Tuna Poke Bowl with Avocado Rose

I had my first real scare with MaQ. Since Thursday, my baby had not been feeling very well. He's been lethargic with little-to-no appetite. After consistent vomiting from yesterday morning up until the afternoon, his bile had gone from yellow to a rust-like color. I immediately freaked out -thinking it was possibly blood. But I stayed calm for MaQ, because panicking in front of him wasn't going to do any good. I called the vet and was able to get him in within the hour. They ran blood work, with thorough checks for everything, and even gave him some anti-vomit shots (which were NOT FUN. Poor baby was wailing in the room with the doctors - the shots are ginormous and fucking stung like a bitch... even gave him man boobs/injections were on the side of his shoulders.) It completely broke my heart to hear him in pain, even if only temporarily. Let's just say that I did not sleep well at all last night. 

However, the results from the blood work came back this morning and he's as healthy as can be! Looks like he caught a stomach bug or maybe ate something that didn't agree with him. But I'm 100% careful with what he consumes and he's not the type of dog to go off scavenging for scraps through the streets of New York (GROSS). So I'm still not exactly sure what caused him to be sick. Regardless, I am just so thankful my baby is okay. It's the very first time in almost 4-years of being together, he's gotten quite sick. I'd never seen him not act like himself, and quite frankly, this incident had me reeling! Always follow your instincts, it's better to be safe than sorry, and with all the craziness of the world, it's been an eventful couple of days. (So, apologies for being MIA and not being as active on social media.) I am in need of recuperating with MaQ. 

Tuna Poke Bowl with Avocado Rose

recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Serves 1 Salad

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 ounces sushi grade tuna, diced in large chunks
½ mango, diced in large chunks or made into mango balls
½ cup store-bought seaweed salad
2 cups loosely packed spring lettuce mix
1 avocado, sliced & rolled into a rose
A sprinkle of black sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, ponzu sauce and sesame oil until well blended.
2. Add the tuna, mango and seaweed salad to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon or so of the dressing. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and stir to coat.
3. In a different bowl, coat the spring lettuce mix with the rest of the dressing. Top with the tuna mixture. Create an avocado rose and place in center. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

I made a vibrant dish to cheer us up from the scare. There's nothing like a home-cooked meal or a bowl of delicious fresh ingredients to make you feel better. One of my favorite things to eat during the summer is poke bowls. I love a meal where you can variate between common ingredients and elevate it to something more sophisticated. That's what I've been loving from Secret Squirrel Food, an awesome Dubai food blogger who began the 'avocado rose' trend. Karen has created roses with numerous types of fruits and vegetables, from cucumber, tomatoes, to blueberries and even kiwi, she is innovative and promotes healthy-eating along the way. I love her positive vibe and her authenticity. You should check out her videos, great stuff! 

So I placed an avocado rose as a part of the plating for this dish. I even made mango balls, from a melon ball scooper to give it a more aesthetic appeal, even putting one in the very center of the rose, to contrast with the green, yellow, and even purple from the bowl. What do you guys think? Doesn't it look so cute and pretty? I had a hard time devouring it because of it's beautiful appearance! But trust me, it was absolutely awesome. A great, light, healthy summer dish to have on repeat to your diet. 

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

OTHER SIMILAR POSTS 

Fish n Perilla Chips with Kimchi Tartar Sauce

This past winter I had the delightful pleasure of trying, for the very first time, fried bay leaves with a Crema Catalana from Casa Mono, a chic yet quaint little restaurant in Union Square. Ever since then, I've been looking to cook something similar but not as strong in taste. The bay leaves were the perfect balance to the rich and creamy burnt vanilla custard, but I wanted to create something more on the savory side.

Fish n Perilla Chips with Kimchi Tartar Sauce

Serves 2

Photos and recipe: © Suzanne Spiegoski

Ingredients:

4 pieces large white fish fillets (I used cod for this recipe)
12 pieces perilla leaves
1/2 tsp of salt and ground black pepper
1 cup flour + 1 beaten egg (for fish only)
1 cup flour (for dusting fish)
1/2 cup beer of choice
1/4 cup flour + 1/4 cornstarch + cold water (for perilla leaves)
canola oil for frying
2 tsp kimchi juice
tartar sauce
lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Make sure the fish fillets are pat dry before use. Either pre-rub the fillets with salt and ground pepper OR add the salt and pepper to the flour before dusting.
2. Whisk the flour, beer, and egg until a thick consistency is reached. Thicker batter = thicker crust. Adjust the batter according to preference. Dust each fish fillet in the flour first, then dip into the batter and allow any excess to drip off.
3. Heat oil in a cast-iron pot or frying pan on medium-high heat (or approx. 350ºF). Once heated, carefully lower the fish into the oil one by one to avoid any oil from splashing. If completely submerged, fry about 6 minutes total or until batter is golden and crisp. Remove fish to wiring rack or set on paper towels to soak up extra oil.
4. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and water in another shallow bowl. The batter will be very thin and slurry-like. Coat individual perilla leaves, front, and back, with a brush until fully coated. Fry in remaining oil for about 10~15 seconds or until batter crisps. Set aside to cool.
5. Serve hot with tartar sauce (don't forget to mix in the kimchi juice!) and lemon wedges.

When I discovered My Korean Eats, a terrific Korean fusion food blog, they created a fish n chips dish, where the chips are fried perilla leaves. Though my recipe is heavily influenced from theirs, I incorporated my own little twist on it! The finishing touch and one of the most important, in my opinion, when it comes to a dish. I mixed in some kimchi juice with the Tartar sauce! Shazam!

What I couldn't get enough of were those fried perilla leaves! They're crispy, fresh and slightly decadent. I grew up on these leaves, usually in a form of banchan; marinated in a spicy red pepper sauce similar to kimchi. And these are a wonderful substitute to the non-healthy carb-loading fries or potato chips! Perilla leaves are sharp in flavor, with a unique shape and vibrant green color. 

Of course, you can't have fish n chips without some lemon wedges! The last piece of garnish were some finely chopped up scallions. It's optional, you could go for some chives or parsley, depending on what you like and perhaps, what's in the fridge. But I think the garnish, brings out more of the combined flavors of the Tartar sauce and kimchi juice. I'm not going to lie, I may have or may not have dipped the leaves into the sauce to try and WOW! So freaking delicious.

Coming up on the blog, a full new look/editorial series and some new summery cocktails/drinks I've been researching like a mad scientist! Who would've guessed I'd enjoy mixology so much?! I've bartended here and there when I first moved to the city, but I was never officially a mixologist, ha ha! Want to recommend/suggest something for me to cook/make? Leave your comments at the end of this post and don't forget to subscribe to keep up with all of our newest food & recipes! Have a great rest of your Hump Day, friends! 💛💛💛

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ