Vale Food Co.’s Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Welcome to another tasty edition of Chefs Share. Each month, we share a home-chef friendly recipe from one of Miami’s culinary stars. If you’ve never worked in a professional kitchen before, don’t worry: These recipes do not require any formal experience, and the ingredients can be found at your local specialty store or supermarket. 

This month’s recipe comes for Sunny Ilyas, CEO and founder of Vale Food Co., a rapidly growing healthy, fast-casual restaurant in Florida. The brand recently opened its first Miami location in Brickell, bringing its beloved protein bowls, acai bowls and poke bowls to the 305. 

As a student at Florida State University in 2014, Ilyas noticed there was a gap in Tallahassee’s market for healthy food options. He started off by cooking and operating a meal delivery service, which grew to feeding 400 subscribers. In 2016, he pivoted into launching the fast casual restaurant model in Tallahassee by opening his first Vale location in Collegetown. It has since expanded to Gainesville, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and now Miami. Ilyas manages the brand, recipe development and catering services for all locations.

One of the best sellers at his eatery is the spicy ahi tuna poke bowl, which you’ll be making. Most of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at your local supermarket. The sushi-grade ahi tuna can be found at Whole Foods or local specialty stores like Wild Fork Foods. Here’s what Ilyas had to say about the dish: 

"Our Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl combines high-quality sushi grade ahi tuna with our signature honey sriracha sauce for a refreshing yet spicy healthy dish. The contrast of flavors makes it the perfect treat to enjoy year round in Florida." 

One last note: Make sure to read the entire recipe before getting started to avoid any surprises along the way – there are multiple steps to this recipe. Enjoy!

The Recipe

Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Servings/Yield: 1 entree portion

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of veggie quinoa
• 1 whole avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 4 ounces sushi grade ahi tuna
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds
• Handful of diced scallions

Veggie Quinoa Ingredients and Steps

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup mixed corn and chopped onions and carrots

1. Cook quinoa in water for 30 minutes.
2. Fold corn, onions and carrots into quinoa.
3. Top with light salt and pepper. Set aside.

Method

1. Add veggie quinoa to the base of the bowl.
2. Cut and dice avocado and place on the perimeter of the bowl.
3. Whisk together honey and sriracha and fold into ahi tuna.
4. Garnish with sesame seeds and diced jalapeños, then serve.