Blend the following ingredients until very creamy and smooth:
2 cups blanched almonds
1 cup hot cooked rice or millet
2 teaspoons salt
3-4 tablespoons fresh or frozen lemon juice
4 cups boiling water
Chill and serve on bagels, in celery or on a baked potato. It's quick and easy and a naturally great alternative to dairy based cream cheese.
Variations: Add chopped black olives, chives, dill or other herbs of choice for a variation in texture and taste.
Hint:
To blanch the almonds bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour in the 2 cups almonds and allow it to return to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat, pour into a sieve, rinse with cold water then pinch and pop--they are out of their skins! If you have kids they'll love this job. They just have to aim for a big enough bowl as the almonds may fly another direction.
Makes approximately 4 cups.