Paleo Ahi Poke

Poke is one of my favorite summer time meals. It is so light and refreshing! It’s tough to find Paleo poke out at restaurants, as they often use soy sauce. Even when we were in Kauai a few years ago, we only found one place that had poke that didn’t have soy sauce in it. As many of you know, soy sauce isn’t gluten-free. The first ingredient is usually wheat, unless you are using pure tamari. Luckily, Paleo-friendly, soy-free poke is super easy to whip up at home!

Last Saturday, Indyanna and I hit two farmer’s markets. She had the best time. It was like her version of Costco sampling. They had all of her favorite things – berries, peaches and raw cheese! We also hit the local seafood stand, where she picked out a piece of salmon for dinner and I grabbed some ahi to make some poke.

This poke is so GOOD! I could eat it all day long. After my friend Gina of So… Let’s Hang Out mentioned that she eats it for breakfast, I decided to try that too. It was amazing. I like to add a little fresh lime juice to my poke right before serving. The hint of acidity really brightens the flavors. It’s important to add this as a garnish, since the lime juice can essentially “cook” the fish.

Some of you were asking on Instagram about how to choose fish that you plan to consume raw. Fish that is safe to consume raw is usually labeled as “sushi grade”. There aren’t any real regulations around this term, but I trust that most legitimate establishments follow the general guidelines. You can read more about it here. Like most of our food, I try to buy it from a trusted source. We get our ahi for this recipe from a local fresh fish company that has a stand at the farmer’s market. I just ask them which fish they recommend consuming raw. They also usually have their ahi marked as “sashimi-grade”.

Paleo Ahi Poke

1 lb. sashimi grade ahi tuna, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup English cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut aminos (I like this kind)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (This brand is Paleo friendly)
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil (I use this kind)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons macadamia nuts, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime for garnish

1. Cut the ahi into 1 inch (or slightly smaller) cubes. It works best to cut against the grain first. Transfer the ahi to a medium size bowl, preferably glass.
2. Add the green onions, serrano pepper, fresh ginger, English cucumber and salt to the ahi.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, fish sauce, macadamia nut oil and garlic.
4. Add the coconut aminos mixture to the ahi.
5. Fold in the sesame seeds and macadamia nuts.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Adjust salt to taste.
8. Add fresh lime juice, right before serving.