Spice up that turkey, wow your Thanksgiving guests and save - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

Thanksgiving Day is almost here, but if you're worried about your turkey being the same old bird, we've got news for you.  If you add a little spice, you'll wow your guests at dinner!  Good Day's Paul Milliken visited the folks at Century House Tavern in Woodstock to find out how it's done on a budget!

CLICK ON THE VIDEOS ABOVE TO WATCH HIS REPORTS!

More info: Century House Tavern website
125 E. Main Street, downtown Woodstock
(770) 693-4552

RECIPES:

Cumin Scented Creamed Spinach
Ingredients:
1 pound baby organic spinach
½ sweet yellow onion- diced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. raw minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. ap flour
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated American cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Touch of hot sauce

Procedure:
In large, deep sauté pan combine butter, oil, garlic and onions- sweat and add spinach.  Add flour and cook mixture for 1 minute while stirring frequently.  Add chicken stock, heavy cream and cheese- let cook until the mixture thickens- finish with cumin, salt pepper and your hot sauce of choice.

Corn Pudding with Madras Curry
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups frozen corn kernals
1 sweet onion small dice
½ cup corn meal
1 cup ap flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2 whole eggs
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp madras curry powder

Procedure:
Sweat onions and corn with olive oil. About 5 minutes. Set aside and cool.  In medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Add the eggs, chicken stock and cooled corn mixture.  Combine well but care not to over work the batter.  Prepare buttered oven safe ramekins with butter or pan spray.  Fill each ramekin ¾ of the way up with the batter and completely wrap the ramekin in plastic wrap.  Place ramekins in deep baking dish and fill with hot water until ½ way up the side of the ramekins.  Cover baking dish in foil and steam in a 300 degree oven for one hour.  Unwrap and gratinee the tops of the corn puddings with cheddar cheese- Serve

Sausage, Chicken Liver and Fennel Stuffing
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sweet cream butter
½ pound breakfast sausage(pork)
1 cup cleaned chicken livers- chopped
1 bulb fennel- sliced thin
1 small sweet onion- diced
3 cups chicken stock
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 loaf French baguette-cubed
Salt and pepper

Procedure:
Cook the sausage in the butter and crumble as you go, lightly browning the meat.  Remove the meat but keep sthe rendered fat in the pan.  Add  the onions and fennel and lightly carmelize.  Once the vegetables are done, add the chopped chicken livers and continue to cook until the livers are well done.  Remove from pan.  Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and hold.  In large mixing bowl combine the cooked sausage, livers and fennel with the French bread, thyme and spices.  Add the deglace to the bowl and mix thouroughly.  Stuff a bird with it or cook at 325 for 45 minutes in a casserole dish and serve.

Spaghetti Squash Salad with Thai Green Curry and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash- cut in half and seeded
1 tbsp of honey
2 tbsp butter
2 sprigs cilantro
Salt and pepper
Thai green curry paste-1 tbsp
½ cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup canola oil
Goat cheese crumbles

Procedure:
Place butter, honey, cilantro and some salt and pepper in each cavity of each half of squash.  Wrap well with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let cool.  In blender, combine curry paste, vinegar, fish sauce and sugar and pulse.  Set to blend speed low and gradually add oil until vinaigrette is emulsified- adjust seasonings to taste.  Take cooled squash and pull the insides with a dinner fork- combine with vinaigrette and top with som goat cheese.

Sweet Potato Gratin with Chipotle and Orange
Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes or yams- peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 pint heavy cream
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp. molasses
½ cup orange juice
3 tbsp. chipotle pepper puree
Salt and pepper

Procedure:
Par boil sweet potatoes in salted water until just fork tender- strain and place in casserole baking dish.  In sauce pan, combine sugar, molasses and orange juice and cook until syrupy.  Add cream, chipotle puree and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Take cream mixture and pour over the sweet potatoes and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling.


*All Recipes By Richard Wilt- Executive Chef and Owner of the Century House Tavern