Easy Chickpeasy 2024: Easy Plant-Based Recipes!

In the world of nutrition, where science meets the art of healthy living, few can blend expertise with creativity like Victoria Vasko, the force behind Easy Chickpeasy. With a Master’s degree in Nutrition Science and years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, Tori— as she’s affectionately known— has transitioned from providing Nutrition Therapy in clinical settings to inspiring a broader audience through her vibrant food blog. Easy Chickpeasy is more than just a collection of plant-based recipes; it’s a reflection of Tori’s passion for making nutrition approachable, delicious, and sustainable. Whether she's concocting a new chickpea-based dish or offering tips for integrating plant-based proteins into everyday meals, Tori's approach is all about simplicity and flavor. Her journey from the clinical trenches to the heart of the kitchen, paired with her love for antiquing, travel, and her beloved pets, shapes the unique perspective she brings to every recipe she shares. Now settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tori continues to inspire others to make healthy, sustainable food choices— one chickpea at a time. Join Delivery Rank and read more.

Over the several years I worked in a hospital, I loved providing Medical Nutrition Therapy to patients. Working in a hospital setting is a great way to gain experience with community members who have many different medical conditions, so I am thankful for that strong learning environment early in my career. 

However, as I conversed with my patients about nutrition, many said they wished they had heard my information sooner. Worse even, many shared misinformation they had heard over the years, making their understanding of living healthfully confusing and seemingly impossible. In my personal life, my passion for environmentalism grew, and I wanted to find a way to combine my passions for nutrition and environmentalism. Thus, Easy Chickpeasy was born! 

I founded Easy Chickpeasy to provide inspiring, practical, and factual information about a plant-based lifestyle. I firmly believe that embracing diverse plant-based protein sources and advocating for them can lead to a more sustainable and healthful life.

Easy Chickpeasy focuses on creating approachable plant-based meals. How do you ensure your recipes are both accessible to beginners and exciting for seasoned plant-based eaters?

My goal is to inspire all eaters to explore diverse plant-based protein choices. While beginners may appreciate the ease of my recipes, seasoned plant-based eaters appreciate my well-balanced flavors. I use plenty of spices and herbs, sauces, juices, vinegars, and different cooking methods to layer flavors for dishes that are not only nutritious but also satisfying. 

I am a massive believer in tasting and adapting, which I do regularly to ensure my recipes come out just right. I am careful to take plenty of notes while developing my recipes, too, so that I can translate exactly what I do and how much I add, resulting in a final recipe that everyone can use to end up with a dish that is just as flavorful. 

I also like experimenting with different flavor combos that may be less conventional, but still use simple preparation methods. For example, my white miso chocolate chip cookies are still a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe, but the white miso and smoked sea salt add a savory element that is so tasty, it can inspire both beginners and the more experienced alike to give it a try.

As a Registered Dietitian with a Master's degree in Nutrition Science, how do you blend your scientific knowledge with your passion for food to create recipes that are both delicious and nutritionally balanced?

While nutrition can be complicated when you delve into biochemistry, actually eating a healthful plant-based diet is relatively simple. I translate my nutritional knowledge into simple, easy-to-understand tidbits throughout my recipe content. I just wrote an article about building a filling vegan salad that breaks down all the elements you can tick off in your mental checklist to make sure your salad will actually keep you satisfied for hours instead of minutes. 

I also use my food science background to develop recipes that are highly adaptable to allergies or intolerances. I test all of my baking recipes with regular and gluten-free flours to ensure they come out nicely either way. I also use my knowledge of food compositions to suggest adaptations and substitutions and how to implement these swaps for the best results. 

As I have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), I know how frustrating it can be to struggle to find a recipe that is at least adaptable to something I can tolerate. That's why I strive to include top allergen-free and sensitivity-friendly recipes in my regular plant-based recipe content.

Your love for food is evident, but you also have a deep affection for your pets—Pesto, Basil, and Cibo. How do your furry companions inspire your culinary creativity, and do they have any favorite plant-based treats?

I love my cats, Pesto and Basil, and my dog, Cibo. Their names were all inspired by the many incredible meals we enjoyed when my partner and I lived in Italy for a short time several years ago. 

They bring a lot of comfort and liveliness into my life. It's fun having them underfoot as I cook and develop recipes, though Pesto can be cheeky and try to jump on the counter.

I like to treat myself to a little tea or coffee drink while I take Cibo for his daily midday walk, so many of my drink recipes, including my popular cold brew latte recipe, were developed for that purpose! Pesto and Basil are pretty picky regarding plant-based treats, but Cibo loves carrots, watermelon, blueberries, and (most especially) bell peppers. He is a bell pepper fiend!

Balancing a passion for cooking with a commitment to sustainability can be challenging. What are some of your go-to tips for making plant-based eating more sustainable and accessible for your readers?

My biggest tip for living a more sustainable life is to focus on progress over perfection. Making changes slowly over time is a much more sustainable approach than trying (and failing) to change everything overnight. Food production accounts for just over ¼ of greenhouse gas emissions. One of the best ways to decrease your carbon footprint is by choosing more plant-based protein sources over animal-based foods. 

My eco food guide outlines four simple steps to reduce your food's carbon footprint. The first step is to experiment with plant-based recipes. This doesn't have to be a dramatic change overnight, but experimenting with plant-based protein sources once or twice a week is a great start. Don't sweat the inevitable mess-ups or accidents along the way. 

The key to living more sustainably is making eco-friendly choices that are actually sustainable for your lifestyle. In a sense, they're double-sustainable! If you don't waste mental and emotional energy on putting yourself down for not making the absolute best choice, you can use that energy to instead refocus on your goals and values, or even to inspire others to start their plant-based journey.

To read more about Easy Chickpeasy, please visit https://www.easychickpeasy.com/