Italian brown rice salad, with sweet garlic dressing.

I love a good healthy salad. Especially in the warm summer months, post chilled and waiting to be devoured. A refreshing contrast to the heat beaming down on you all day. I had a huge craving for some this afternoon and tossed up this easy, Italian style version.

Ingredients:
3 cups organic baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup baby tomatoes
1 cup brown rice cooked (1/2 cup uncooked)
3 inch thick chunk of fresh mozzarella

Dressing:

3 Tblspns organic extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tspn honey

3 cracks of sea salt

1/2 tspn garlic powder or minced garlic

Recipe: Cook up a 1/2 cup of brown rice on the stove or if you want it quick, use Uncle Bens 90 minute made rice for the microwave. Put that aside and Bring out a large salad bowl. I love my wooden one from Target. They're so easy to clean, pretty to look at, and chill fast. Fill it with the baby spinach leaves, olives, baby tomatoes, and shredded carrots. Cut up the mozzarella into one inch chunks or however you desire. Throw them in the bowl and toss with a salad fork and spoon. Then take a small bowl and whisk the olive oil, honey, salt and garlic. This is my favorite homemade dressing that i conjured up a while ago. Pour it over the salad and mix again. Then pour the rice in and toss everything up. Then, toss into your mouth. Next time i'm going to make some homemade bread crumbs for this, so it's like bruscheta, but in salad form. This is a very hearty and healthy salad that would pass for dinner or lunch.