Black Bean Pita Pockets

The week after. The decompression week. I slept Monday until 9 AM, which I have not done in twenty years. Eduardo brought me coffee in bed and said, "Carmen, are you sick?" I said, "Eduardo, I am tired." He said, "Carmen, that is news." He sat on the edge of the bed and we drank coffee together. The first time we have done that on a weekday in maybe a decade.

Tuesday I was back at the food bank. Habichuelas with pumpkin — a variation I had been wanting to try — and pollo guisado. The regulars came. Mr. Patterson was there. He said, "Mrs. Carmen, when does the next class start?" I said, "Mr. Patterson, fall. September. We will run the same eight weeks again." He said, "Mrs. Carmen, can I take it again?" I said, "Mr. Patterson, you have already taken it." He said, "Mrs. Carmen, I would like to take it again as a TA." I had not considered this. I said, "Mr. Patterson, what is a TA?" He said, "Teaching assistant. Free help. I will mop. I will wash dishes. I will set up. I will not teach because that is your job. But I will be there." I said, "Mr. Patterson, you are hired." He blinked. He said, "Mrs. Carmen, I am hired."

I told Brian Wednesday. Brian said, "Carmen, we cannot pay him." I said, "Brian, he does not want money. He wants meaning." Brian said, "Then we have a TA."

Diana sent me a card Thursday. A handwritten card. She said in the card that the class had given her her mother back. She said her sofrito was now correct. She said her flan would be correct in time. She said she would come to the December pasteles workshop. She said thank you.

Mami Friday had a long lucid afternoon. Three hours. We sat in her apartment with the windows open — it was warm, sixty degrees, a real first-day-of-spring day, she had been complaining about the cold for two months and was happy to feel sun — and we talked about nothing in particular. She told me about her own mother, my Abuela Pilar (Miguel's mother, not Consuelo who was her mother), who had lived in Caguas and who I had only met three times. She told me Pilar had made a fish soup that was excellent. I wrote it down. I will try the recipe in the summer when good fish is at the bodegas.

Sunday dinner the family came. Twelve adults, seven children. I made pernil and rice and beans. Lucas asked if Mami was coming. I said, "Mijo, not today." He said, "Will she come for Easter?" I said, "Mijo, we hope so." He thought about this. He said, "Abuela, if she does not come we will bring Easter to her." He is six and a half. He understands the structure. Wepa.

The week had been full in the best way — Mami’s long afternoon, Lucas and his Easter plan, Mr. Patterson with his mop and his meaning — and by the time Monday rolled back around I wanted something uncomplicated but still satisfying, something that honored the bean without asking too much of me. Black bean pita pockets are not pernil, and they are not habichuelas with pumpkin the way I make them at the food bank, but they are honest and quick and they feed people well, which is always the point. Eduardo ate two and did not complain, which in our house is a standing ovation.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 whole wheat pita rounds, halved
1 cup shredded lettuce or cabbage
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Instructions

Warm the pitas. Wrap pita rounds in a clean towel and warm in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Keep wrapped until ready to fill so they stay pliable.
Build the bean base. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Season and heat the beans. Add drained black beans to the skillet. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring gently, until beans are heated through and coated in the spices. Add lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Prepare your toppings. While beans cook, set out lettuce, diced tomato, red onion, cilantro, Greek yogurt, and avocado in small bowls so everyone can build their own pockets at the table.
Fill and serve. Open each pita half into a pocket. Spoon a generous portion of the seasoned black beans inside. Top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and fresh cilantro. Add avocado if using. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Black Bean Pita Pockets — The Week I Remembered Why I Cook