Vegan Burrito -- Wait, Wrong Night: The Green Chile Cheeseburger That Ends Every Good Week

Spring practice is hitting its stride and I'm running two-a-days next week, which the players regard as a punishment and which I regard as the only way to find out who wants it badly enough. Talent is common. Willingness to suffer constructively is rare. Every year I'm surprised by which kids have it and which ones look like they do on paper but fold when it counts. After fifteen years of coaching I'm still learning how to read it before a game teaches it instead.

The coaching staff did our annual film review of last year's playoff loss this week. I hate watching this film. I love watching this film. We lost in the second round by eight points on a fourth-quarter turnover that I still see in my sleep. The film shows me every decision I made, good and bad, preserved in digital amber. Coaches who don't watch film from their losses either lack humility or lack curiosity, and both are fatal.

Diego had a travel baseball game this weekend. He went two for three in the first game and struck out twice in the second. He came off the field with a face I recognized — the face of a kid processing failure in real time, deciding whether to be angry or to learn something. I didn't say anything. I handed him a water bottle. On the drive home we talked about his swing, then about dinner, and by the time we got home he was fine. Kids process faster than adults. It's one of their underrated gifts.

I made green chile cheeseburgers Friday night — thick patties, sharp cheddar, roasted green chile, griddled on the cast iron. This is the burger I'd be buried with if burgers were a grave good. The ratio is important: one roasted chile per patty, not two, because you want the chile as an accent not a main character. The beef should have fat in it — at least eighty percent lean, ideally seventy-five. A dry burger is an insult to everyone's time. Lisa puts hers on a brioche bun. I put mine on a plain potato roll. This is the one food disagreement in our marriage that has never been resolved and never will be.

Good week. Busy, which is fine. Busy is the house condition when you're a two-income family with four kids and one of you coaches football. There's no other way.

Friday nights in this house are about decompression — the week had been full enough that I wanted something I could build with my hands, layer by layer, the way a good game plan comes together. The vegan burrito is that kind of meal: it rewards attention to the ratio, just like football and just like burgers. Diego was already recovered from the baseball losses by the time I started cooking, which is the only confirmation I needed that the night was going to be fine.

Vegan Burrito

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch burrito size)
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa or pico de gallo
• Juice of 1 lime
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Season the filling. Add the black beans and corn to the skillet. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 3–4 minutes until everything is heated through and well combined. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture and stir.
3. Warm the tortillas. Wrap the flour tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds, or warm them individually in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side.
4. Assemble the burritos. Lay a warm tortilla flat. Add a scoop of rice in the center, followed by the bean and vegetable mixture, avocado slices, and a spoonful of salsa. Top with cilantro if using.
5. Roll and serve. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll firmly from the bottom up. Slice in half if desired and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 76g | Fiber: 12g | Sodium: 620mg