Vegetarian Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Mango Sauce
 You can use other “milks” for the light coconut: soy, rice, or almond. I prefer the light coconut milk. It does not lend a notable coconut flavor, but rather acts as a neutral backdrop for other taste combinations. If you want to play up the coconut flavor for a tropical panna cotta, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract.

I find that soy milk and rice milk, in particular, have a distinctive soy/rice flavor which I don’t like for the panna cotta.

1 and 1/4 cups canned light coconut milk

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided use
2 teaspoons agar agar powder OR 2 tablespoons agar agar flakes
1 cup soy vanilla yogurt (preferably Silk brand)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Optional: fresh berries, mint leaves

In a medium saucepan combine the coconut milk, 1/4 cup sugar and agar agar. Let stand 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes, or until agar has mostly dissolved (there will be some flecks of translucent agar in mixture), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

I will be adapting this recipe for the meyer lemon cookoff at the Blue Label at the Belvedere.