Warm Brown Rice Salad

My mom used to throw cold leftover white rice into salads, like "side salad" type of salads with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with sweet and tangy French dressing. Those salads would be main meals in the summertime. I loved them as a kid! They were the best on a hot summer day. But it's December and it's cold out, yet I'm craving a salad. And I thought that warm brown rice with bitter arugula, walnuts and tart cranberries would make a nice salad. It was so good! So quick to make, surprisingly satisfying and healthy too. Enjoy!

• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 cups tightly packed baby arugula, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 2 heaping teaspoon dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar with pear pulp (found in the vinegar aisle)
• 2 teaspoons roasted walnut oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange, clementine or tangerine juice
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

To your cooked rice, add in the arugula, walnut pieces and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, orange juice. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Pour over the salad and combine well. Serve nice and warm. Serves 2.