Mango Coconut Compote

The first time visiting Hawaii, we stayed at a place that served coconut syrup at the breakfast buffet. In addition to the tropical landscape, endless pineapples, and a Mai Tai option at ever corner, the coconut syrup was one of the most memorable aspects of the trip. That was four years ago.

I actually never sat down to figure out how to make it until the other day in the midst of making this compote for Saturday pancakes. I had the realization that the creaminess in the coconut syrup was probably from coconut oil. So at the last minute, I stirred in a spoonful. It made all the difference.

It is always a risky move to stir something into a self-concocted recipe...right at the end. I had committed a good 20 minutes to this compote and was so relieved when the the coconut oil made it even better. It rounded out the sweetness. Let this be a lesson in life. Round things out at the end by taking a calculated risk from time to time. It might just be worth it.

Mango Coconut Compote
Makes about 1/3 cup

3 mandarin oranges, peeled
1/2 cup frozen chopped mangoes
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Place oranges in a blender; blend until completely pureed. Transfer orange juice to a small saucepan; add mangoes, water, vanilla extract, and honey. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in shredded coconut and coconut oil.

Cheesy Eggs with Tortilla Chips

Thanks to having the best job in the world, I was inspired to make this dish two nights in a row this week. My colleagues threw a breakfast party last week that featured migas, which was new to me. We received an email in the morning to join the party in the cafe. Not knowing what migas were, my cube-mates and I followed the seductive aromas up the stairs.

If you could bottle the sensations of weekend brunch, this would have been an exact replica. Coffee brewing, onions and red peppers sauteing, eggs and cheese scrambling, orange juice pouring...and the low lull of conversation weaving through the warm, humid air.

A colleague was crunching and folding tortilla chips into a huge skillet of scrambled eggs and I was enlightened. How has this never crossed my mind? Basically crossing breakfast burritos with tacos with tamales creates a salty skillet of perfection.

We were driving home from a weekend at the cabin on Sunday and little by little I realized all the ingredients for migas were in my kitchen. What a great way to spend Sunday evening after a relaxing, sunny weekend in the mountains. Migas and beer for dinner is pretty much heaven on a plate.

Cheesy Eggs with Tortilla Chips
2 servings

Basically sauteing any variety of vegetable with onions will do the trick. Wrapping a corn tortilla around the cheesy, veggie-inspired eggs is even more of a treat. Serve a green salad alongside for a complete meal.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
2 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
1 cup tortilla chips, roughly crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet; saute onion, red peppers, and cauliflower until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Fold tortilla chips into vegetable mixture; keep over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a separate small skillet over medium heat. Whisk eggs and milk together in a small bowl; pour into the hot oil. Cook egg mixture, stirring very gently, until scrambled, about 5 minutes.

Fold scrambled eggs and Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts.