Quick coconut 'ice cream' and coconut rice

Coconut: You either love it like I do or hate it with a passion.

To make dinner seem a bit special, I cook jasmine or basmati rice in half coconut milk and half water. When I'm making coconut cake from scratch, I substitute coconut milk for the milk called for in a butter cake recipe.

When I crack open a box or tin of chilled coconut milk, I can almost imagine I'm at the ocean, even without the waves. It brings back the memory of drinking right out of a fresh young coconut sold by street vendors at Puerto Vallarta's beach in Mexico.

Not to be confused with coconut water or juice, coconut milk is thick and white, extracted from an older (but still fresh) coconut.

Recently, I embraced a product found in the supermarket's refrigerated dairy section, unsweetened coconut milk in a half-gallon size. Many nutritionists contend that coconut's 65 percent medium chain fatty acids are a healthful fat, not readily stored in the body but used as energy instead.

Whatever. I am not here to argue this question one way or another. I'm just saying that coconut tastes like summer.

My newest concoction is a smoothie that can morph into a kind of no-sweat faux soft "ice cream." I just throw frozen blueberries or raspberries into the blender along with some thick Greek yogurt and that unsweetened coconut milk and whir it into an instant cold confection that is not too sweet. I usually prefer it that way, but if the berries are tart, you might want to add a little agave syrup or sugar. (When I do this, I use organic.) Or, use sweetened coconut milk, if you prefer.

Lately, I have picked my own berries and frozen them so I can make this treat, but you also can buy frozen berries. Or, peel bananas, cut into chunks and freeze them to use.

If you don't remember to freeze berries, you won't get soft "ice cream" - but you will get a delicious smoothie instead.

BERRY-COCONUT INSTANT 'ICE CREAM'

1 cup frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (unsweetened)

1 cup thick, Greek-style yogurt, preferably not low fat

1 cup chilled coconut milk, unsweetened or sweetened (not coconut water)

Agave syrup, maple syrup or sugar, to taste, optional

1. Place all ingredients in blender and whir briefly. Stop blender. Use a spatula to push any ingredients that did not get mixed up to the bottom of the blender jar. Alternatively, jiggle the blender. Whir again. Blend only until the fruit is crushed; do not overblend.

2. Serve right away, before it melts. Makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller ones.

Note: You can replace berries with two bananas, cut into chunks and frozen.

SIMPLE COCONUT RICE

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (see note)

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups basmati rice

1. In a 2-quart saucepan with a tightfitting lid, bring coconut milk, water and salt to a boil. Add rice. Return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes.

2. Turn off heat and let rice stand and continue to steam for 5 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: Light coconut milk is available at Trader Joe's.