A spicy tuna poke bowl made with chunks of sushi-grade ahi tuna, sliced avocado, cucumbers, green onion, and a sriracha mayo drizzle.

Poke, which has been popular in Hawaii for decades, is a dish made with fresh raw fish served over rice with toppings like onions and seaweed. In many ways, poke is like a deconstructed sushi roll!

Photo: A delicious Poke bowl that I enjoyed just off the beach while visiting Oahu, Hawaii.

I (Courtney) had the chance to enjoy authentic poke while visiting Hawaii recently and have been craving it ever since. (Click here to see the bowl I enjoyed!).

While there are a few restaurant options to purchase poke bowls in Saskatoon, I prefer to make my own using sushi-grade tuna or salmon from Charlie's Seafood Market in Saskatoon.

Consider the recipe below as a base recipe and customize it to make it your own! For example:

• Base: we used white rice as a base but you can use brown rice, spring mix, zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or a combination!
• Protein: we used ahi tuna but sushi-grade sashimi or shrimp work as well. Edamame is vegetarian protein option that also offers healthy fats, fibre, and carbs!
• Veggies: we used cucumber as a classic poke vegetable but add any veggie topping you enjoy like shredded carrots, pickled onion, shredded cabbage, or sliced cherry tomatoes.
• Seasonings: we used sesame seeds for garnish but furikake, wasabi peas, and crispy onions are delicious add-ons!

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha in a medium mixing bowl. Then add the cubed ahi tuna. Let the mixture marinate!
2. Make the spicy mayo by combining mayo, sriracha, and water. Adding the water thins the mixture so it is easier to drizzle!
3. Assemble a bowl with ½ cup of cooked white rice, ½ the tuna mixture, sliced cucumber, sliced avocado, a sprinkle of green onion and sesame seeds for garnish, and a drizzle of the spicy mayo. Enjoy!

DIETITIAN TIPS

Poke bowls make for an amazing post-workout meal offering protein and carbs alongside moderate amounts of fat, fibre, and antioxidants. Let's take a look at how this poke bowl lines up with our recommendation for a strategic post-workout recovery meal:

• Carbohydrates: rice offers a source of carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen and restore blood sugar levels.
• Protein: fresh fish offers a source of protein to build and repair damaged muscle tissue after your training session!
• Fats: moderate amounts of fat in a post-workout meal (found in the avocado!) helps to stabilize blood sugars for sustained energy. We recommend building low to moderate amounts of fats into the post-workout meal (ie. about 10-20g) for optimal absorption of the carbs and protein!
• Volume: the cucumber offers both fibre and antioxidants. The fibre helps to sustain blood sugars and the antioxidants help to combat oxidative stress taken on from a workout!

WE WANNA KNOW!

Did you try this recipe or a variation of it? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram so we can see your creation! If you're looking for more ideas for homemade poke, try our colourful variation found here.