Vegan Chef Mae

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Add the broth to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Add the quinoa, stir, reduce heat to low simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 - 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fully cooked.

Put the pecans on a baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and toast for about 10 minutes. Ideally they will be just a step away from burning - this will give them a nice toasty almost charred flavor. But err on the side of caution and do avoid burning them. When finished, put the toasted pecans in a food processor and let them cool off a bit.

Heat a deep skillet or medium sized pot just below medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once it’s good and hot, add the sage leaves and the garlic. Stir right away to prevent burning. It should sizzle, and the garlic will start to turn golden while the sage gets a little crispy. Let this fry for a minute or two, then remove from heat and let it cool slightly. I chop and rinse my frisee during this cool down step.

Add the cooled garlic/sage/coconut oil to the food processor with the pecans. Process for just a couple seconds - just break it down a little with smallish chunks of nuts. Alternatively, if you want a really creamy pesto go ahead and let it run for longer.

When the quinoa is done cooking and is still hot, stir in the chopped frisee. Add the onion powder and salt to taste. Stir in the pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Optional: garnish with a sprinkle of hot paprika.