6 small potatoes (4 oz, approx. size)
1 med onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
pepper
parsley
2 tsp chicken boullion
3 TBSP margarine or butter
1 cup milk powder
1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Wash and trim potatoes – leave the skins on. Cube into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes. Place into pot on stove, or into crock pot. Add other vegetables, sprinkle in a little pepper and parsley, and add the boullion and margarine. Add water, just until ingredients are covered (not too much!). Bring to boil on stove and cook until potatoes are tender, or cover and leave on low in the crock pot for 4-6 hours. Blend milk powder and flour together. Add water a little at a time, stirring after each addition to remove lumps. Add enough water to have a pourable mixture. Pour mixture into soup, stirring constantly. Cook until soup is thickened and bubbling (this may take up to half an hour in a crock pot, but only a few moments on the stove). Serve hot with whole wheat bread or biscuits. Makes 6 generous servings (one per potato).

Variations: You can add any of the following meats to make a heartier chowder: Ham, SPAM, Bacon, Chicken, Turkey, Ground Beef, Clams, etc. You may also add shredded cheese after thickening the soup. Vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower, or other veggies may be added with or without cheese.

• 2 cups brown rice
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 2 TBSP dried red and green peppers, or 1/2 red, 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 2 TBSP dried carrots or 1 fresh diced carrot
• 2 TBSP dried celery, or 2 ribs fresh celery, chopped fine
• 2 TBSP dried onion, or 1/4 cup diced fresh onion
• pinch pepper
• 2 TBSP chicken or beef boullion, or soy sauce
• 1 TBSP dried or fresh parsley

Throw all that into a pot. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 40-50 minutes. Keep an eye on it at the last to make sure it does not get too dry. Rice grains will start to split when they are done. Add cooked, cubed beef or chicken to make a full meal. Serving size is 2/3 cup, or 3/4 cup if meat is added.

You can make this in a rice cooker also, using smaller quantities of ingredients. Make sure you add enough water to compensate for the dried veggies, they will absorb quite a bit.

Create a full meal by adding beef, chicken, beans, or other protein.

Best made from BASMATI Brown Rice – in fact, if you are not crazy about the flavor of brown rice, try Basmati Brown Rice – it smells like popcorn when it cooks, but does not taste like it! Rather, it has a light, slightly nutty flavor, much better than either white rice, or standard long grain brown rice. No bitter flavor at all!