Olney

The beauty of a Hawaiian-style poke bowl is that it can be an individual work of culinary art and health, with each chef choosing how to accompany the central feature of the dish – sushi-grade tuna marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh ginger, lemon, and for a kick - wasabi paste, jalapeno, sriracha or tabasco sauce or any other heat of your choosing.

The crunchy raw veggies and tuna steak deliver a fresh, light taste, as well as antioxidants, vitamins C and B-12, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, magnesium, and potassium. You choose the veggies, and slice them thinly - or pick up a bag of matchstick broccoli salad to give the tuna a crunch.

In Hawaiian, “poke” denotes bite-size pieces of raw fish doused in seasonings, and the modern dish came from Hawaiian fishermen’s practice of cutting up pieces of their catch and salting them for snacks.

A poke salad calls for raw fish but you can sear the tuna for a couple of minutes after slicing it and before combining it with the other ingredients. This light meal of veggies and protein can be made heartier by adding a bed of brown rice. To give the dish a spicy kick, add mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce or tabasco to taste, or throw in a sliced jalapeno.

Here’s the palette we chose for our poke salad. All ingredients are available at Stewart’s Food Store. The fresh basil and mint can be picked from the planter in front of the store. Feel free to make your poke with the flavors that make your palate sing!

Suggested ingredients: 8-12 oz sushi-grade tuna steak 2 tbsps Kikkoman soy sauce 2 tbsps sesame oil 3 tbsps sesame seeds, toasted 1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger Juice of ½ lemon Wasabi paste to taste 2-3 scallions, green part chopped ½ white onion, cubed 1 jalapeno pepper Fresh cilantro, basil, and/or mint, chopped. ½ sheet of sushi nori seaweed paper cut into thin strips for garnish Fresh salad greens, avocado, carrots, fresh cucumber, or broccoli slaw Preparation: Step 1: Cut partially thawed tuna steak into ½-inch chunks. “I take mine out of the freezer and leave it in the refrigerator overnight,” Danny says.

Step 2: Mix soy sauce and sesame oil with tuna in a medium bowl. Step 3: Toast sesame seeds over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet, and combine with tuna.

Step 4: Stir in ginger, lemon juice, and wasabi paste to taste. Step 4: Stir in scallions, onion, jalapeno (if using), and other thinly sliced veggies. Step 5: Sprinkle with sushi nori seaweed paper. Step 6: Enjoy!