I’m always looking for high-protein, low-fat, flavorful salads that aren’t boring. Here is a recipe we like. The neighbors also like it, so it must be a guardian. We brought a bowl to our neighbor, Tim, and he ate both servings before his wife came home to taste it. When Barb finally got home, he was asked to walk to get the recipe. She made another whole batch the next day. Here is the prescription:

Rice, Beans and Corn Salad

or ½ cup long grain brown rice

or 3 ears of corn or ½ large bag of frozen corn

or 3-4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

or 1 small red onion, finely chopped

o 1 fresh tomatillo, finely chopped (the recipe called for green chiles, but I have noticed that green peppers and the pepper family cause some major signs of fibromyalgia for about 4 days after eating them, so I substituted with Mexican husk tomato (tomatillo).

or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

or 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

or ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro

or 14 ounces Chickpeas, cooked and drained

or ¾ cup lean Black Forest ham, diced

o Salt and Pepper from the Celtic Sea to taste

For the Rice: Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the rice and return to a boil, stirring once or twice. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until rice is tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain again and reserve. You can use white rice which takes less time to cook, but I like brown rice because it has more fiber and B vitamins and is healthier for you.

For the corn: Scrape each ear of corn with a knife to remove the kernels. Place in a bowl and reserve. Scrape along each ear to remove milky residue and transfer to another small bowl. Now heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the corn kernels and cook over low heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the red onion and tomatillo, then stir over low heat for about 1 minute until combined. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool slightly.

Place the lemon and lime juices in a large bowl and whisk together the Tabasco sauce, 2-3 tablespoons of the remaining oil, and the milky corn liquid. Whisk in the chopped cilantro until well combined.

With a fork, incorporate the cooked mixture of rice, corn and onion. Add the Beans, the Ham and season with Salt and Pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately. It keeps in the fridge for several days, if not gobbled up before taking it there.