Soy-Free Dairy Substitutions

Prepared from fresh coconut meat, coconut milk is a great option for richer dairy-free dishes. Although it is high in fat and saturated fat, coconut milk is a delicious way to add creaminess to any number of dairy-free and vegan dishes, from curries to creamy soups to pasta sauces to puddings to dairy-free whipped cream. I've tried zillions of coconut milks over the years, but my pick for the best, accessible coconut milk on the market is Thai Kitchen's Coconut Milk both the lite and original varieties.

Here are a few dairy-free soy-free recipes that use coconut milk:

In the past few years, the public has been made increasingly aware of gluten and soy allergies as well as allergies to dairy, and so coconut-based products that are soy-free, gluten-free and dairy-free have been making their way onto grocery shelves more and more. Turtle Mountain, the manufacturers who make some of my favorite dairy-free ice creams, also make my favorite coconut-based milk substitute, So Delicious Coconut Milk. The name is accurate: it is so delicious! Rich and creamy, So Delicious Coconut Milk is great in cooking and baking, and it's my preferred dairy-free milk substitute when I want to drink it straight from the glass.

For pizzas, strombolis, and baked pasta dishes, I have yet to find another dairy-free cheese that I like more than Daiya Mozza Shreds. It melts, it stretches, and it's flavor is balanced in savor and richness. And, best of all, it's dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free, so it's suitable for a variety of diets.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes for which I almost always choose Daiya:

Nuts work well to add dimension and texture to recipes that lack the protein and fat found in dairy products and, to a lesser degree, soy products. Rice milk and other rice-based products taste great on their own, but they are very low in fat and have virtually no protein. When replacing soy in recipes that use soy in place of dairy, nuts can account for the density disparity. I like to keep a small air-tight container of finely ground cashews and almonds on hand for quick baking and cooking solutions. Here are a few soy-free and dairy-free recipes that use nuts:

Rice Milk can often replace soymilk in baking recipes such as cakes and quickbreads with very little difference in results. However, in recipes such as sauces and soups, some sort of a thickener or stabilizer is usually necessary, as rice milk is significanly thinner and lower in fat and protein than soymilk. For sauces that call for milk or soymilk, I recommend using egg yolks, cornstarch, flour, xanthan gum or another thickening or stabilizing agent with the rice milk to accomodate for the differences in density and act as an emulsifier. Rice milk also is significantly sweeter than most soymilk varieties, so, especially when cooking savory dishes, keep this in mind and be sure to do a "taste test" and adjust your seasonings accordingly.