Seared Tuna Poke Bowls

Poke bowls have become ever so popular over the past few years. If you are a fan of sushi you will definitely be a fan of poke. It’s said to be the next generation of sushi but easier to eat and even more customizable. Poke means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian (it’s a dish native to Hawaii) and refers to chunks of raw, marinated fish — usually tuna — which is then tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and sauces.

Poke bowls are usually composed of a few main components - rice, fish, seasoning, dressing, vegetables and hot sauce. The warm rice, usually Jasmin, is a nice compliment to the cold fish and veggies. You can also do noodles or even zoodles for a less traditional way of eating poke. When it comes to the fish, poke bowls are made with sushi grade ahi tuna, or salmon and snapper. If you are like me and are not too keen on preparing raw fish, you can use other alternatives like the one I chose here. I used Irresistibles Seared Tuna Tataki. It’s ready to eat seared tuna with a peppercorn and garlic rub. It was delicious as is but even more delicious after being marinated in all the fabulous flavours in the poke marinade, which brings us to the seasonings and dressing. The fish is mixed with scallions, sesame seeds flakes of sea salt and chopped kukui nuts (which I didnt have but a good alternative is macadamia nuts or cashews as I used in my recipe) to enhance the flavor.

The dressing is usually made up of salty sauces often made with soy sauce, shoyu, ponzu and even black bean paste. Mine is a combo of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, a squeeze of lime juice and a little sriracha. When it comes to the vegetable toppings - there are so many options. I had listed some of my favourites below but I believe that a good poke bowl needs some crisp and crunchy veggies along with some creaminess of avocado. Really it all depends on your taste. Purists enjoy theirs with very few or no toppings - they like to enjoy the flavours of the marinated fish. For others like me - bring on all the textures and colours of the toppings.

If you want to try a poke bowl but not convinced on eating raw fish - or you don’t want to have to marinade raw fish for hours before enjoying it - this is definitely the poke for you. The Irresistibles Seared Tuna was absolutely delicious in these poke bowls and the quick marinade gave it even more flavour. I love a little heat in my poke bowls thus the chili flakes, red chili and sriracha. Feel free to omit or adjust amounts to taste. My hubby loves poke so much and he loved this version with the seared tuna. We will be making these all through the summer. They are quick to make and other than your rice - require no cooking and are light and just the meal you want in the summer. Hope you give them a try.

I have partnered up with Metro to bring you this fabulous recipe, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Olive & Mango.

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the Poke

• 1 pound Irresistibles seared tuna and Tataki
• Cooked white rice for serving poke with

For the Marinade

• ¼ cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced on bias (about ¼ cup) plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, toasted plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons cashews nuts (roasted and unsalted), chopped and toasted
• 1 red chili chopped plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp of lime juice
• 1 tbsp sriracha plus more for serving
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Extra garnish options

• Sliced cucumber
• Sliced radishes
• Sliced cabbage
• Seaweed flakes
• Chopped Avocado
• Edamame

Directions

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the seared tuna slices and toss gently to coat.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 10-30 minutes.
3. Remove from fridge and serve over a bed of white rice along with any garnishes you would like and some hot sauce/sriracha on the side.