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Tuesday’s Cooking Tip – Coconut Milk as a Dairy Substitute. I have been using coconut milk as a substitute in many dishes for some time now. I really like the consistency of the coconut milk. It is rich and creamy. I have used it in my macaroni ‘n cheese and in my curries as a cream substitute. I thought I was gaining on the fat scale but you do need to do your research. Regular Coconut Milk has a 20 – 22% fat content, which is high. My preliminary research suggests that the saturated fat of the coconut milk may not be as bad as similar milk products but more research needs to be completed.. Wikepedia provides a decent summary on its origin, uses and attributes.
The below chart is pulled from the Wikipedia post.
| Nutritional value per serving | |
|---|---|
| Serving size | 100 g |
| Energy | 824 kJ (197 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 2.81 g |
| Fat | 21.33 g |
| – saturated | 18.915 g |
| – monounsaturated | 0.907 g |
| – polyunsaturated | 0.233 g |
| Protein | 2.02 g |
| Water | 72.88 g |
| Vitamin C | 1 mg (1%) |
| Calcium | 18 mg (2%) |
| Iron | 3.30 mg (25%) |
| Magnesium | 46 mg (13%) |
| Phosphorus | 96 mg (14%) |
| Potassium | 220 mg (5%) |
| Sodium | 13 mg (1%) |
| Zinc | 0.56 mg (6%) |
There is also a general understanding that there are many health benefits of coconut oil. The below link is from the Coconut Research Center (not an unbiased source) but interesting to consider the potential medicinal uses.
In the interest of sharing broader information on non-dairy alternatives, the four most available substitutes include Coconut Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk and Soy Milk. With all the dairy allergies out there today, these milks are very common in your grocery stores. The below link provides attributes on each product and highlights a preferred brand.
To show you the versatility in what you can cook using coconut milk, I am sharing a few of my favorite recipes. The first dish is an Italian fusion dish putting in curry with coconut milk.
Pasta and Vegetables in a Curry Sauce
My second offering is the classic Macaroni ‘n Cheese that I did a Cajun spin on.
The third offering is a purée using coconut milk.
I’ve made ice cream with it, and curries. But I’d like to start using it more!
I think this is wonderful. Coconut milk tastes so good.
I love coconut milk – it’s so versatile. I started using it after I took a culinary school class with a vegan instructor – he was obsessed with it. I mostly use it in soups, but I’m going to have to give it a try in spicy mac and cheese! Great idea!
Thanks for stopping by. What other recipes have you tried using coconut milk?