When it comes to food, certain combos just work: Salt & pepper, cheese & crackers, eggs & bacon, and (my personal favorite) chocolate & peanut butter… swoon.
However, on the road I discovered a whole new award winning culinary combo:
Avocado and Tomato
They are the new celebrity couple of my foreign cooking world, which is why I have given them the couple name Avomato (or Tovocado).
It is with Avomato that we have made some of our most simple, healthy, and inexpensive meals on the road. Here are just some of the reasons why these two veggies rock:
- It’s summer here in South America, so tomatoes are in season and oh-so-delicious.
- Both avocados and tomatoes can be found at almost any local vegetable market.
- Tomatoes are high in antioxidants (good to detox with from all the wine we drink!) and have 38% of your daily Vitamin C needs to keep a backpacker’s immune system strong.
- Avocados have a decent amount of calories in them so they fill you up. Although, don’t be scared by their fat content. The fat in an avocado is monounsaturated fat — the “good” kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels.
- Avocados and tomatoes are so flavorful on their own. All it takes is a little drizzle of olive oil and some salt & pepper to turn them into a luxurious treat (or you can just eat them as is!).
Here are some of our favorite “Avomado” backpacker dishes:
Tomato and avocado with toasted baguettes:
No avocado in this picture but you get the point. You can also add a little fruit bowl (like we did) if you're feeling a little crazy!
Slice and toast a baguette and top with sliced tomato and avocado. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt & pepper on the veggies if desired.
- Note: This meal is awesome if you have been eating like a king all day and want something light for dinner.
- Total cost: Under $1 USD per person
Grilled chicken burgers with tomato, avocado, and hot sauce:
Grill or pan cook a chicken burger, toast some buns, and make yourself a burger with tomato and avocado as your condiments. Tony and I personally adore this with some hot sauce, but I am sure mustard would be pretty darn tasty with this dish as well.
- Note: This use of Avomado combines all the great health benefits of these veggies with some carbs and protein to make this a complete meal and to keep you satisfied for hours!
- Total cost: $2 USD per person
What are YOUR favorite food combos that are easy to experiment with on the road?
Tony... An instant fan
Exhausted from traveling every week as a Business Management Consultant early in my career, I took a year off in 2012 to travel at my own pace. I am a high-energy girl that loves being active, eating food, drinking wine, and exploring the world with my partner-in-crime (and husband), Tony! I now reside in Portland, Oregon and continue to write about travel, food, wine, and the awesome adventures we have in the Pacific NW!
Tony, that face made me cringe haha…glad to hear you are enjoying chicken burgers! Hope you and Meg are safe and enjoying yourself, which from the looks of it you are. We continue to be jealous sitting in our cubicles being bankers. I know you miss it. A CMTP crew is going to Vail next week. We will have a drink for you. Adios, Soper
Thanks Soper for following along! Yes, that face of Tony’s is entertaining to say the least and we are certainly enjoying ourselves (and the food) down in South America… Although I sometimes catch Tony crying in his sleep at night from missing Wells so much 😉
We are very jealous to hear that you are going to Vail next week! Have a drink (or two, or three…) in our honor! Hope all is well and keep in touch! ~Meg
That meal looks AMAZE!! And seriously… I am so stealing your new creation: THE AVOMATO. That’s catching on and I wanna be a part of it. Touche you two, Touche.
haha thanks Magz. Just remember to give us street cred’ in NYC!
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