Kale and Black Bean Burritos

San Diego fall is a rumor. Eighty-degree October. Pre-deployment workups have been ramping up. Ryan was gone Wednesday through Friday for a field exercise.

Caleb, 7, wants to be a firefighter still. Has not deviated. Hazel, 4, chaos incarnate. Put a peanut butter sandwich in the DVD player Wednesday. Showed zero remorse.

Chili Saturday. Beef and beans. Cornbread on the side. Fed everyone for two days.

Mom called Sunday. We talked while she was putting up tomatoes from the garden. She is sixty-something and gardening like she is forty.

The freezer is the secret. The freezer was full this week.

Ryan went to his counselor Wednesday. He always comes home calmer. I am calm too, just from him being calm. The man Torres was killed with — Ryan calls his wife twice a year on Torres's birthday and the anniversary. The military widows are their own community.

I went to the commissary Saturday morning. Got the grocery haul under sixty bucks for the week, which is a small victory. The cashier knows me. We talked about her grandkids while she scanned the chicken thighs and the family-size box of pasta. Small-town energy on a Marine base in California.

The Friday before-school morning was chaos. Three kids, two backpacks, one missing shoe. We all made it to the bus. I drank cold coffee at nine AM because that's when I sat down. Standard.

The kids' soccer game was Saturday morning. The other parents brought oranges and Capri Suns. I brought a thermos of coffee for myself and a folding chair I bought at Target three years ago that has been to four duty stations now. The chair is a more loyal companion than some of my friends.

Donna sent a recipe card in the mail this week. She has been doing this for years. The recipes go in the binder. The binder is full. The newest one is for a green bean casserole that uses fresh green beans and fried shallots and which I will absolutely make for the next holiday.

I sat at the kitchen table Tuesday night writing in the journal. Volume 10 now. The handwriting has not gotten neater. The journals are a record of the life I am living, in the moment, in tiny script that I will look back on someday and not be able to read. That is okay. The writing was the thing.

I went for a walk Sunday morning before the kids got up. Half an hour. The fog was burning off. I needed it. Some weeks I get the walk in. Some weeks I don't. The week tells me which.

I read the blog comments at the kitchen table with my coffee. A young spouse in Lejeune emailed me about deployment cooking. I wrote her back at length. I told her about the freezer. I told her about Donna. I told her she would survive. I sent her three of Donna's recipes.

The PCS rumors are starting again. The official orders will come in a few months. We could move. We could stay. The waiting is the worst part. Three years here and I have learned to not put down deep roots in any military town. Nineteen-year-old me would not have believed how good I have gotten at packing.

The kitchen counter has a chip in it from someone before us. Some military housing thing. I have stopped asking what. The chip is fine. The whole kitchen is provisional. We are renting from Uncle Sam.

Ryan's friends came over Friday for a beer. I made wings and chips. They demolished both. Standard Marine appetite — they eat like they are still on rations. The kitchen looked like a battlefield by the end. They cleaned up. Marines clean up. Donna would have been impressed.

The chili carried us through Saturday and Sunday, but it was the burritos that saved Tuesday — pulled straight from the freezer while Hazel was explaining, with zero remorse, why she had reorganized the sock drawer. That’s the thing I told the spouse in Lejeune: the freezer is not a convenience, it’s a strategy. These kale and black bean burritos wrap up in about thirty-five minutes, stack flat in a freezer bag, and reheat while you are still finding the missing shoe. Donna would approve.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6 burritos

Ingredients

6 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 cup salsa (your preferred heat level)
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Sour cream and sliced avocado, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Cook the kale. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped kale and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 4—5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Season the beans. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the drained black beans. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and lime juice. Cook for 3—4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and fragrant. Remove from heat.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30—45 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 seconds per side. This prevents cracking when you roll.
Assemble the burritos. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon 1/4 cup rice down the center, followed by a heaping 1/3 cup seasoned beans, a handful of sauteed kale, 2 tablespoons salsa, and about 3 tablespoons shredded cheese.
Roll and seal. Fold the sides of the tortilla in, then roll from the bottom up, tucking tightly as you go. Place seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Optional — skillet crisp. For a sealed, slightly crispy exterior, place each burrito seam-side down in a dry or lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 1—2 minutes per side until golden. This also helps them hold together better for freezing.
To freeze. Let burritos cool completely. Wrap each individually in foil or plastic wrap, then place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 3—4 minutes, flipping halfway, or in a 375°F oven (still wrapped in foil) for 25—30 minutes.
Serve. Plate with sour cream, sliced avocado, and additional salsa if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Kale and Black Bean Burritos — The Freezer Was Full This Week