Ahi Avocado Poke

Poke [ poʊˈkeɪ]
- noun

1. a thrust or push.
2. a raw fish salad served as an appetizer or main course in Hawaiian cuisine. Poke is Hawaiian for "section" or "to slice or cut".
   
   This is a food blog so I'm obviously not talking about the first definition.

It's a HOT oven here in the Bay Area. I wanted something fresh and light for dinner but had no idea what to make. I was thisclose to waving the white flag and ordering take out when I decided to stroll through the aisles of Whole Foods for some inspiration. This is usually dangerous for me when I'm hungry because I end up buying everything!

As I pulled into the parking lot of Whole Foods, Maroon 5's new song Misery came on. It was my first time hearing it and I was only 99.9% sure that it was by Maroon 5. How did I know? I have a very unhealthy crush on the lead singer, Adam Levine and I'd recognize his voice anywhere. Their last album came out 3 years ago and it was the only thing I listened to for months (I'm not a groupie)! I can't wait until their new album comes out on September 21st (stop judging me). I could go on and on and on about Adam but I should really get back to the food. As I sat listening to Maroon 5's new song (Last mention, I promise.), I suddenly knew what I HAD to have for dinner, AHI POKE.

Maybe Adam was sending me a message (ok I lied.). The ahi poke was exactly what I didn't even know I was craving (thanks Adam!). And for all you Hawaiians out there, there are way too many "traditional" versions of Ahi Poke recipes out there. This is not a traditional poke in any way, shape, or form. I mean seriously, where am I going to find Ogo (fresh seaweed)? This dish was o-so-ono!

Ahi Avocado Poke
1/2 Sashimi Grade Ahi, diced
1 Avocado, diced
1/2 Red Onion, small dice
1-2 Scallions, sliced (reserve a bit for garnish)
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Pure Sesame Oil
2 tsp Soy Sauce
A Sprinkle of Chili Flakes
1 tsp Sea Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly but lightly (you dont want it to get watery or mushy). Place bowl in the refrigerator to cool for about 20 minutes (keep the avocado pit in the same bowl to slow down oxidation). Garnish individual servings with scallions and serve immediately.

To make it a meal, I served the Ahi Avocado Poke with Quinoa and a couple dashes of Furikake.