Spreading the fragrance of God's grace everywhere
When we hear about big social justice issues, it’s easy to wring our hands, wonder what we can do, and then fold our hands and do nothing.
After all, how can one person possibly solve:
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Easy, healthy, and quick without having to resort to prepackaged dinners. I think I’ve found a winner that I want to share with you – Joe’s Special.
Joe’s Special is a delectable mixture of hamburger, spinach, mushrooms, and onions scrambled together with a couple of eggs and topped with Parmesan. Low cab, nice and protein-y, and an all-in-one dish that includes the veggies. If you need your carb fix, accompany the dish with a loaf of sourdough bread or pita bread.
That’s misleading, because when I googled Little Joe’s, I read lots about a famous Italian restaurant called Little Joe’s, that spilled over the side of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Here’s a very interesting link about a local restaurant gone famous, but alas, no mention of the spinach/hamburger dish. With a little more research, that’s when I found the recipe is really called Joe’s Special and it was popularized in another San Francisco Italian restaurant called Original Joe’s. The dish became so popular in a number of San Francisco restaurants, that one San Francisco mayor once dubbed the dish “famous.”
That makes me think of the story behind the Mexican chimichanga, which originated in Tucson, Arizona’s famed El Charro Mexican restaurant. The story I grew up with was the restaurant owner was running out of food when a large group came in the restaurant mid-afternoon. She threw together what she had, wrapped it in a tortilla, and deep fat fried it. When asked the name of the dish, she blubbered, “Umm,” and made up a word. “Chimichanga!” It stuck.
I rediscovered this dish when I needed a fast meal after my diabetic husband had been exposed to too many carbs in the previous two days. It was perfect and is going in my rotation for fast easy meals over the next few months when my writing and ministry responsibilities ramp up.
This recipe is very adaptable. You can easily cut the recipe in half if there are just two of you, or half again, using 1 egg for just a single serving. Adjust the mushrooms and onion to taste. I’ve changed the recipe in the book to use fresh mushrooms because I like fresh mushrooms. But you can always keep canned mushrooms on hand, which might be more convenient for you.
If your schedule is getting filled to overflowing and you’re scrambling for easy, but you want to stay with healthy, from-scratch meals, try Joe’s Special. Or Little Joe’s. Whatever. Make up your own name. It’s good whatever you call it. And yes, this is straight out of my Fanny Farmer Cookbook, circa 1979.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add mushrooms, if using fresh, and cook until the mushrooms turn soft. Add the beef, mixing with the veggies and breaking it up into small bits with a fork, cooking until the redness is gone. Drain any grease. Add the spinach and mix well. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes, then salt to taste. Mix a dash of Tabasco with the eggs, then pour over the beef mixture and stir until the eggs are set. Remove from heat and serve, sprinkling a bit of Parmesan (or Cheddar Cheese) on top of each serving.
For many years, I thought faithfulness meant continuing to believe in Jesus as Savior throughout my life, not turning away from the faith in God I said I had. It was one of those attributes listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit that naturally shows up as you continue to live the Christian life. Right?
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It’s my go-to dish when I need to take a main dish to one of my church’s quarterly potluck dinners. Club Chicken Casserole is easy, has simple, on-hand ingredients, and satisfies my obsession with bringing a healthy dish that includes some vegetables to a potluck. Leftovers heat up well and it doesn’t contain canned cream soup, like so many casseroles do. In fact, I use the chicken broth collected when I cook chicken in my Instant Pot. So my chicken broth is rich and full of good nutrients without any added salt.
Okay, confession. While, like any cook, I’m delighted when I take home an empty dish, I don’t mind bringing home the leftovers of Club Chicken Casserole. I love it that much. It’s also tailor made for a Sunday noon church potluck because you can make it the day before and then stick it in the church oven 45 minutes before the potluck begins, adding the cheese and almonds ten minutes before it’s done.
The recipe for Club Chicken Casserole is from a 1979 Better Homes and Gardens All Time Favorite Recipes Cookbook. Our family cherishes many recipes from this well organized cookbook, including baked custard, cabbage rolls, Chili Relleno Bake, Strawberry Souffle Salad, and Stir Fry Beef Asparagus. Is your mouth watering yet?
So here’s my recipe for Club Chicken Casserole. Better grab a spoonful at the potluck. You might not get to take home any leftovers.
In saucepan, bring chicken broth and rice to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook, covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for ten minutes covered.
Meanwhile, cook broccoli according to package directions. Drain well.
In saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Sauté mushrooms, if fresh, in butter until tender. Add salt, pepper, and flour; mix well. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir constantly until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken, cooked rice, drained broccoli, and mushrooms, if canned. Turn into a 2-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes, covered. Sprinkle chees and almonds on top, pressing almonds gently into the casserole. Bake, uncovered, ten more minutes.
OVERNIGHT: Before baking, cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bake, covered, in preheated 350-degree oven for 35 minutes. Add cheese and almonds as above and bake, uncovered for ten minutes.