Corn, Rice & Bean Burritos

3-0. The offense is as complete as it's been in my time here. Diego averages over 160 yards per game and has eight touchdowns through three weeks. More importantly, he is making every player around him better — his blocking assignments are executed at a level that gives the receivers better routes, his decoy effectiveness creates lane spacing the fullback hadn't seen before. He makes the system work at a higher level because he understands the system more completely than anyone has since Jordan Rivera at quarterback four years ago.

I had a conversation this week with a coach at a program I won't name, who asked me if I'd ever think about coaching at the college level. I've been asked this before. My answer has always been the same and it was the same this week: I'm a high school football coach. Not because I couldn't coach at the next level — I believe I could — but because this is where I do the work I believe in. You find seventeen-year-old players who are still becoming and you help them become more than they would have without you. College coaches get twenty-two-year-olds who are mostly formed. I want the earlier version. I want the clay.

Sofia cross-country season is in full flight. She's the favorite for the state title this year. She runs with a style that I associate with the kind of athlete who has made peace with discomfort — not someone who tolerates pain, but someone who has decided that the discomfort is the good part. She came home from a meet on Tuesday and said, "My legs felt perfect and I still ran five seconds off my best." I said that was data. She said she knew. She was already writing it in her journal.

Carne asada after the third win. Standing in the kitchen at midnight, me grilling, Lisa pouring, Diego eating. The last time will be the last time. Right now it's just a good night in the fall of his senior year.

We did carne asada that night, but honestly, the nights we default to something simpler — something we can throw together without much thought because everyone’s still buzzing — those nights call for burritos. Corn, rice, beans, wrapped up and handed off across the counter while Diego’s still in his gear and Sofia’s stretching on the kitchen floor. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t need a reason beyond we’re all here right now, which some nights is reason enough.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Cook the rice. Combine rice and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Season the beans and corn. While rice cooks, combine black beans and corn in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and fragrant.
Warm the tortillas. Heat each flour tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds. This makes them pliable and easier to roll.
Assemble the burritos. Lay a warm tortilla flat. Add a generous scoop of rice down the center, followed by the bean and corn mixture. Top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a spoonful of salsa.
Roll and serve. Fold the sides of the tortilla in, then roll tightly from the bottom up. Place seam-side down on a plate. Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Corn, Rice & Bean Burritos — The Midnight Kitchen After a 3-0 Night