Unbelievably, wild rice is not actually rice at all. It's a seed of a wild water grass found around the Great Lakes region. Every September, during the Wild Rice Moon, Anishinaabeg people, and other Great Lakes Native American tribes, harvest wild rice in canoes using wooden ricing sticks to knock...
Peppers are a common ingredient in so many recipes. Whether you play it safe with a bell pepper or throw in a punch of heat with a hot chile pepper, you are sure to find a pepper that brings a depth of taste to your dishes. The most popular mild peppers are the bell and banana varieties. They can...
Tis the season of summer cookouts, where family and friends gather for an outdoor meal. Whether you're the host or the guest, you'll need an outstanding side dish to accompany the usual grilled entrée. A pot full of baked beans will round out your meal and keep your friends happy and well fed....
In the heat of the summer, "busy" tends to take on a whole new meaning. Aside from the everyday chores, there are now baseball games to attend, swimming lessons to pack bags for, and summer camps to chauffer the kids to. Putting a healthy meal on the table is just another "chore" that can seem...
Today's blog post is written by Illinois State University dietetic student, Allyson Weier! Switch up your usual side dish with one that is bursting with nutrients and flavor; try quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)! Quinoa looks like a grain and is typically prepared like one, but it is...
Like Mickey and Minnie, there are certain foods that just simply belong together. Tomato and basil are the perfect match. The slightly sweet aromatic flavor of basil complements the savory juiciness of a tomato. And the world has taken notice; there are countless dishes that highlight these two...
On a recent trip to a garden center, I bought what I had thought was sweet basil only to bring it home to realize that it was lemon basil. After pondering what I was going to do with lemon basil, I realized that it really was not much different from other lemon fragranced herbs, such as lemongrass...
This weeks blog post is written by Illinois State University Dietetic Intern, Erin Fejes! With Fourth of July just around the corner, many people may be searching for a sweet treat to celebrate with. If you haven't tried sorbet made with fresh berries, it may be just the dessert you've...
According to the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, currently only 1 in 10 Americans follow the 2015 Dietary Guidelines to eat seafood twice per week. Tuna can be a low-cost option to help you meet these recommendations. In 2014, canned tuna was the third most widely consumed seafood in America, behind...
Many grills are sure to be fired up on this Father's Day, and depending upon the honorary dad's taste buds, steak is the choice of meat. When the word "steak" is used without classification, it generally refers to beef. Steaks that comes from the hind end will generally be less tender, as these...
