Ingredients

4 cups cooked long grain brown rice (from 1 1/3 cups of raw rice)
2 2/3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic or to taste, peeled and minced
freshly squeezed juice of 1.5 lemons
1 small red bell pepper, chopped small
half 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil OR Italian flat leaf parsley
1 1/3 cups spinach leaves, washed, stemmed, and chopped (to save time use prewashed baby spinach)
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped small
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (scallions or chives)
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata or regular black olives, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts OR 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds (toast on a flat baking pan for 15 minutes at 250 degrees)
2/3 teaspoon dried oregano leaf
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper optional:
1/3 cup cooked black beans (canned or home cooked). If using canned beans, drain, rinse and then drain well in a sieve.

Method

Make rice ahead of time and cool to room temperature
Heat oil on medium in a fry pan, and saute minced garlic until soft but not browned (2 minutes).
Add red peppers and saute with garlic until tender crisp (2 minutes)(tender crisp means half cooked)
Add the spinach to the pan and stir until wilted
Use a spatula to scrape the oil, garlic and red pepper into a large bowl
Add the lemon juice to the fry pan and stir it around, then add it to the bowl
Add salt, pepper and dried oregano leaf to the lemon and oil mixture
Add rice to the bowl, and toss the rice with the olive oil mixture
Stir chopped basil, cucumber, green onions, olives, toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds, and optional black beans into the rice mixture
Cover and let salad marinate for an hour before serving, in the fridge or not, as you like.
Serve salad at room temperature or chilled.