Recipe: Hawaiian Rainbow Watermelon Poke Bowls + Steamed Rice

Hawaiian Rainbow Watermelon Poke Bowls + Steamed Rice

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• cube :

  to cut into square-shaped, bite-sized pieces with an equal 1/3 to 1/2-inch length on all sides, slightly larger than diced.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• toast :

  to brown and crisp food in a heated skillet or oven, or in a toaster.

What is Poke?

• Poke is sushi-grade raw fish that has been sliced or diced and marinated. It is then placed atop rice with veggies, seasonings, and sauces. Poke can be an appetizer or a main dish.
• As other cultures came to the Hawaiian Islands, they transformed poke into a popular dish from the original leftover fish scraps. Easier access to deep-water fish saw ahi tuna replace reef fish as the most popular poke choice. The Japanese added shoyu (a soy sauce) to their poke recipes, and with time, sesame oil also became a popular ingredient. Tofu and octopus are now alternatives to ahi. 
• Poke holds a fond place in the hearts of local Hawaiians. The dish is a staple of luaus, family get-togethers, tailgate parties, and other gatherings filled with family, friends, and aloha. Poke is to the islands what nachos are to the mainland—a quick, filling snack food, seen more as comfort food than a full meal.

Let's Learn About Hawaii!

• Hawaii, our 50th state, is the only one not part of North America. It is an archipelago consisting of 137 islands over 2,000 miles west of California in the Pacific Ocean. Honolulu is its capital and largest city.
• Over 1,000 years ago, a group of people from the Marquesas Islands arrived on the islands, now known as Hawaii, after rowing in canoes for about 2,300 miles. Native people from what is now the Society Islands, part of French Polynesia, came 500 years later and a few hundred miles further away. 
• The first Europeans arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1778 with the British explorer Captain James Cook. He christened them the Sandwich Islands to honor the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who sponsored the voyage. The local natives initially treated Cook as a god, bringing gifts. However, his crew fought with the locals on a later visit, and they killed Cook. 
• Hawaii's first king,  Kamehameha, began his rule in 1810. His heirs continued to rule until 1874. Two more kings and one queen ruled before the 1893 overthrow and annexation by the United States, becoming the Republic of Hawaii in 1894. The 1993 US Congress passed a joint Apology Resolution which President Bill Clinton signed, apologizing for "the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii."
• Hawaii became a US territory in 1898. It was named the 50th state in 1959, and to this day, you can still visit Iolani Palace—the only royal building on US soil!
• Hawaii is also called the Aloha State after the Hawaiian word "aloha." In its simplest description, "aloha" is a Hawaiian way to say hello and goodbye. However, the term's deeper meaning is an "exchange of breath," in other words, mutual responsibility and how we treat one another, which includes love, compassion, affection, and empathy.
• Hawaii is the only state composed of islands. Its total area, including land and water, is 10,931 square miles. The population is over 1.4 million. 
• Only seven of Hawaii's islands are inhabited: Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. All of these, except Niihau, are open to locals and tourists. The Hawaiian Islands are called volcanic islands. They formed as the Earth's crust, made up of giant rocky slabs called tectonic plates, moved over a scorching spot in the molten layer beneath the crust, which melted the rock crust, turning it into magma. Then, once the magma broke through to the surface of the Earth's crust, it cooled and formed new land. 
• Geologists continue to monitor six active volcanoes on the islands of Hawaii and Maui, especially Kilauea and Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii.
• No other US state besides Hawaii has two official languages: English and Hawaiian.
• Barack Obama, our 44th president from 2008 to 2016, was born in Honolulu. 
• The "hula" is a traditional dance brought to the islands by Polynesians that tells a story through hand movements. Hula dancers are barefoot and often wear grass skirts and leis. You can see the hula and hear traditional Hawaiian music at a "luau," a traditional Hawaiian feast often held to celebrate first birthdays, weddings, and graduations. 
• The ukulele is often played during hula dances. It is a small 4-string instrument developed in Hawaii in the 1880s from small Portuguese guitars. 
• The sport of surfing may have originated in Hawaii. A native Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku, made surfing popular. He also won five Olympic medals in swimming in 1912, 1920, and 1924. Today professional surfers ride waves over 50 feet high.
• The Ironman World Championship Triathlon has been held in Hawaii since 1978, originally on the island of Oahu before organizers moved it to the less built-up Big Island in 1981.
• Tourism is Hawaii's largest industry. Pineapple, sugarcane, and honeybees are lucrative exports. 
• Hawaii's cuisine has influences from native Hawaiians and immigrants from Polynesia, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Portugal, and North America. One of Hawaii's traditional dishes is "poi," made from "taro," a starchy root vegetable. After cooking the taro, it is mashed, and water is added, the amount dependent on the desired consistency and thickness. The result is a light purple, creamy paste that resembles yogurt or dip. It can be eaten right away or allowed to ferment for a week, which results in a more sour flavor.