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Put the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it for a minute or two under running water.
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2
Put the water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
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3
Stir in the quinoa, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until soft.
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4
(When its done, the quinoa seeds will have little wisps spiraling off of themthis is the germ separating from the seed.)
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Drain the quinoa in a strainer.
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While the quinoa is cooking, break off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
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Place in a saucepan, add about 1/2 inch of water, and bring to a boil.
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Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.
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(Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place the asparagus in a microwave-safe bowl.
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Add a few tablespoons of water, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, and microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.)
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Drain the asparagus and place it under cold running water for 1 minute to cool it down.
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12
Cut the kalamata olives into thin slices.
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Cut the tomato in half, scrape the seeds out of the tomato with a small tool or your finger, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.
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Finely grate 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel.
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Be careful to only grate the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter.
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Squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice from the lemon.
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Place the quinoa in a bowl with the asparagus, kalamata olives, tomato, and lemon zest and stir until combined.
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Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the quinoa mixture.
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Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
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Serve topped with the feta cheese.
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Grains such as quinoa, bulgur wheat, and rice are available prepackaged in most grocery stores.
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But you can save a substantial amount of money by purchasing them from the bulk food section at a natural food store.
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For that matter, many supermarkets now have bulk food sections, too.
