Derval O'Rourke: Back to the routine - and my big poke bowl recipe, perfect for work lunches

Poke bowl: a perfect work lunch

The past few weeks have been a really nice time in my household. For the past number of years I’ve spent summers filming Ireland’s Fittest Family and working as a pundit on the athletics television coverage. While most people go quieter during the summer I was busier. This is the first summer in quite a few years that I’ve done neither and it has been really lovely.

Routines have been replaced by social meetups and spontaneous activities. We’ve done so many things from pottery-making to paddle boarding. But alas it’s time to think about September and the inevitable routine that will bring. This week’s column will focus on the September reset and for my recipe, it’s a poke bowl, which just happens to be a great work lunch.

September is a brilliant time of year to take stock and make plans for the rest of the year. If you managed to have some time off during the last few weeks try to capitalise on the positives from that by building a good foundation for the next few weeks. Areas I’ll be focusing on include;

Sleep

Sleep routines can be all over the place in the summer. I know in my house there have been no bed times. 

September is a good chance to think about sleep and how much you need. My plan is to get more structure on my night time routine for the kids and myself. I aim for eight hours sleep a night.

Routine

I will try to implement an earlier morning routine. My kids still wake up at the crack of dawn no matter what time they go to sleep but they’re much harder to get moving after late nights, as am I. 

Getting up and fed earlier in the mornings can go a long way in helping get back to a routine. A big part of this for me is simple mid-week breakfasts. I tend to have everything ready the night before. 

In our house, September is for overnight oats.

Plan

The end of August can feel quite overwhelming. Make a list of what is essential and what can be put on hold for a couple of weeks. 

If you have kids going to school try to plan out what you need, what can you reuse from last year and what might not be needed just yet.

Prioritise

My work gets busy in September so I tend to use the month to really nail down the priorities for the end of the year, and park certain work that I know won’t get the attention it needs.

Exercise

What are your plans for activities for the months ahead? Most of us drop our exercise routines during the summer but September is a good time to restart or simply think about what exercise will work for you and your lifestyle. 

If you have kids that do lots of activities don’t just rush straight back into them. Take some time to evaluate what works well for them and the stage they are at. 

After spending a lot of time with the kids over the summer it can be a little sad sending them off to school and it can feel hard to get back to a structured work routine. But, a level of routine can bring its perks.

Taking time at the end of August to plan what the next few weeks will look like can be really helpful. Consider what you need and where you might be able to lean into support to help make life run smoother come September.

Derval O’Rourke. Pic: Joleen Cronin.

Fitness Tip: Make time for your fitness. Ensure you are setting aside time that is dedicated for you to get some movement each week.

Wellness Tip: Make sure you check in with your kids regarding the upcoming year. Letting them know you are there for them can help ease apprehension.

Poke Bowl

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

You can also omit the rice and use quinoa, cauliflower rice or add more rocket for a lighter option.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Cucumbers:

• 3 - 4 baby cucumbers

• 80ml rice wine vinegar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp honey

• Rice:

• 80 - 100g uncooked rice

• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten free

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp honey

• Everything Else:

• 1 large or 3 small carrots, thinly sliced, grated or julienned using a julienne peeler

• ½ a mango diced or you can use about 4 tbsp of frozen thawed mango

• 100g pack of smoked salmon

• 2 large handfuls of rocket or green leaf of choice

• 1 ripe avocado, diced

• 2 - 3 spring onions finely chopped

• Sesame seeds, sesame oil, and lime juice to garnish

Method

1. Finely slice the cucumber.

2. Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, salt and honey in a bowl. Add the cucumber. Add enough water to submerge the cucumber. Set to one side for 20 minutes or make in advance and store in the fridge for up to three days.

3. Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and honey. Add the dressing to the cooked rice, and toss to combine.

4. Assemble bowls with warm or cold rice, depending on your own preference. Add leaves, cucumber, carrot, mango, avocado, and finely salmon. Garnish with spring onion, sesame seeds, spring onion, a little sesame oil if desired, and some fresh lime juice before serving.

5. NOTE: Cooking time is just for cooking short-grain brown rice. You can cook jasmine rice in 10 - 12 minutes, or if you’re in a hurry use a microwaveable sachet of rice. Ideally do not heat the rice in its plastic sachet. Heat it in a bowl.