Quinoa with a Lemony Flavor

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat a medium-small heavy skillet, and pour the quinoa into it. Let the grains heat slowly, swirling them around and back and forth until they start to pop and crackle and turn lightly brown. Remove from the heat, and transfer the toasted grains to a small heatproof baking dish with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the boiling water over, and stir in the salt, lemon peel, lemon juice, and saffron or turmeric. Cover (if the lid isn’t tight, seal the top first with a piece of aluminum foil), and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 25 minutes.

   Step 2

   I particularly like this surrounded by some roasted vegetables—a parsnip, a very small zucchini, a wide strip of red pepper, a slice of fennel. The vegetables, except for the zucchini, will take 5–10 minutes longer, so, after rubbing a little olive oil and salt over them, put them on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and start roasting them that much ahead, then slip the dish of quinoa alongside and let them finish roasting together.