{"id":1839,"date":"2018-04-27T12:38:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T12:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/?p=1839"},"modified":"2023-06-26T15:13:56","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T15:13:56","slug":"how-to-poke-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/blog\/how-to-poke-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"How To: Poke Abundance Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A food that I\u2019ve really come to love in recent years is poke.  For me, it\u2019s just like sushi but \u201cspoken in my language\u201d \u2013 a bowl.  A random tidbit about me: I eat the majority of my meals standing up at the kitchen counter and like to eat out of bowl so I can mix everything together (unless it\u2019s something crispy or sweet, then I strangely hate it when the food touches lol).  Back to poke\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I love about poke is that it is nutrient dense, full of lean protein, complex carbohydrates (depending on the rice you choose) and packed with healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids.  What I dislike most about it is the price.  Usually it\u2019s about $15 for a bowl that includes about 4oz of sushi grade fish that\u2019s smothered in a fatty sauce.  That\u2019s quite pricey when you think about the cost of fish per pound.  Almost every weekend I\u2019d shovel out at least $15 \u2013 $20 to enjoy my favorite treat meal (that undoubtedly left me hungry in about 1 hour).  It never occurred to me that I could make this at home for a fraction of the cost.  In fact, when I did the math, it was over 50% cheaper AND even more nutrient dense because I could determine what went into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think anyone should be deprived the goodness that is poke, so here are my tips and tricks to creating an amazing poke abundance bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUY SUSHI GRADE FISH<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This step always trips people up but it\u2019s actually not as hard as it seems.  Several grocery stores sell frozen sushi grade fish.  This is NOT the same as buying tuna steak or raw salmon \u2013 you buy that and eat it raw and you could end up with a nasty stomach bug.  Ask your grocer if they sell the individually wrapped sushi grade fish.  If you purchase the frozen kind, know that you will likely not get to enjoy it that same day since it needs to defrost in your fridge overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they don\u2019t sell frozen sushi, simply search \u201csushi grade fish market [your city]\u201d on the Internet and you should be able to find sushi grade fish that restaurants purchase.  You\u2019ll be surprised at the price difference.  For instance, a pound of wild caught sushi grade tuna is $27 \u2013 that\u2019s the cost of one roll that would include 8oz of tuna in some restaurants.  Salmon is usually cheaper than tuna so purchase what your budget allows, just make sure it is sushi grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a last resort, and this option is more expensive, if your grocery store makes sushi rolls, you can ask the sushi chef on site to sell you just the sushi (sashimi) at a reduced cost.  I\u2019ve done this several times but really, it is a hit or miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CUT\/DICE\/CHOP THE FISH<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Get the sharpest knife in your kitchen and cut the sushi meat into small chunks.  It\u2019s important the knife is sharp so you don\u2019t tear the flesh, rather you slice it neatly into cubes.  I like mine slightly bigger than most, about 1\/2-inch thick, but feel free to trim these down even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAKE A SAUCE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides the fish, the sauce is probably the most important part of the poke bowl because it gives the dish a personality and brings the flavors together.  Here are my guidelines for making a sauce:<\/p>\n\n\n\n