Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos

Thirty-eight years old. Born on Valentine's Day, which my mother has called a sign every single year of my life and which my father has called a coincidence with equal consistency, and which I have stopped having an opinion about because when your parents have been having the same argument for thirty-eight years, you learn to stay out of it. Gloria called at seven AM — she always calls at seven AM, because she's been up since five and considers seven a generous concession to people who sleep past dawn. "Feliz cumpleaños, mijo. Valentine's Day. A sign." I said, "Hi, Mom." She said, "Your father says it's a coincidence." I could hear Hector in the background saying something I couldn't make out, which was probably "it's a coincidence." Thirty-eight years of this. I hope I get thirty-eight more.

Lisa made carne adovada for my birthday dinner. Her version, not Gloria's — Lisa uses a little more cumin and a touch of oregano that Gloria would consider unauthorized, but after twelve years of marriage Lisa has earned the right to her own interpretation. The pork was tender, the red chile was deep and warm, and she served it with rice and beans and a stack of flour tortillas that she bought from the Mexican bakery on Federal because Lisa is many things but a tortilla maker is not one of them. The kids made cards. Diego's had a football on it — of course it did, the kid draws footballs on everything, including his math homework, which his teacher has mentioned. Sofia's was written in careful cursive with a quote from a book I haven't read. The twins' cards were abstract explosions of marker and sticker and glitter, and I will keep them in my desk drawer until the day I die.

I called Ruben on my birthday, same as every year. He picked up on the first ring. "Old man," he said. "You're catching up to Miguel." I said thirty-eight isn't old. He said, "It's older than me," which is true — he's thirty-two and will remind me of this at every opportunity. He sounded good. Loose. He's stateside for another couple months before the next deployment, and I could hear the difference — the way his laugh comes quicker when he's not carrying the weight of whatever he carries over there. We talked for twenty minutes about nothing. Chile. The Lobos. His kid, Alejandro, who's almost two and already has Ruben's stubborn jaw. It was a good call. The kind that makes the distance feel shorter.

Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Lisa’s carne adovada was the meal, but the flour tortillas and the beans on the side were what the kids kept reaching for, and that’s always been true in this house — the food around the food is half the point. The morning after my birthday, with Diego’s football card still on the counter and a little glitter from the twins’ masterpieces somehow on the coffeepot, I wanted something that kept that warmth going without starting from scratch. These vegetarian breakfast burritos are what I make when I need the table to feel like it did the night before: filling, easy, and good enough that everyone sits down for it.

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

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas (burrito-size, 10-inch)
6 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, divided
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salsa and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Cook the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño (if using) and cook 1 minute more.
Season the beans. Add the drained black beans to the skillet with the cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the beans are heated through, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer the bean and vegetable mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Scramble the eggs. In the same skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and pour into the skillet. Cook, gently folding with a spatula, until just set but still soft, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the flour 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 about 30 seconds per side.
Assemble the burritos. Lay each tortilla flat. Divide the scrambled eggs evenly among the four tortillas, then top with the bean and vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro.
Fold and serve. Fold in the sides of each tortilla, then roll from the bottom up into a tight burrito. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos — The Same Table, a Different Morning