While the popular Hawaiian poke bowl is traditionally made with marinated fish, the star of chef José Andrés’ Beet “Poke” Bowl is the colorful and super brain-healthy beet. Served with seaweed and topped with Japanese furikake, both of which contain the brain-boosting DHA Omega-3 fatty acids, this delicious—and beautiful—meal is a bona fide treat for the brain.
Ingredients:
4 medium beets, or 4 packaged cooked medium beets (1 pound), cut into ½-inch dice
CIDER- GINGER MARINADE
1½ cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
½ cup diced sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia
3 cups cooked white rice
TO SERVE
1 cup seaweed salad (from the sushi counter at a gourmet market or grocery store)
Furikake
2nscallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions:
FOR THE MARINATED BEETS
If using fresh beets, boil whole until fork tender, about 50 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Use a paper towel to peel the beets, then cut into ½-inch dice.
Put the beets in a medium heatproof bowl. Combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Add the salt and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Strain the hot marinade over the beets and stir in the ginger. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain the beets and transfer to a bowl. (You can reserve the marinade to use again; store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.) Add the soy sauce and sesame oil to the beets and toss well.
FOR THE RICE BOWLS
Toss the diced carrots and sweet onion together in another bowl.
Divide the beets, rice, seaweed salad, and carrot-onion mix among four shallow bowls, arranging them in separate piles so that the colors and textures really stand out. Sprinkle the rice with the furikake and sliced scallions and serve.
From Vegetables Unleashed by José Andrés and Matt Goulding. Copyright 2019 by José Andrés. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
