Quinoa Pilaf- So Flipping Good!

I finally made the recipe I have been to try- Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon (from the January 2014 issue of Cook's Illustrated Magazine).

It came out really good. I have never had quinoa before (unless you count quinoa pasta) and honestly thought it was going to taste bad because quinoa reminds me of couscous and I hate couscous.

And you know what? It was so easy to make. Tonight my husband got home late form work and I had to cook the kids a dinner and then make another dinner for when he got home- I was still able to pull of making the quinoa while in the midst of making a billion (maybe not quite a billion) other things.

Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon

Note: If you bought un-washed quinoa you need to wash it first. Use a fine mesh strainer or a rice strainer to do so. A great tip from Cook's Illustrated is to spread the washed quinoa on a rime baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel and let it dry for about 15 minutes. I love the genius tips they give!

1 1/2 cups pre washed quinoa
2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into two pieces (I used Earth Balance dairy free spread)
1 small onion chopped fine (I used chopped onion from my freezer because I ran out of fresh)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water (yep, no chicken broth in this recipe and it tastes amazing)
3 tablespoons chopped herbs (soft herbs such as cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, tarragon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Toast the quinoa in a medium sized saucepan over medium- high heat. Stir frequently and cook until the quinoa is very fragrant and is making a continuous popping sound which is about five to seven minutes. Put the qunioa into a bowl and set aside.

Take the pan and put on medium-low heat; add the butter and melt. Once the butter is melted add the chopped onion and salt; stir frequently until the onions are softened and have turned a light golden color which takes about five to seven minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the water and quinoa; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 18 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Quinoa is done when the grains are just tender and all liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, stir in herbs and lemon juice.