I don't love oatmeal, but I do appreciate its value as a breakfast food. I usually add minced fresh ginger, a pinch of cinnamon, sesame seeds, pepitas, and a swirl of agave to my morning bowl to liven things up, but in brainstorming new oatmeal ideas a few weeks ago, I hit upon what's become my new go-to recipe: substituting coconut milk for half the oats' cooking water. Genius! The coconut milk adds flavor, body, and nutrition to an otherwise pedestrian breakfast.

The Chic Life uses half regular milk along with coconut milk, as well as adding canned pumpkin into the mix and topping with toasted almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup, for this tasty-looking bowl.

Another go-to meal I've enhanced with coconut milk recently is curried red lentil dal. I adore red lentils - they have a terrific meaty flavor, and they cook so quickly - and the coconut milk's richness makes this already-terrific dish feel more like a complete dinner when paired simply with rice or naan. Two Sisters, Two Suppers offers a version of this classic recipe that adds cauliflower, peas, and potatoes to round out the meal.

Coconut milk's rich sweetness makes it a perfect pairing for summer treats. Get Sconed! suggests using coconut milk instead of dairy milk in iced coffee for a rich, refreshing treat.

And if you have an ice cream maker and a couple of cans of coconut milk (full-fat, please), you have non-dairy ice cream in a jiffy! Just thoroughly stir together the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, your favorite liquid sweetener (I love maple syrup for flavor, but agave would work just as nicely), and a flavoring—vanilla extract and ginger juice (made by grating ginger on a Microplane then squeezing it in cheesecloth or your fingers) are both terrific—throw the mix into your ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

While the health debate about coconut milk and coconut oil rages on (I'm squarely in coconut's camp), there's no arguing against its versatility and tastiness. Try adding coconut milk to a often-used recipe—or substituting it for regular milk—and you might end up with a delicious new favorite!

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