The very first trip outside of the U.S. that Chris and I took together was to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was an easy 2-hour flight and a great way to “test the waters” to see if we were compatible when it came to traveling together. Turns out, we are pretty good companions in life AND travel, and have since gotten engaged and traveled to many places far far away.
In the past, traveling for me meant letting loose and stuffing my face with “vacation food.” You know what I’m talking about. The kind of food that you normally wouldn’t eat, but then justify drinking a gallon of sugary Pina Coladas and eating super high-carb entrées, then dessert after every meal with the notion that you’re taking a ‘break’ from reality. Then you get home, feel like total shit and work out like a maniac for the next two weeks because you gained 5 pounds.
Our trip to Cabo was the beginning of a lifelong pact we took together where we would travel the world, eat clean and stay active. Could we be happier, healthier, more cultured, aware, and fit after the trip than when we flew in?
Don’t get me wrong, we are not masochists. We enjoy having fun and living a fulfilled life, especially when traveling. We don’t deprive ourselves of good food, wine and pleasure, but we strive to make BETTER decisions for ourselves and for each other so that we can be happier in the long-run. And that’s exactly what life and love is all about. You are constantly making an effort to improve yourself, bettering yourself, and progressing as a team. Sometimes you’ll be down and your partner will be on a high. Sometimes the love of your life will fall behind and you have to pick up the slack. Love is a team that works together, and supports each other to get to the finish line.
So as a team, we drank NorCal Margaritas, ate real food, and swam in the ocean in Mexico. Making better decisions can be that simple.
For water sports, we recommend renting a paddleboard or sea kayak and paddling to Lovers Beach. The arch is just breathtaking and the beach is very private with a couple of caves to explore. Plus, there aren’t any vendors trying to sell you things here. Win.
If you are interested in practicing yoga in the ocean, try Stand Up Paddle board Yoga! SUP Yoga Cabo is perfect, and you can sign up right in front of the ME Cabo Hotel in the cape, which is where we stayed. The early morning classes are perfect for finding your zen before beginning your day.
There were so many incredible restaurants we went to in Cabo. The Office on the beach is a fantastic place for some mid-day drinking and eating some amazing Pulpo (octopus) with the warm sun and cooling beach umbrellas. Just beware of the singing mob coming around pouring hard alcohol down your throat hole and taking you to Margaritaville. Just remember, you can say no to getting completely trashed in Mexico, as tempting as it sounds.
My favorite restaurant was the Vagabundos del Mar “Trailer Park” Restaurant. Don’t be misled by the name. There’s nothing trashy about this place. The courtyard is a romantic and magical place with Mariachi singers and Christmas lights strung from above. However, take note. You have to order your food at the counter and not from your waiter, for tradition’s sake. We went all out and ordered a huge platter of steak, langoustine, ahi tuna, and extra spicy guacamole. So good! Corn tortillas on the side, which we skipped, but they inspired me to make this Steak Taco recipe.
So without further ado, gather up your ingredients and enjoy some delicious and healthy steak tacos with us.
For this recipe, I had a bunch of leftover steak from the night before. Chris had made Tim Ferriss’ Sexy Time Steak and we had almost 1/2 a pound of leftovers. Coming from a family that was ubër conscious about not wasting food, I was adamant about using all of it.
For the Sexy Time Steak recipe, click here.
- 1/2 pound steak, chicken or pork, chopped (leftovers preferred)
- 1 head butter lettuce (wash and dry, then peel the leaves carefully so you have 8 lettuce cups)
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1/2 radish (or watermelon radish if you can find it), diced
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 1/2 carrot, chopped
- 1/8 chives, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, cubed
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp EVOO
- 2 drops of Tabasco
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash pepper
- Place the lettuce cups on a large platter.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and give it a good whisk.
- Add the dressing to the large bowl and toss well.
- Place in lettuce cups and serve.
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Susan Tie
Founder of Real Food Travel