Herbed Quinoa

I'm trying to learn to love quinoa. I know it's good for me and I like it most of the time but I don't love it yet. I guess that's because I'm still convinced that it's supposed to taste like pasta and I am caught off guard each time I make it and it ends up tasting like a grain instead. For me, the trick is adding some more flavor to it - like the herbs and garlic in this recipe - to hide the 'grainy' taste. This recipe turned out to be a keeper... I even ate it for leftovers the next night {which is saying something in this house!}. The original recipe can be found here - I changed the cooking process a tiny bit because I didn't want raw garlic in my dinner.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash fresh lemon juice
zest of half a lemon 

Directions: 

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa, and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes; add minced garlic. Continue cooking additional 2-3 minutes or until quinoa is tender and garlic is softened.

In a bowl, toss quinoa together with parsley, thyme, salt, and zest. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.