ok so first of all i'd say to start with red quinoa if you have that option. red and white both seem to taste identical but i've noticed the red to be cooking considerably easier. here's what you need:
1 cup quinoa
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot or small red onion
1 tsp basil or tarragon (or 1/2 of each!)
4-5 cloves of garlic
salt/pepper to taste
handful of shaved romano cheese (can substitute for parmesan)
this recipe is sooooooooo easy! first of all cook the quinoa. it cooks pretty much the same as white rice, and i recommend cooking a large amount(~2 cups) at a time because it cools and stores well, keeps for a few days, and actually gets softer and better after a night in the refrigerator. anyway measure out quinoa and water at a 1-2 ratio, so for every cup of quinoa use 2 cups of water. if you use red quinoa then use 1-2.5 as it seems to absorb slightly more. combine the quinoa and COLD water in a pot and bring it to a boil. now turn it down to low, cover the pot, and leave it alone for 17-20 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it doesn't dry out on you. once all the water is absorbed and the quinoa has expanded and softened, put it on a cookie sheet of other large surface and into the fridge to cool.
now take your onion and garlic and sautee on low in a teaspoon or so of olive oil until caramelized. beware as the garlic will cook a good deal faster than the onion so don't add it until the onion is nearly done. add cooled quinoa to sautee pan. now add remaining ingredients...all except for the cheese. on low, cook this until quinoa is hot and then fold in your cheese. DONE!
remember that if the quinoa is too hard or "planty" for you to keep some in the fridge. it will actually begin to sprout overnight and emit this gelatin looking stuff, and if you cook it the next day will be far softer and milder to the taste.
i've been dredging raw chicken breast in flour and then searing both sides in a sautee pan until golden, adding a touch of butter and then eating it over quinoa. don't try and make a meal out of just the grain. treat it as you would rice or cous-cous.
in the morning try eating it(cooled for overnight) plain with some fruits and soymilk, or with some cream and brown sugar. it is fantastic stuff.
oh, and get a bike. running sucks. ;)
