6 January 2019

Wasabi Ginger Tofu Poké Bowls


Poké originates from Hawaii, meaning 'to slice or cut' and typically refers to fish. Poké bowls are usually comprised of marinated raw fish, served over rice with veggies and a sauce packed with that delicious umami flavour. This bowl uses marinated tofu and a mix of dressed veg on a base of wholegrain rice, served with a wasabi ginger mayo.


This poké bowl is made up of marinated wasabi ginger tofu, wakame sesame salad, edamame, creamy avo slices, lightly pickled radish and red cabbage, matchstick carrots, sliced cucumber, wholegrain rice, pickled ginger and a garnish of spring onions, sesame seeds and radish sprouts, all served up with the most incredible wasabi ginger mayo, bringing all the flavours and textures together. This is my ultimate poké bowl, but you can always make yours with fewer components or use some veg you already have on hand.


I find the combo of wasabi and ginger just magical, the fresh heat of both flavours combined with the natural sweetness of the ginger can't be beaten and it's hard to believe that when I wrote this sushi post just a few years back, I couldn't stand even a tiny bit of wasabi. It was this trip to Budapest that changed my opinion on wasabi forever and I'm so glad it did!


Despite being so healthy, this bowl is in no way short of flavour and will leave you feeling incredible afterward. The taste of this bowl is really something else, every bite filled with unique flavours and textures perfectly complimenting one another. It's loaded up with a great balance of carbs, proteins, fats and fibre, as well as a whole array of micro and phytonutrients!


There are so many good things in this bowl that will help to nourish you from the inside out and I couldn't possibly touch on them all, but here's a little overview of just a few of the key nutrients in this bowl. The wakame seaweed helps provide you with an all-important source of iodine, needed for proper thyroid function, which helps to regulate our metabolism, thyroid hormones are also essential in pregnancy and infancy for proper brain and bone development. Seaweed is one of the best natural sources of iodine and one of the main consistent vegan sources, veg grown near the sea may also contain iodine. I used dried wakame in this bowl, simply soak in water for 15 minutes to rehydrate, squeeze out the excess water and season. This bowl is also bursting with calcium from the tofu, seaweed, edamame and sesame seeds - essential for healthy bones and teeth as well as helping our blood to clot. Each element of this bowl is loaded with fibre, not only important for our digestive health, but wholegrains have also been shown to be extremely beneficial to heart health, improving our cholesterol levels as well as reducing the risk of type II diabetes and heart disease. Ginger contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, which can help with a number of ailments, it's also beneficial to our digestive system and can significantly reduce nausea, not to mention it tastes delicious! There's also plenty of protein, good fats, iron, vitamin C, antioxidants and many many other nourishing things in this poké bowl, to ensure you're left feeling satisfied and euphoric!

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Wasabi Ginger Tofu Poké Bowls | Serves: 2-3 | Time: 30 mins


You'll need

  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Small bowls
  • Saucepan 
  • Sieve
  • Measuring cups & spoons

Ingredients

Rice
  • 1 cup uncooked wholegrain rice
  • Pinch salt
Wakame Salad
  • 1 large handful dried wakame seaweed
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
Pickled Veg
  • 1 cup radishes
  • 1/4 red cabbage
  • 1-2 tbsp pickled ginger liquid
Tofu
  • 1/2 block tofu
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 2 inch piece ginger, finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp wasabi paste
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Veg
  • 1/2 cup edamame beans, cooked
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 large carrot
Mayo
  • 1 tbsp wasabi paste
  • 2 inch piece ginger, finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp mirin
  • 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayo
To serve
  • 3 spring onions
  • Pickled ginger
  • Radish sprouts (or other veg sprouts)
  • White sesame seeds
  • Black Sesame Seeds

Method

  1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the rice according to packet instructions, then drain and leave to one side. 
  2. Cover the dried seaweed with cold water and allow to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Then drain and squeeze off any excess liquid and dress with the vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. 
  3. Top and tail the radishes and thinly slice, thinly slice the red cabbage and toss in the pickled ginger liquid and leave until serving. 
  4. To marinate the tofu, mix together the miso, vinegar, grated ginger, wasabi paste, soy sauce and sesame oil to form a paste. Dice the tofu into 1cm pieces and coat in the paste. 
  5. To prep the veg, cut the cucumber into quarters, then thinly slice. Cut the carrots into matchstick pieces and slice the avocado. Wash and slice the spring onions and place to one side. 
  6. To make the mayo, mix the wasabi, grated ginger, mirin, vinegar and sesame oil together to form a paste, ensuring the wasabi is evenly distributed, then stir in the vegan mayo. 
  7. To assemble your poke bowls, start with a base of rice and place the veggies around the bowl, including the pickled ginger, with the tofu in the middle, sprinkle with the sprouts, spring onions and sesame seeds. Drizzle the mayo over the bowl or serve on the side and enjoy! 
Cassidy xx