FALL IN LOVE with Chef Cinco's Drunken Pineapple Caribbean Rice Bowl

We could not celebrate the love and joy's of food here on our blog without including our resident Chef and son, John "Cinco's" Caribbean inspired dish, "Chef Cinco's Drunken Pineapple Caribbean Rice Bowl!" This dish is sure to excite any pineapple lover! But first, let's meet the recipe's creator!

Chef John Cinco's passion for cooking started very early in his life even before he could barely walk.

Enjoying kitchen time with his "Gramma", my mom, washing collard greens, shucking corn, "stirring the pots" and learning the secrets to great cooking was and still is one of the highlights he shares with his Gramma.

From washing collard greens to creating delicious "There Is Nothing Left" meals, his culinary skills grew as he grew older.

Listening, watching, tasting, and learning from family members about seasoning, "doctoring up" recipes, and learning to desire not just to cook to simply eat but to cook with love which makes a meal a memorable experience.

Chef John Cinco's passion for cooking blossomed while attending Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisana. The Cajun-Creole bug bit him "something fierce!" The spices, the flavors, the history, the food, and the heat engulfed this Southern East Coast man's heart and took his cooking to a whole 'nother level of goodness! Chef John Cinco began spending time with his college classmate's grandparents, family members, elders, and other "Cooking Souls" that were delighted to share their gifts and talents of authentic Louisana cooking.

Listening and learning from these "Cooking Souls", Chef John Cinco started adding his Carolina roots and creativity to his mouth-watering Louisana inspired dishes which he shared with his friends on campus. Those friends told their friends, who told other friends about "Cinco's" cooking, and from this, he started his catering business, "I'm Cooking," a late-night campus delivery foodservice and holiday/gameday dining event service which became a campus success!

The season of COVID 19 may have stopped his catering business but it has not stopped his creativity and culinary development. Chef John Cinco delights us, his family, weekly with great delicious creations. In honor of National Pineapple Day, we share one of his favorites with you!

Chef Cinco's Drunken Pineapple Caribbean Rice Bowl

You will need:

4 large chicken breast

14 raw jumbo shrimps

1 large fresh pineapple

2 tablespoon of olive oil

2 fresh limes

2 cups of cold white rice or brown rice (prepared the night before)

3 ozs of Krakenrum White Rum or your favorite white rum

2 teaspoon of curry

2 teaspoon of ginger

2 teaspoon of sweet chili

2 teaspoon of minced garlic

2 tablespoon of minced dried onions

2 fresh sprigs of thyme or pinches of dried thyme

2 fresh sprigs of Rosemary or pinches of dried rosemary

Clean & cut the chicken breast into cubes

Clean, devein, & the o raw shrimp into thirds

Place the shrimp and chicken in separate bowls.

Seasoned the meats by dividing the spices and squeeze a half of lime on each.

Marinate meat for 30 minutes in the refrigerator while you prepare the pineapple bowl.

Cut fresh pineapple in half down the middle. In the inside of the pineapple cut a square in the middle & scoop out the middle with a small fruit or ice cream scooper.

Cut scoops in small cubes to use for later with the chicken and shrimp mixture. Do the same to the other side or you can cut the other side of pineapple into slices for dessert.

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a warm wok on the stove, put the marinated chicken into the wok, cook chicken on medium, when done, set aside. Repeat instructions with the marinated shrimp.

In a bowl mix add 1 cup of fresh pineapple cubes, 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, 3 oz of Kraken White Rum and squeeze in a half of lime, mix well.

In a warm wok on the stove, add again the cooked chicken and shrimp, pour the rum mixture over the meat. Set wok heat on medium and cook until liquid boils down. Set chicken and shrimp aside.

Clean wok, place on stove on warm, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil for rice.

Place wok on medium heat, add cold rice, add 1 teaspoon of curry & 1 teaspoon of paprika, saute.

Place some of the rice into the hollowed pineapple, add chicken and shrimp rum mixture on top.

Garnish with parsley & crushed red peppers.

Serve on a platter and ENJOY!!!

FYI: Don't forget to refill the pineapple bowl as it becomes empty.