Salmon Poke at home

March 2, 2017 By in Appetizer, Asian inspired, dinner, Fish, Fresh and healthy, Gluten Free, Main: seafood, Raw Foods Tags: , , , , , , 27 Comments

As previously mentioned in my last post on the UCLA writers program, I ate poke from Sweetfin everyday. One day I also ate it at The Poke Bar (no beating around the bush)- . Also very good but I liked the base of kelp noodles at Sweetfin… and the name.

My poke bowl

salmon-poke-8It’s not like poke is a terribly new thing. It’s been a Hawaiin staple for ions and it often appears on Japanese restaurant menus . Read what Seattle Eater has to say and follow to their site for poke findings in Seattle.

“Poke comes from the Hawaiian word for “to slice or cut,” and most commonly uses ahi tuna as its base, but it can include any fish, crustacean, or even land animal. Poke is often drizzled in sesame and sometimes gains a savory flavor from inamona, a relish of Hawaiian native kukui nut (candlenut), macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, and other seasonings.”

What’s new to me is fast food poke. I wish they could hook up with Starbucks and we could see even half as many poke bars as we see coffee shops. An eighth!  Of course on my way back from LAX, I’m catching up on the magazines I don’t like to purchase and I see this splashed across Bon Appetite– (which I’m happy to buy and did)… was I the last to know?

bon-appetit-poke

There are a slew of great poke recipes in here. 1. the base- brown rice, kelp or glass noodles, maybe mixed greens  2. Protein- salmon, ahi, snapper, tofu, shrimp. I even read chicken (raw chicken out of my comfort zone).  3. Sauce- all kinds- ponzu, ginger, shoyu   4. toppings- this is virtually endless… pickled onions, cucumbers, avocado, marinated shiitakes, cilantro, radishes, mango, sprouts sesame seeds.

Here’s my citrus ponzu- you could use a little mirin or sugar but I generally skip it. I also bought seaweed- kombu, wakame and bonita flakes to simmer for next round.

  • 1 lime
  • ½ grapefruit
  • ½ orange- look for a sweet one like a cara cara
  • 2T coconut aminos
  • 1T Tamari
  • 1T rice vinegar
  • ½ tsp of ginger juice
  • 1tsp fish sauce if it’s in your fridge

Is poke the new sushi? I could definitely see a make your own poke party in our near future. It requires some prepping like sushi making-

poke-labeled-ingredients

Of course now in 2017,  I’m seeing articles claiming “watch out for poke in 2016”- again… how did I miss this???

Here’s an interesting round up at Daily Burn. Or from Serious Eats.

And here’s a tuna poke from Bon Appetit last April. They must have been warming up for their Feb 2017 Healthy-ish poke issue.

For your poke sauces and just to have on hand- I’m in love with this organic ginger juice from the Ginger People.

salmon-poke-5

Our kitty Toby doesn’t care what year it is.

salmon-poke-9

He’s coming in…

salmon-poke-10

We also really enjoyed what happened the next day when all of this was thrown together and tossed in a big bowl and left overnight in the fridge. The salmon of course cooked in the acids, but the kelp noodles softened and all the flavors melded together.

I simply “pickled” my red onion with a little pickle juice from the fridge and the shiitakes were sliced, lightly salted and packed in a glass mason jar. I added a dash of Ginger People’s organic ginger juice to both and let sit for a few hours.salmon-poke-4

Any way you choose to do it- it will be healthy and likely delicious. I plan on keeping this dish on my regular menu.

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I FORGOT? Something I eat virtually daily and you probably thought to yourself- Boy that could use some ________. Hint..It’s green:)

salmon-poke-6Cheers,

xx wendy

PS… Next up in our spring travels-  I’m off to the IACP- International Association of Culinary Professionals. It’s a part of my mid life AWAKENING! more to come:)

27 responses

  2. Wendy I adore Poke as well! I don’t think I could ever eat enough. And I’m totally on board with some Poke bars. What a great idea! This looks divine. Have fun at IACP! xoxo Karista

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  7. Oh a poke party does sound fun! Couldn’t do it where I live, sadly, in a landlocked state. I prefer it to sushi just because of the carb aspect of the rice. I know that’s so wrong for me to think of sushi like that, and at a great sushi restaurant, I don’t hesitate one bit. But I do prefer sashimi because it’s so pure, and then of course poke. Your photos are stunning.

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  12. Though I like to slowly and carefully assemble my own poke at home (and this version looks like a must) I’ll admit I love the “fast-food” poke places that have popped up all over Los Angeles. GREG

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    • They can’t be beat for a quick, healthy lunch! And no word of food poisoning in the news… I would normally be wary of anywhere serving fast food raw fish! But i think they got it dialed in. Thanks for swinging by Greg. wt

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