Black Bean Rice Salad

I first tried this "rice salad" with my sister in law Juliet.  We were visiting them in Georgia and were planning to be out the entire next day.  They were in school and we were on a tight budget so we decided to plan a picnic rather than eat out.  I am SOOO glad we did because I was introduced to a new way of eating rice.  Thanks Juliet for the inspiration, you are such a fabulous and creative cook!  I enjoy swapping ideas with you :)

I always have left over rice any time I make that as a side for dinner, so this is an easy meal to come by.  Great for a quick lunch on the go.  It is also quite versatile, use whatever fresh veggies, meat & seasonings you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup cooked black beans (Use meat here if you like)
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
A few cucumber slices, quartered
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
small handful cilantro, coarsely chopped

olive oil
apple cider vinegar
lemon juice
salt
pepper

I basically mix all the ingredients together, then drizzle olive oil, vinegar & lemon juice over it, to just moisten all the ingredients.  Next I add the salt and pepper to taste.  Let it sit over night, and just before serving (or before you leave the house if you are bringing this as a lunch) drizzle once more with olive oil & a splash of vinegar to taste.  Enjoy!