Recipes not for the faint-hearted, but the young at heart
Cooking on the Colorado
Leigh Pless

Warning: If you have a weak stomach, do not read any further. I am not kidding, I had to contact some pretty scary folks to get these recipes … It was risky, but I did it for you guys.

Baked Worms

3 lbs. fully cooked chicken,
cubed
1/2 C. butter
1 large onion
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 C. chicken broth
1 large can tomato juice
1/2 C. stuffed green olives
3 Tblsp. chili powder
3 Tblsp. salt
1 lb. dry spaghetti
1 lb. processed American
cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 C. dry sherry (optional)
In a large pan, melt butter and sauté the onion, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Add chicken, chicken broth, tomato juice, olives, chili powder and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Break the spaghetti up into worm-size pieces. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water until tender - about 6 minutes.

Drain spaghetti and fold into simmering sauce. Stir in cheese and sherry.

Place in a large greased casserole. Bake for 30 minutes.

Brains on the Half Skull

2 med. potatoes
8 ozs. thin spaghetti
14 ozs. spaghetti sauce

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut them in half crosswise. Place the potatoes cut side up on a baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. While the potatoes bake, prepare the spaghetti in a mediumsize pot according to the directions on the package. Carefully drain the cooked spaghetti.

A few minutes before the potatoes are ready, begin to heat the spaghetti sauce (blood) in a small pot. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes. You won't need the insides for this recipe; the empty shells will serve as the skulls. When the sauce begins to boil, remove it from the heat and combine it with the cooked spaghetti to make brains. Put a scoop of bloody brains into each skull.

Mashed Potato Ghosts

5 C. mashed potatoes
1/2 C. small black olives

Use rubber spatula to mold 1/2 to 1 cup potatoes into ghost shapes. Slice olives to create circular shapes to be used for eyes and mouth. NOTE: To warm Mashed Potato Ghosts, microwave on HIGH for 2 to 4 minutes. If using oven, place potatoes on cookie sheet and re-heat at 350 degrees F, loosely covered with foil, for 7 to 8 minutes or until heated through.

Pond Slime

10 ozs. frozen broccoli
10 ozs. frozen baby peas
2 Tblsp. minced chives
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Chives for garnish

Microwave or boil the frozen vegetables until tender. Drain the vegetables and place in a blender or food processor (process in batches if using a small blender or processor). Add the butter, chives and heavy cream. Puree until the mixture is smooth, but still flecked with dark green bits of vegetables. Refrigerate if desired.

Before serving place mixture in a saucepan and gently heat until warmed through. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Nose Blow Burritos

2 med. tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 (30 ozs.) can refried beans
8 or 10 burrito size soft flour
tortillas
2 (8 ozs.) containers guacamole

1 (16 ozs.) carton sour

cream

Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and place in a bowl. Place the ground beef in a frying pan, sprinkle with the taco seasoning and sauté on medium heat until beef is well browned. Cover and set aside. Cook the beans in a saucepan on low heat, stirring occasionally. When the beans are hot, gently combine them with the ground beef in a clean bowl. To build the burrito noses: Set one tortilla on a dinner plate. Spoon an approximately 1 1/2-inch wide strip of guacamole dip (rancid mucus) down the center of each tortilla. On top of that, spoon a strip of sour cream (fresh mucus), a strip of guacamole, beans and beef.

Tightly fold the left and right sides of the tortilla over filling ingredients, and then tuck the lower third of the whole burrito under itself, making a nose shape.

Use a knife to cut out two large holes for nostrils. Gently squeeze the nose.