Recipe - Coffee with Coconut Milk

For the longest time, the only thing that gave me the will to wake up most mornings was the promise of a good cup of coffee. Preferably iced Chek Hup 2in1 coffee.. aahh... divine!

Since this Paleo diet does not allow processed food (no instant coffee, mate!), no sugar (gasp!), no dairy (gasp! gasp!!) - us coffee lovers feel a little jilted. In search of some reminsience of our coffee drinking days, here's an alternative to black coffee.

Coffee with Coconut Milk

1. Choosing coconut milk

I looked for coconut milk in Tesco and found many brands. Most of them cost between RM 1.60 - RM 2.00. Be careful of those labeled extra healthy cause they add stuff in it. Or, you could get it fresh from your local grocer.

Not sure how expensive coconut milk in the UK is. But as I understand, our UK Paleo counterparts are not big coffee drinkers. Lucky you!

2. Adding coconut milk to your coffee

Add about 2 teaspoons, or more depending on how strong your coffee is and how your tastebuds like it.

The coconut milk will not dissolve like milk. Like the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy says, "Don't Panic!" Give it a good stir and it will.

3. Drinking your coffee

Make sure you give your coffee a stir between sips because if left for a while the coconut milk will kinda float up.

So, brace yourself, make that cup of coffee and down it!

Breaking the habit

Since we're on the topic of coffee, I've never thought of quiting coffee because - why would I want to stop drinking coffee if it makes me feel so good?

From local coffee to nescafe, canned nescafe (during uni days) and now to white coffee - I would normally take 2-3 cups a day. Without caffeine, I would get a headache by noon or late afternoon.

I take coffee to feel awake, I take it when I'm nervous or stressed about something, I take it to feel good, I take it before workouts to get that nice tingly buzz that gives me the energy and high...

A week before starting the Paleo-diet, I decided to stop taking the 2in1 instant coffee. I did not realize how much crap they put in it until one day, out of boredom I read the ingredients and having thought about it for some time, I decided it's not worth it. So I replaced it with pressed coffee with milk (no or minimal sugar), which is great as well.

Ingredients: Non dairy creamer - glucose syrup, palm kernel oil, sodium caseinate, stabilizer (E340, E4521), Emulsifier (E471, E472e), anticaking agent (E551) + Instant white coffee

Since the Paleo diet started, I've only be able to drink a cup of black coffee a day - with much difficulty. It certainly taste a lot different than with milk. At Day 4, I drank only 1/3 of a cup and yet I feel fine. I feel normal!

So it appears that I'm not as addicted to caffeine as I thought I was, or it might had just been the milk/sugar/stuff that's in it!!

p.s: Can't say adding coconut milk is making it any easier for me to drink it. Don't know about the rest of you. I guess you might like it if you like cendol... :-)