Celebration of filipino food culture

Filipino food will be celebrated at the Filipino Fiesta Celebration May 3 at the Filipino Community Center. A popular Filipino food recipe is tocino and pineapple fried rice. Tocino is a sweet, cured pork belly traditionally served at breakfast. Jasper Marcelo of NAI/CBI company is a festival volunteer and prepared this
recipe. Onions, garlic, carrots and peas provide additional flavor and color. Served in a shelled-out fresh pineapple, it looks like a special occasion offering. For more on the event, visit filipinofiestahi.com.

Tocino and Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces Tocino (sweetened cured pork belly) cooked, diced, Magnolia brand preferred

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 4 ounces peeled shrimp, deveined, rinsed

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1/2 cup diced onions

• 1/4 cup diced carrots

• 3 cups cooked long grain rice

• 1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted

• 3/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1-1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

• 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Garnish: 1 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions:

Heat a large skillet on high.  Add 1 tablespoon oil and scramble the egg for about 1 minute until cooked. Turn off heat, break up egg and transfer to a dish. Set aside. Pat dry the shrimp. Turn heat to medium high and add 1 tablespoon oil and cook shrimp until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add last tablespoon of oil to pan and cook onions on medium high heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, tocino and garlic. Cook until carrots are tender, about 4 minutes. Add rice and break apart as you stir. Add peas, fish sauce, soy sauce and stir well. Add sesame oil and pineapple. Add chopped green onion. Fry for another minute until the liquid has evaporated. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve fried rice into an empty pineapple shell. Makes about 3 servings.