Big Bear Recipes


Turkey Meatloaf
Warm from the oven or cold in thick sandwiches, this is a meatloaf you will make often. 3 tablespoons butter 1-1/2 cups diced onions 3/4 cup diced celery 3/4 cup diced green bell peppers 2 pounds ground white turkey meat or 1-1/2 pound ground white and dark turkey meat 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard Fresh-ground white pepper, to taste 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 1/1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt, or to taste 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup half-and-half 1 (6-ounce) package dried cranberries (we used the Sun-Maid brand) finely chopped 3/4 cup dry plain bread crumbs 3/4 cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs Our Turkey Gravy (recipe given below)	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions, celery and green peppers about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl. Combine the turkey with the sautéed vegetables, egg, mustard, peppers, salt, ketchup, half-and-half, cranberries and bread crumbs. With clean hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, packing it in evenly. The pan will be full. Bake in the center of the oven about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and slice to serve with the turkey gravy on the side. Makes about 10 servings.
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Our Turkey Gravy 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1-1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup water 2-ounces frozen Bonewerks Culinart Glace de Volaille or 1 (1.5 ounce) containers Glace de Volaille Gold 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base 1/2 cup heavy cream Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste	Mix the flour with 1/3 cup water; set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the Glace de Volaille and chicken base in 1-1/2 cups water, stirring constantly. Stir in the heavy cream. When the liquid comes to a simmer, slowly whisk in the flour mixture. Keep stirring or whisking until it comes to a simmer again. Reduce the heat and simmer gravy gently about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.


Pretzel Encrusted Chicken With Beurre Blanc Sauce
You can prepare the crumb mixture several hours ahead or even the day before. We used 2 cups Snyder's Butter Snaps Pretzels that we turned into 1 cup crumbs by grinding in the food processor fitted with the metal blade. 1 cup pretzel crumbs 1/4 cup bacon bits (we use Betty Crocker Bacos) 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper 1 cup McCormick Golden Dipt Fish 'n Chip batter mix 3/4 red beer plus more as needed 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 6 (5 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves Beurre Blanc Sauce (recipe below)	Stir pretzel crumbs, bacon bits, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper together well in a bowl large enough to let you dip chicken breasts into it. Set aside. In another bowl large enough to dip chicken breasts, whisk together better mix and beer. If mixture seems too thick (it should be the consistency of very lightly whipped cream), add a little more beer a tablespoon at a time. Preheat over to 375°. Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Dip each piece of chicken in batter mixture, letting excess drip off, then cover well with pretzel crumb mixture. Place in skillet and sauté 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and not quite cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet and finish cooking in over 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve at once with Beurre Blanc Sauce. Makes 6 servings.
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Beurre Blanc Sauce 2 Tbsp butter 1 large shallot, finally chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 tsp chicken base (we use Better Than Bouillon) 1-2/3 cups heavy cream 3 tsp cornstarch 3 tsp water 1 tsp grainy mustard (optional)	In a non-reactive heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium head. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add white wine and chicken base. Stir to dissolve base. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until most liquid has evaporated. Stir in heavy cream and return to a simmer. Mix cornstarch and water together to make what the restaurant calls a slurry. Slowly stir this into cream mixture and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens and coats back of a wooden spoon dipped into it. Simmer another 1 or 2 minutes. If using mustard, stir in during last minute of simmering. Makes about 1-3/4 cups.

Beer Muenster Cheese Soup
This is a satisfyingly rich and flavorful soup that takes an amazingly short time to execute. It can be made several hours or even a day ahead and reheated slowly over medium-low heat. If you want to serve it in a Bread Bowl, see tips for making one below. 4-1/2 Tbsp stick margarine, room temperature 4-1/2 Tbsp flour 3 cups water 1-1/2 heaping tablespoons chicken base (we use Better Than Bouillon Brand) 6 cups heavy cream 2-1/2 cups red beer (we use Killian's Irish Red) 1-1/2 lbs high quality muenster cheese, shredded 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp hot sauce (we use Tabasco) or to taste 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste Chopped chives, for garnish	In a small bowl, cream the margarine and flour to make a roux. Set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, bring the water, chicken base, cream and beer to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Slowly whisk in the roux and return to a simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. (Watch the pot and adjust the heat so the mixture does not boil over.) Reduce the heat to low and very slowly whisk in the shredded cheese in small additions, making sure each addition melts completely before adding the next. Add the sugar, hot sauce and salt, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Serve hot. Garnished with chopped chives. Makes about 13 1/2 cups
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To Make a Bread Bowl: Choose firm round loaves of bread such as sour dough, French or whole grain the size in which you want to serve the soup (usually about 5 or 6 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife, cut a 3-to 4-inch diameter circle out of the top of each leaving about a 1-inch shell. Pull off the top and set aside. Scoop out the soft inside leaving about an inch of bread around the side and bottom (Save the scooped out bread to make breadcrumbs or croutons.) Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly oil the inside of the "bowl" and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven 10 to 12 minutes or until the bread is slightly crisp. If you serve the soup in the Bread Bowls, you can eat the whole thing by scraping small bits into the bowl as you go along. By the time you reach the bottom, that part will be ready to eat.

Big Bear Mixed Baby Greens Salad	Vanilla Vinaigrette Dressing
2 cups organic baby greens 1/4 cup Vanilla Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe given) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1 small plum tomato, diced 2 ounces goat cheese slices or crumbles 1 handful fried flour tortilla strips	1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar 2/3 cup white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp grated Spanish onion 1/4 tsp dry mustard 1 scant tsp kosher salt 1 vanilla bean 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
	Slice vanilla bean lengthwise down center and scrape out the insides. Combine all ingredients except oil with a mixer. Then using the mixer, slowly add the oil. Adjust consistency with water.


Big Bear Couscous Salad	BBBC Yogurt Dressing
4 cups cooked couscous 1/3 cup coarse-chopped peanuts 3/4 cup coarse-chopped scallions 3/4 cup chopped parsley 1/3 cup coarse-chopped carrots 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1/2 cup coarse-chopped currants 1 cup julienned radishes 1 cup BBBC Yogurt Dressing (recipe given)	1 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup water 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar 3/4 tsp kosher salt 3/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Big Bear Chili	Big Bear Mango Chutney Dressing
1-1/2 lbs ground sirloin 1-1/2 cups drained whole peeled tomatoes, smashed 1-1/2 cups ranch style beans 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/2 tsp granulated garlic 1/8 tsp ground cumin 3/4 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1-1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tsp minced garlic 1/2 cup fine diced onions 1-3/4 Tbsp beef base 3 cups water 1/3 cup tomato paste 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish 1 cup diced onions, for garnish	3/4 cup sour cream 1 cup real mayo 1/3 cup Major Grey's mango chutney 3 medium scallions 2/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp Lea and Perrin's Steak Sauce 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 3 dashes Tabasco sauce 1/3 cup vegetable oil Add all ingredients except the oil and vinegar in a large mixing bowl and blend. Then Slowly add in the oil and vinegar.