using tofu, shrimp or even chicken. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

 

3.) Choose a dressing.  If you have chosen a delicate fish go for a more delicate flavored dressing such as soy sauce or a rice vinegar.  There are also wonderful flavors such as ponzu sauce, chili mayo, sriracha sauce or a chili garlic sauce to name a few.  All of them I love and I would recommend testing out your favorites!  It is supposed to be simple so make sure you keep it that way.

 

4.) Add the extras!  The best part is having the extras added.  It can give it such a wide variety of different flavors.  I would make sure to have one from each category.

Alliums: scallions, sweet onions, fresh garlic minced or saute shallots.

Hot stuff: wasabi peas crushed, red chilies flakes, jalapenos, wasabi paste mixed with vinegar is really good too!

Pickles: shiitake mushrooms, cucumbers, ginger, radishes or beets.

All the rest:  toasted sesame seeds, peanuts with the skin on them, macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds or pine nuts.

Fruit and Veggies:  avocado (a personal favorite) bean sprouts, edamame, shredded carrots & cabbage, kimchi or seaweed.

Below is a personal favorite of mine.  I used cooked shrimp because my entire family loves it. You can find a great rice bowl and chopsticks on Amazon.  If you like sushi you will definitely enjoy a poke bowl.  The best part is it is fresh and simple!