Home » NEBRASKAland Articles (page 25)

NEBRASKAland Articles

Venison “Dirty” Rice

Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 2 hours Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: • 2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice (and required water) • 3 ounces of deer liver, minced • 1 pound of ground venison • 2 tablespoons of olive oil, separated • Half a red bell pepper, ribs removed and diced • Half a green bell pepper, ribs removed and diced • 2 ribs of celery, chopped • 1 onion, chopped • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped • 2 cups …

Read More »

Instant Pot Walleye Stew

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: • ½ to 1 pound of boneless, skinless walleye fillets • 1 pound of live mussels • Half a medium onion • 1 small fennel bulb, with decent fronds (leaves) intact • 1 shallot • 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra • 4 cloves of garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste • ½ cup of Chardonnay white wine • Dash of red pepper flakes • 16 …

Read More »

Sandhills Trumpeters

The marsh had a lot more cattails and bulrushes than most Sandhills lakes, concealing the trumpeter swans we were after. The swans themselves were doing their best to hide by swimming in a different direction than the large and loud airboat zigzagging through the marsh. So, when we burst through a wall of vegetation, and there were four swans right in front of us – two adults and two young, known as cygnets – we were not sure who was …

Read More »

Preserving the Pine Ridge

Catastrophic wildfires have ravaged more than half of northwestern Nebraska’s pine forests. Land managers are making strides toward a more sustainable future. On this sunny day, Bryce Gerlach is visiting a timber-thinning project at Gilbert-Baker Wildlife Management Area in the northwest corner of the state. Gerlach, who is a forester funded by the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, likes what he sees. “This is the project that is going to save Gilbert-Baker someday,” he …

Read More »

Saving Saltwort

Returning salt to salt marshes. The state endangered plant saltwort grows in salt marshes in Lancaster County and nowhere else in our state. Unfortunately, decline of the marshes during the past 150 years has left this species hanging on by a thread. I held little hope of saltwort surviving in Nebraska until I recently learned of a creative new restoration method for returning salt to the damaged marshes. A Uniquely Adapted Plant Within salt marshes, saltwort (Salicornia rubra) grows mainly …

Read More »

Make a Lure

Most people have “stuff” lying around the house – a screw left over from self-installed window blinds, a rubber band from a pile of bills in the mailbox, or the frayed ends of a dusty rope in the corner of the garage. By themselves, they are little more than objects whose lives will probably end in a landfill. Yet with a little bit of imagination, these items could be fashioned into fishing lures – a chance at a story that …

Read More »

Time to Train

Preparing a dog for hunting season can be a good way to keep yourself engaged during the long off-season, but it can also be time consuming. With the overall shutdown we are experiencing due to COVID-19, it seems most of us have a lot more time on our hands. So now may be the perfect time to start getting your dog prepared for when game day hits in the fall or to help condition him or her to the rigors …

Read More »

Vietnamese-style Jalapeno Fish “Poppers”

Servings: about 20 poppers Ingredients: • 1 pound of boneless and skinless white-fleshed fish fillets • 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped • Half a large shallot, coarsely chopped • Freshly cracked pepper, to taste • ½ teaspoon of kosher salt • ½ teaspoon of sugar • 1½ tablespoons of fish sauce • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, plus extra • 2 heaping teaspoons of freshly chopped dill • 10 medium to large jalapeños • Oil for shallow frying • Mae …

Read More »

Rabbit and Dumplings

Servings: 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes Ingredients: Rabbit Stock – 2 carrots, halved – 2 ribs of celery, halved – 1 bunch of thyme – 1 onion, halved – Cooking oil – 2 pounds of whole rabbit – About 8 cups of water Stew and Dumplings – 1 small onion, chopped – 2 carrots, chopped – 2 ribs of celery, chopped – Cooking oil – 1 bay leaf – 4 sprigs of fresh …

Read More »

Platte River State Park

I never feel overwhelmed at Platte River State Park. Whether there are thousands of kids attending an Outdoor Discovery day or just a few vehicles, I can always take a deep, relaxing breath whenever I pull into the park. Located three miles from Louisville – between Omaha and Lincoln – the park is a welcomed break from city life. It offers both family-friendly attractions and solace in its 450 acres, even on the busiest of weekends. I love playing with …

Read More »