As a dietitian I talk about appetite a lot. With every new resident, I ask about how their appetite has been recently. And it’s always interesting to hear what people have to say, especially when telling about their appetite leads to talking about everything else that’s been going on recently. Some people eat a lot when they’re feeling stressed, some people don’t have any appetite when they’ve got a lot going on. Some people only talk about the last few days, some people talk about weight changes that have happened over the past 5 years. There’s no right or wrong answer, it just helps me get a sense of where a person is at.

And in thinking about my own appetite, I’ve noticed that in the fall I always go through a lull. Nothing sounds good, food isn’t interesting, I’m tired of cooking and I’m just sick of needing to be fed so many times a day. Anyone else notice lulls in their appetite? I think it’s mostly tied to the transition where summer is coming to an end, cool weather is creeping in but I’m not quite ready for fall flavors.

This recipe came about because of an instagram post I saw of poke bowls, and I thought that was such a fun, versatile idea. Then when I remembered I had a whole bunch of fish in the freezer from my fish.fixe box, it was the perfect opportunity to whip up these ginger soy tuna bowls. I didn’t go for a full on poke style with the raw fish, but instead marinated the tuna in half the dressing, and then seared them. This would also work great with salmon, which I’ll probably try next since I didn’t use all the marinade/dressing! Feel free to play with whatever vegetables you have, you could also swap out the rice for soba noodles.

How’s your appetite been recently?

Ginger Soy Tuna Bowls

Serves 2

For the marinade/dressing:

1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp ginger paste or fresh grated ginger

For the bowls:

2 4-6oz tuna steaks
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1″ pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
3 cups spinach
1/2 cucumber
1/2 avocado
cooked rice
scallions and sesame seeds to garnish

Before you begin, wash your hands with soap and water.

In a jar mix together ingredients for the dressing. Pour half the dressing over the tuna and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus pieces, about 1 Tbsp of water and cover for 1-2 minutes until bright green. Remove the lid and add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté until cooked through. Add spinach and toss until wilted. Remove vegetables, add a little neutral oil to the pan and add the marinated tuna steaks. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Thinly slice the cucumber and half an avocado.
Assemble the bowls with rice, asparagus, spinach, cucumber, avocado, tuna, and top with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions. Add extra dressing as desired.