I am a huge fan of coconut. Not the sweetened flakes that you buy at the grocery store, but the real, unadulturated kind.

There is coconut milk that comes in a can (not the low-fat kind though!), there is coconut juice that makes a delicious, healthy energy/sports drink, and there is natural coconut meat. Coconut has a huge amount of healthy antioxidants, fat burning medium chain fatty acids, lauric acid–which helps fight infections, and monosaturated fats–good for your heart, your skin, and the rest of your body. You can read more about all the fat burning healthy benefits of coconut here.

Coconut milk as an ingredient makes a great satisfying snack. And, the coconut taste does not overpower anything, in fact, it has very little flavor on its own. I made up this pudding recipe and it has become my new favorite snack or sweet treat. There are tons of great variations on it too and it only uses a few ingredients.

Start with a can of organic coconut milk (use the kind with all the fat, not the low-fat kind)
Pour into a small sauce pan.
Add in a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup, honey or a touch of stevia (coconut is naturally sweet so it doesnt need much)
A tiny pinch of sea salt
A teaspoon or so of vanilla (add at end)
In a separate bowl, break an egg and beat it until is is well mixed and frothy.
Whisk the egg into the coconut mixture and heat over med/low heat stirring constantly. The mixture will begin to get thicker as it heats up. When the pudding begins to thicken up and it is hot enough to bubble around the edges, remove from heat and whisk lightly to make sure it is well mixed. Add in vanilla. Cool in fridge or eat warm.

Variations:

Add a couple teaspoons of dark chocolate or break up a small dark chocolate bar and stir into warm custard along with your favorite nut butter or a handful of nuts.
Stir in a sliced banana or other fresh or frozen fruit
Add unsweetened coconut
Garnish with a little bit of REAL homemade whipped cream

Enjoy! Serves 2-4