By December 2027. I flew to Las Cruces to see Hector before Christmas. I didn't wait for the family Christmas trip. I went alone, on a Tuesday, with a cooler of food I'd prepared the day before: tamale dough, the red chile pork, the green chile stew. I set up the kitchen while he rested and made the things he loves in his kitchen, the way he made them, with his equipment, in the space that knows the smell of his cooking. When he woke from his nap he came into the kitchen and stood in the doorway.
He said, "You're in my kitchen." I said yes. He said, "That's right." He sat at the table and I cooked. We talked for three hours. Not about illness, not about endings — about everything else. The years at Las Cruces Prep coaching, the games he remembered from my childhood, the way the Organ Mountains look in December. He told me things about his father I hadn't heard before. He told me things about Ruben that I'd needed to hear for years. At the end he said, "I needed to tell you all that." I said I'd needed to hear all of it. He said good. He said that was good.
I drove home the next morning. The Organ Mountains were sharp in the cold. I drove north and they got smaller in the mirror and I thought about everything I'd been given by the man who lives at the foot of those mountains. I thought about it until I got to Raton Pass and the mountains were gone and I was in Colorado again and the future was the only direction available.
Hector’s kitchen already knew what to do — I just had to show up. When I came home from Las Cruces, I kept finding myself back at the stove, recreating the quick, bold weeknight meals he’d make when the fridge had a little of everything and dinner still had to happen. This Mexican Stir Fry is exactly that kind of dish: fast, flavorful, the kind of thing that fills a kitchen with a smell that says someone who loves you is cooking. I make it now and I think of him sitting at the table, and I think — that was good. That was good.
Mexican Stir Fry
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Ro-Tel)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the diced onion and bell peppers to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add beans and corn. Stir in the black beans and corn. Toss everything together and let cook for 2 minutes so the corn heats through.
- Season and simmer. Pour in the diced tomatoes with green chiles. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and let everything simmer together for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Taste and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, topped with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime if desired. Pairs well with warm tortillas, rice, or eaten straight from the skillet.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 29g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 620mg