I would suggest mountain shoes as mentioned above and either SPD or Crank Brothers for pedals. I am getting ready to try SPD for the first time, but in the past, I did find the Crank Brothers Candy pedals easy to click into and release.

I have been riding on the platform side of these: Amazon.com : Shimano PD-A530 SPD Dual Platform Bike Pedal : Sports & Outdoors

They offer the flexibility of riding with either cycling or regular shoes... Even though I haven't ridden them with my cleats yet, I don't think I am a big fan of having to keep the proper side up to place my feet on, and doing it while trying to click in isn't likely to be any better... I'll give them a try, but if I find them too cumbersome, I may end up going back to my Candy pedals.