for the collard greens

2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil or bacon fat (yes, I believe it’s possible for them to be interchangeable)
1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large bunch collard greens, about 1 1/2 pounds, stemmed and washed in 2 changes of water
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

for the salsa

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
pinch of sugar
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt to taste

for serving

6 corn tortillas
seasoned and smashed avocado
creme fraiche
chopped cilantro
pickled serranos or cayenne, thinly sliced (optional)

Cut collard greens into approximately 3-inch squares. Heat fat (coconut or bacon) in large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chile, sliced garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook for a minute or two. Add collard greens, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, and 1/2 cup water; stir to combine. Cover the pan and cook collards for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until sweet and tender. Uncover the pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For the salsa: place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until a coarse puree is formed. Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt if needed.

Compose a taco: warm tortillas over an open flame or in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat. Top each tortilla with a smear of avocado, a serving of collards, a good spoonful of tomatillo salsa, chopped cilantro, and, if desired, sliced pickled chiles.

serves four to six

Give to Nextcourse’s campaign and receive more delicious recipes like this one! 

Many thanks to Chef Michelle Mckenzie for contributing these amazing recipes!

Help us help more people like John want something better for their lives!

 Give today!

*For confidentiality and due to the immense social stigma associated with mental illness, names have been changed.

Hey Neighbors!  Join us this month with our host, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development, for June PARKing Days!

As Boeddeker Park, Tenderloin’s only green, open space, is under construction, TNDC is collaborating with other community organizations to bring a mini-park to the neighborhood! Together with your help, we are going to re-purpose the parking spaces on Eddy Street to set up fun activities, educational workshops and socializing for Tenderloin residents.

Look for us on the corner of Eddy and Taylor Streets on the following dates:

Thursday, June 13

from 12 to 4pm, “Design Your Own Park” by Trust for Public Land

and from 3 to 5pm, Food Justice info session by Healthy Corner Store Coalition

Tuesday, June 18

from 3 to 5pm, “What is Sunday Streets?”by Livable City

Thursday, June 20

from 10am to 12pm, Personal Finance 101

by Northeast Community Federal Credit Union

and Tuesday, June 25

from 10am to 12pm, a live cooking demo by Nextcourse

So come play in the sun with us as we turn the asphalt into a mini-park for a few hours.  For more information contact: Curtis Bradford 415-426-8982

This partnership was an invaluable way to augment our students’ classroom education with practical, real life training they can take into their next educational endeavor, summer job, and beyond.  Plus, they gained exposure to exciting, innovative businesses on the forefront of San Francisco’s sustainable food movement.  Many thanks to the 18 Reasons’ awesome Rosie Branson Gill for developing this curriculum and these internship opportunities.

As AAIMS project peers have begun to play an important role in community outreach and recruiting new members into the group from their home buildings, clinics, peers, and elsewhere in their community, we’ve been challenged by the strict criteria for involvement in the program.  Beginning in July we will have flexibility in the referral/intake criteria to include any person living in supportive housing who has any Axis I or II diagnosis plus metabolic symptoms.  We will continue to have a preference for those prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications, but this will allow us to include participants from the wider mental health consumer community facing similar challenges with metabolic symptoms, often in connection with psych-medications.

AAIMS also have plans to add another layer of peer leadership by creating Peer Community Advocates, which will expand our capacity for community engagement and advocacy while offering more tailored vocational training and support.  This new program activity strengthens our peer-led model, incorporating the ideas, feedback, and interests/goals of our current participants/peer leadership.  Participants will have the opportunity to develop new and different skills – greater vocational responsibility, community work, public speaking, peer support/counseling, community outreach/education, etc.  The Peer Advocates will develop a new group public image for the project’s engagement with the community (name, logo, outreach materials, website, etc.) that reflects their culture, mission, and message.  This will increase visibility of the project and decrease stigma associated with publicly disclosing participation in the group.

Our Mission High Culinary Leadership class always focuses on what is fresh and in season–the hallmark of a healthy and sustainable approach to eating.  Visit your local farmers’ market, pick up a few ingredients and get into the kitchen and make these delicious recipes for your family!

spring recipe ideas

REFINED SUGAR-FREE SALTED CARAMEL CORN

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/2 cup honey
8-10 cups air-popped popcorn (preferably organic, non-GMO)
Sea salt

DIRECTIONS
**Read through the steps first, as you’ll need to work quickly.

Measure peanut butter out into a large bowl and place a whisk, spatula, and popcorn within reach.

In an electric skillet or small pot, warm the honey on high heat. Bring it to a boil. Let honey boil up in the skillet/pot about 1 inch and then quickly remove from heat and carefully scrape into the bowl with the peanut butter.  Mixture is very hot.

Quickly whisk until combined and smooth – it should be “pourable”. Continue stirring with spatula or large spoon while adding handfuls of popcorn until desired ratio of popcorn to caramel is reached.  Sprinkle with sea salt to taste for salted caramel corn.  The mixture is hot, so don’t be tempted to mix with your hands!

Allow a few minutes for caramel corn to cool enough to use your hands to form into balls.

Serve with fresh cut organic apple slices for a nutritious caramel apple snack.  Eat and enjoy!

(adapted from Clean Eating Recipes, www.thegraciouspantry.com)

HEALTHIER “CARAMEL” DIP / “CARAMEL” APPLES
AAIMS – Holiday Party 2012

INGREDIENTS
Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, softened or whipped
Honey
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
Organic Apples, sliced
Optional: chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts), whole wheat graham crackers

DIRECTIONS
In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, honey, a splash of vanilla, and a generous amount of cinnamon. Mix well by hand with a spoon, or use an immersion blender to get mixture very smooth and creamy.  Adjust ingredients to taste.

Serve with organic apple slices – dip into chopped nuts and/or spread onto whole wheat graham crackers for a more balanced and filling snack.

AAIMS Project Healthier Whipped Cream Tip: Try folding in an equal amount of nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt to fresh whipped cream for a lighter version of whipped cream with more nutritional content.  This topping has much less fat, and contains more calcium, protein, iron, and healthy bacteria – and it has a unique tangy flavor.  Sweeten with a touch of agave nectar or honey for those watching their sugar intake!

(adapted from www.fitsugar.com)

HEIRLOOM PUMPKIN MOUSSE

Mission HIgh Youth Culinary Leadership – Holiday Party 2012

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup water

1 packet (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin powder

1 3/4 cup homemade pumpkin (we like Kabocha and Cheese) puree 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 extra-large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

whipped creme fraiche, for serving 

cinnamon sticks and/or nutmeg for grating

DIRECTIONS

Place the water in a heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Set the bowl of gelatin over a pan of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear. Immediately whisk the hot gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Allow the pumpkin mixture to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.

To assemble, spoon some of the pumpkin mixture into parfait glasses, add a layer of whipped cream, then some more mouse. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, decorate with a final layer whipped creme fraiche and freshly grated cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

Soul Food – Holiday Party 2012

For this lovely pie, sweet potatoes are boiled, peeled and mashed together with butter, sugar, milk and eggs, then seasoned with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

INGREDIENTS

1 (1 pound) sweet potatoes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup condensed milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

DIRECTIONS

Boil sweet potatoes, whole in skin, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Cool by running cold water over the sweet potatoes, and remove the skin.

Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then will sink down as it cools.

Alleviating Antipsychotic Induced Metabolic Syndrome (AAIMS) is a new project in partnership with the Housing and Urban Health Clinic that is specifically for clinic patients who are: (1) Living with mental illness requiring treatment with an atypical antipsychotic medication, and (2) Living in a supportive housing site

The project’s goal is to lessen the risk factors associated with taking these medications that often lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  Participants learn how to eat healthier with the fresh foods that are readily available through food pantries and community kitchens, and to expand their food shopping or acquisition to farmers’ markets and community gardens. Group meetings include nutrition information, delicious healthy food tastings and snacks, and a weekly meal prepared together. Participants learn basic cooking techniques and recipes for use with a microwave, rice cooker, electric skillet and other SRO-approved equipment.  The project’s funding allows us to supply participants with equipment as needed.

AAIMS participants recently visited the Free Farm to learn about their farm stand and enjoy lunch.

The group also focuses on increasing exercise to improve fitness and health and helping participants better understand the connections between their medication, diet, exercise, and their health. They feel empowered with both the information and the confidence to make healthy food choices, be more active, and become advocates for their own health.  The pilot group of 6 participants started in late January and will run for approximately 14 weeks, and consist of 20 sessions.