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[post_date]by Alex NavarroSurf’s up everyone! The surf season is full on as we speak and we are going to need some great nutritious food to fuel up, and some more great and delicious food afterwards to recover and sooth our hungry bellies. Here are some of my suggestions and favorite foods for before and after surfing that you can find here in Cabo.
PRE SURF
For me, what works best to feel energetic and light for a short one hour surf session is hibiscus (flor de jamaica) water with chia seeds, and sweetened with piloncillo (raw sugar cane molasses that are sold in hard pilon form) syrup. I drink a large glass before a session, and it tastes great too. When I’m going for a longer session, I like to eat oatmeal with flax seeds, chia seeds, pecans, raisins, banana or other fruits, nuts and bee honey.Smoothies are also ideal as a surf food. You can make them orange juice based or with almond or rice milk, etc. I like them basic, because with too many different ingredients or fruits they can take some extra energy and time digesting. One of my favorite simple smoothies is orange juice or fresh almond milk, pecans, banana, chia seeds, a few flakes of raw oatmeal and amaranth. It is very creamy, crunchy and delicious.
APRÈS SURF
Here is where the options become almost limitless. After surfing you can be very hungry, so nice big hearty meals are a great choice to satisfy your hunger. Before you eat, stop to hydrate at a coco frío (cold coconut) stand. There is one in the Costa Azul look out, another one near Cabo Real and another one at the bridge before Walmart in Cabo San Lucas (going towards downtown Cabo). I love going to the Municipal Market because you can find so many dishes all made with the freshest ingredients, and they also serve you big and full plates for a good price. It is my go-to stop daily after a surf session. Some great finds there are the fresh ranch cheeses and the natural sea salt too. Here is a list and brief description of many of those great dishes that are perfect after surfing and you can find there or at most Mexican restaurants in Cabo too:Caldo de res ó de pollo – chicken or beef broth served in a big soup bowl with many vegetables, a lot of chicken or beef, and sometimes rice and tortillas on the side. It can be spicy or not and is served really hot.Pozole – a very traditional Mexican dish, pozole is a thick soup made with pork broth and large corn kernels called hominy in English and cacahuacintle in Spanish. There are three types: white, red or green. If it’s white, it means the broth is not spiced, red if spiced with red spices, peppers or salsa, and green if spiced with green spices, peppers or salsa. Afterwards, you can add any of the following: shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, ground oregano, ground chili peppers, diced onion, sliced radish, lime juice, avocado, pork rinds and shredded cheese. It is usually accompanied with bean and cheese tostadas.Sopa de tortilla – it is usually made with chicken and tomato broth. It has fried corn tortilla chips or strips, and you can add any toppings like cream, avocado, crushed peppers, lime juice and cubed white fresh cheese. Sometimes it is made with vegetable broth and also called sopa Azteca.Sopa de mariscos – a very nutritious spicy soup made and filled with the broth and meat of local seafood like fish, octopus, sea snail, shrimp, clams and scallops. Order a side of rice and you are set for a good day after surfing. Chiles rellenos – these are the very famous Mexican stuffed peppers which are usually filled with beans and fresh cheese, coated in battered egg whites, deep fried and covered in red tomato salsa. Served with white rice usually.Fajitas de res, pollo ó camaron – beef, chicken or shrimp fajitas. World renowned but you have to try them in Cabo. Ask for a side of locally made fresh flour tortillas.Sopes de pollo, res ó chorizo – sopes are similar to tortillas but are much thicker and have a pinched rim all around to contain the ingredients, which are pureed refried black beans, chicken, beef or chorizo sausage, shredded lettuce, crumbled fresh cheese, avocado, salsa and sliced red onions. You have to try them!Bisteck ranchero – this is a very traditional stew of northern Mexico. It is spicy beef stew made with tomato sauce and vegetables like potatoes, green beans, onions, and bell peppers. It is served with corn tortillas. A favorite for stuffing a flour tortilla burrito also.Costilla de puerco – this dish is very similar to the one above, but with pork ribs instead of beef. Very delicious too.Pollo con mole – the famous mole sauce varies from type to type, like the mole Poblano, the mole negro, verde and Pipian. Moles can have up to 20-30 different ingredients. Some of them are all types of ground peppers, ground nuts like almonds peanuts and pine nuts, ground tortillas, chocolate, fruits, ground dried fruits, chicken broth and much more, like all types of spices like clove, hoja santa (Piper Auritum), cumin and cinnamon. The word mole comes from the Nahuatl word «molli». This dish is made with a piece or more of chicken bathed in mole sauce and accompanied by rice. The Pipian sauce is commonly made with ground squash seeds.Enchiladas verdes ó rojas – the also world-famous enchiladas are a must in Cabo and especially after a tiring surf session. These are rolled up fried tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken breast (sometimes made with leg and thigh) and covered in red or green spicy sauces. Usually served with a side of beans and rice.Enmoladas – just like enchiladas but with mole sauce instead. A very delicious breakfast.Flautas de pollo – also fried rolled up tortillas filled with shredded chicken breast, but with no sauce topping. Instead it is topped with a lot of shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, cream and avocado. Served with rice and red salsa on the side.Tacos dorados – the same as flautas de pollo but with shredded beef instead.Tostadas de res ó pollo – this is my go-to food at least once a week. Fried and hardened corn tortillas smothered in beans and topped with shredded beef or chicken, shredded lettuce, crumbled fresh cheese, avocado, cream, and red or green salsa, or Mexican salsa which is diced tomato, diced onion and diced Serrano pepper.Milanesa de res ó pollo – a great option too for a big meal with a lot of protein are these dishes which are breaded beef and breaded chicken served with green salad, rice and sometime French fries, and a side of tortillas too.Taco de camarón empanizado – the traditional breaded shrimp taco. A guarantee if you love shrimp. Carne asada – Here in Cabo we get great beef from the regional cows, so I always recommend getting a classic carne asada (grilled beef). Usually thinly sliced steak served with beans, rice and guacamole, tortillas and cebollitas asadas, which are grilled cambray onions.Filete de pescado (empanizado, mojo de ajo, a la plancha) – Also a weekly go-to plate is the breaded fish plate (filete de pescado empanizado) after surfing. Al mojo de ajo is fried with garlic and a la plancha is just cooked on the grill with no spices
