What to do with coconut milk?

Had an interesting back-and-forth with @JeniferPhD on twitter recently. She was looking for some ways to use the ingredients she had on hand, especially coconut milk. Hmmm, good question. Coconut milk adds a mildly tropical tang to rice, stir-fries, sauces, and desserts. It's commonly used in Asian, African, Indian, Indonesian, and South American dishes.

First, whenever using canned coconut milk, remember to shake the can before opening. After sitting on a shelf the cream separates and rises to the top. However, if you have a can labeled light, the cream has been removed so it's not as imperative to shake first.

For a really quick and easy way to spruce up rice, use some or all of the coconut milk as a substitute for the cooking water. I've subbed out anywhere from all to half of the rice cooking water with coconut milk. Or create a sauce for a stir-fry:

To stir-fry with beef, chicken, or even shrimp or tofu: Begin cooking your protein of choice in one pan, and lightly season it with soy sauce, garlic salt, or Adobo. (For a quick reference, check out this fried tofu recipe). Then slice your veggies: onions, peppers, and chopped garlic tastes great. Chop 'em up and you're ready to cook: pour one tablespoon of oil into a large skillet, add the veggies and cook for a couple minutes. Add your seasoning of choice -- sprinkle with one teaspoon dried ginger and turmeric (or add some grated fresh ginger, if you have it on hand). Continue cooking until the veggies are slightly tender (about 2-3 minutes), then pour in the coconut milk. By this time your protein should be about done. Add it to the veggies and coconut milk, simmer for 3 to 4 minutes (until thickened), and serve.

Coconut milk also makes a great stand-in for regular milk when making desserts like rice or tapioca pudding. Makes me wish I had some coconut milk here too -- as it stands, we don't have any in the house at the moment, but I'm definitely gonna pick some up soon. Got a hankerin' for sticky rice now too. (Stay tuned!)

So, please share ... what are your favorite ways to use coconut milk?