By Shannon Deady
Columnist
The warm weather has officially kicked in and, because I grew up down the shore, my first thought is always seafood. I love the fresh seafood markets near my hometown in Monmouth County, and one of my absolute favorite treats are poke bowls. While this traditional Hawaiian dish typically contains raw fish, replicating this at home may be difficult and costly for those who do not have direct access to fresh seafood. That is why I chose to share an easier, but nevertheless yummy, shrimp poke bowl for my column this week. This bowl is almost fail-proof, and while it doesn’t contain raw fish, it is still a great seafood treat to prepare in spring and summer months. Fresh avocado can enhance just about any dish, so naturally, I decided to add some homemade guacamole to this bowl. Enjoy it with a cold drink on a warm day for a tropical experience in your own backyard.
Makes: About four bowls
Ingredients:
Poke Bowl
-1 cup jasmine rice
-1 bag frozen shrimp
-1 bag frozen edamame
-2 large carrots, shredded
-1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
-1 tbsp olive oil
Homemade Guacamole
-1 large avocado
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1/4 sweet onion
-1 lemon
Directions:
- First, you’ll need to thaw the shrimp. The safest and easiest way to thaw frozen seafood or meat is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. If you are in a bind for time, an easy way to quickly thaw shrimp is to take the frozen shrimp out of the package and place it in a strainer, allowing cold water to run over it for about 10-15 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, follow instructions on package for jasmine rice. Typically, rice is cooked using a two to one water to rice ratio, which would mean using two cups of water for one cup of rice.
- In a separate skillet, heat olive oil and fresh minced garlic on medium heat and add thawed shrimp. Cook for about three to four minutes on each side or until shrimp flesh is pink or white and tails are red.
- Heat frozen edamame according to package instructions and shred thoroughly washed carrots using a vegetable peeler or grater if you have not already done so.
- To prepare guacamole, pit the avocado and place into a bowl. Add about 1/4 of a finely chopped sweet onion, garlic salt and a generous squeeze of lemon in the bowl. Mash and mix thoroughly.
- Now it is time to prepare your bowls. Starting with a base of jasmine rice, layer on cooked shrimp, edamame, shredded carrot and your guacamole. Enjoy!
