The idea for a Shortcut Poke Bowl isn’t rocket science, but I’ve never heard of doing it this way so I savored my moment of genius when I figure it out. Yes, you can typically get a poke bowl anywhere if you’re in the mood, but I don’t always like pre-made bowls that have been sitting around and pre-made poke always has at least one topping I don’t want. Make your own Shortcut Poke Bowl using a package of your favorite sashimi from the grocery store and then customize it the way you like.
Shortcut Poke Bowl
I had about half a container of a really good seaweed salad in the fridge that I wanted to use up, and a small portion of leftover rice. I’ve been buying a pre-marinated tuna poke from Central Market but I didn’t have any on hand. No problem, I’ll just walk over the Whole Foods, buy a piece of sushi-grade tuna and make my own.
No Sushi Grade For You
My local Whole Foods had raw tuna, but not sushi grade. I asked the fish monger if he was hiding any and he said, “Whole Foods no longer sells sushi-grade fish.”
Add it to the list of things have gone downhill at Whole Foods since Amazon took over. Don’t get me wrong, I still have plenty of reasons to love Whole Foods (like that I can walk to one), but this was disappointing news.
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome
Never doubt the ingenuity of the hungry foodie. I was determined to figure out a way to get my poke. I headed straight for the pre-made sushi. In a flash, I got the vision for Shortcut Poke Bowl.
When I got home, I just peeled the salmon off the rice and cut it into bite-sized pieces. I grabbed a small bowl and whisked together about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and a couple drops of sesame oil. Add salmon and mix.
Cheater’s Poke Bowl Rice
While using the salmon from the sushi was already a pro move, it was actually the idea of crumbling up the rice into the bowl that got me excited to share this idea.
I struggle with making perfect rice. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t. The small portion of sushi rice that was leftover in my fridge was decent, but I had overboiled and wasted 2 cups of perfectly good sushi rice prior to getting the acceptable batch.
When it comes to rice, my preferred shortcut is to order Indian food, buy extra basmati, freeze it and just thaw one out as needed. Basmati works just as well as sushi rice for poke in my opinion (and sometimes I prefer it because it’s fluffier.
But if I’m out of basmati, which I was, the idea of using crumbled up rice from sushi for a Shortcut Poke Bowl seemed more likely to deliver an acceptable result with a lot less time and effort.
Build Your Shortcut Poke Bowl
The rest of the process is easy. Crumble the rice, top with the salmon (or tuna). You don’t need to marinate the fish very long. Just let it sit while you prep your toppings.
For me, it’s diced avocado, a scoop of seaweed salad, torn up pieces of nori (seaweed paper), and a big scoop of shelled edamame. Sprinkle generously with furikake or sesame seeds.
If I’m in the mood for heat, I’ll take the wasabi packet and whisk that in to the marinade that is left after I move the fish to the bowl. Drizzle that mixture over the top and your Shortcut Poke Bowl is ready to be served.
Shortcut Poke Bowl has become a go-to weeknight meal for me during the dog days of summer. It’s relatively healthy and has a good amount of protein. With the shortcut, it’s a 5 minute meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg storebought salmon or tuna sushi
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 sheet nori, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup seaweed salad
- 2 tbsp furikake or sesame seeds
- 1 tsp wasabi (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Peel the salmon or tuna sushi off the rice and cut into small pieces. Add to the bowl and mix. Allow to marinate for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, crumbled the rice from the sushi into a small poke serving bowl. Top with 1 diced avocado, 1/2 cup shelled edamame and 1/2 cup seaweed salad. Add the marinated fish to the bowl. Garnish with 1/4 sheet of nori torn into pieces and 2 tbsp furikake. Serve.
Nutrition
On A Roll
If you are willing to do the work to make your own sushi, check out my On A Roll series which features recipes like Marinated Chickpea Sushi Roll, Tahini-Kale Vegetarian Sushi Roll or the very fancy Charred Lemon, Prosciutto and Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll.
