Apple Cinnamon Protein Coffee Cake

I always find it hard to say what my FAVORITE recipe is. There are just too many great ones to choose from, plus it is usually highly dependent on my mood and hunger level. 

That, of course, was before this creation: Apple Cinnamon Protein Coffee Cake. Sure, it's a mouthful for a recipe title, but believe me - you will want mouthful after mouthful of this delicious and guilt-free coffee cake!

This coffee cake is great for an on-the-go breakfast, but you can also dress it up and serve it for a brunch party. I recently made this for a few girlfriends that came over for brunch and it was a hit! While this cake may seem like an indulgence, it is packed with protein (14 g per slice!) making it far healthier than any other morning pastry. The apples help to keep this coffee cake incredibly moist which is usually hard to achieve when baking with whey protein. What really makes this coffee cake is the walnut streusel topping! It is the perfect finishing touch to this healthy breakfast treat. 

I love that this is such a simple baked good. I know some of my other recipes can take a little more effort with muffin tins or donut pans but with this you literally mix everything in one bowl together and dump it into a single cake pan. 

 I've recently switched up my training and I'm almost exclusively training at 6am everyday before work. I forgot how much I love that burst of endorphins before work, not to mention how focused I am all morning. I don't eat breakfast prior to lifting (I actually prefer weight training fasted first thing!) but I do have my coffee with collagen and MCT oil following. This coffee cake is perfect to have with my coffee after a hard morning workout!

Well, now that the secret is out and you know what my favorite recipes is I hope you give this a try! 

Psst! This recipe uses True Nutrition Cinnamon Bun Whey Protein and I can't recommend this protein enough. I really do stand by their products and I know I'm getting a high quality protein powder at an extremely affordable price. Want to give it a try? Use the code 'MYENG' at checkout for 5% off your entire order!

Apple Cinnamon Protein Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 25-30 minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients: 

• 3 scoops True Nutrition Cinnamon Bun Whey Protein (3/4 cup)
• 1-1/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Gluten Free Baking Flour but typical all-purpose flour will work as well)
• 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 medium green apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 egg
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla

Walnut Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 1 tbsp butter

Baking Accessories:

• 9 inch cake pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare cake pan by greasing with coconut oil or butter. Set aside.
2. Toast walnuts by spreading them out on a baking sheet and placing in oven for 5-10 minutes. Be sure to keep a close watch on them so not to burn!
3. In a small bowl combine the remaining streusel topping ingredients. Cut the butter into very small pieces and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until the butter has formed into small balls and is well coated. If necessary use fingers. Add toasted walnuts and continue to mix. Set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients: whey protein, flour, coconut palm sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
5. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, combine your wet ingredients: greek yogurt, eggs, applesauce, melted butter and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix and medium speed until incorporated. 
6. Fold apples into batter with a spatula until apples are evenly mixed in.
7. Pour batter into greased pan. Sprinkle walnut streusel topping on top of the cake. Bake for 25 - 30 mins or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Be sure not to over bake the cake since there is whey protein in the batter and it could easily become dry and rubbery. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slices. Serve warm or store in air-tight container for later. 

Nutritional Information (1 slice):

210 calories - 13.5 g Protein, 23.5 g Carbohydrates, 6.7 g Fat

Greek Cauliflower Crust Pizza

To Celebrate My Engineered Nutrition's 2nd Birthday, I'm bringing it back with another Cauliflower Crust Pizza! The first recipe I started the website with, enjoy!

Yum

Can you believe that My Engineered Nutrition just turn TWO on May 5th?! 

If you are thinking "Wow! No I can't believe it!" you are in good company, as I couldn't believe it either. So much so, that the actual birthday came and went before I even realized it...

But after shortly realizing it was my baby website's birthday, I got to the kitchen and created something I hope you love as much as I do. It seemed fitting to celebrate the 2nd year of my blog with an original: Cauliflower Crust Pizza. That's right, I love my original BBQ Chicken Pizza so much I had to do a spinoff! While I would love to take credit for coming up with this idea all on my own, it was actually a recommendation by my bestie. I often turn to her to ask her what I should make next because she's made many of my recipes and we share similar tastes (i.e. we both love food...a lot). 

She mentioned that she's been into making Greek pizzas lately and I knew I had to copy that. I am part Greek after all, and I grew up eating this familiar profile of flavors. There is no traditional pizza sauce to be found on this pizza, instead the cauliflower crust is topped with olive oil and fresh garlic. Then, it is really a free form of whatever toppings you are feeling or have on hand! For this little number, I used feta cheese, artichoke hearts, kalamata olive, pepperoncini, red onions, grape tomatoes and basil...whew, that's a mouthful. You'll notice I don't have exact measurements for the ingredients below - let's not overcomplicate things. I've made things extra simple too with my step-by-step guide to making the Cauliflower Crust. 

Seeing that it IS My Engineered Nutrition's 2nd birthday, I figured I'd share some fun stats! I am an engineer after all, and I love nothing more than looking at analytics and numbers.

In total, I've had over 104,000 page views in the last 2 years. Wow. Just wow. THANK YOU to everyone who supports me in my fun little hobby. It means the world to me.

My Top 10 Recipes over the last 2 years were:

1. Pumpkin Protein Donuts (over 18,000 views!!)
2. Cajun Baked Salmon
3. Sweet Potato Stacks
4. Fluffy Protein Pancakes
5. Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins
6. How to Build an EPIC Cheese and Charcuterie Board
7. Coffee Cake Protein Muffins
8. Roasted Chicken Breast
9. Chocolate Coconut Protein Donuts
10. BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Some of these really surprised me for being in the Top 10 and others I'm not surprised at all. I did slow down at posting and only brought you 14 new recipes this year. I'm hoping to be more regular this year and my goal is to post at least two recipes per month! 

As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions for recipes! Shoot me an email at myengineerednutrition@gmail.com

Greek Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Bake Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

For the cauliflower crust

• 1 small to medium head of cauliflower, yielding about 3.5 cups flowerets (350g)
• 1/3 cup shredded fat-free or low-fat monterey jack cheese (1.5 oz)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp italian seasoning (equal parts dried oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary)
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the pizza toppings

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• Salt
• 1 oz feta cheese, crumbed
• Artichoke hearts (about 2 whole canned, sliced)
• Red onion, sliced
• Pepperoncini, sliced
• Grape tomatoes, halved
• Fresh basil, sliced
• Kalamata olives, halved

Directions

First, start with the the cauliflower crust. You can follow my step-by-step instructions here: Cauliflower Crust How-To

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 
2. Chop cauliflower into small flowerets, discarding of leavings and stem. Place cauliflower into food processor and pulse until you get a "cauliflower rice" constancy.
3. Transfer cauliflower to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 3 minutes. This steams the cauliflower.
4. Once cooked, transfer cauliflower again to a tea towel lined bowl. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, gather up the towel and squeeze the cauliflower into a ball -- and continue to squeeze! I can't stress enough how important it is to squeeze ALL the liquid out of the cauliflower. You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid when you are done. The end result is a ball of cauliflower "flour".
5. In a mixing bowl combine cauliflower, shredded monterey jack cheese, egg white, coconut flour, seasonings and salt. Mix with hands until ingredients are well incorporated.
6. On a parchment lined baking sheet flatten out dough, shaping into a thin round disk, about 1/4" thick.
7. Bake in a 450° oven for 10-15 minutes or until it begins to turn golden.

Assemble the pizza.

1. Once baked, rub olive oil, minced garlic and salt over the crust.
2. Add the remaining toppings to the pizza..
3. Bake again at 450°F for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted slightly and onions have cooked.
4. Remove pizza from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Nutrition Information (approximate for 1 whole pizza):

330 calories - 20g Protein, 31g Carbohydrates (11g Fiber), 14g Fat

Vanilla Protein Cookies

So confession: I first made these cookies like 2 months ago and I'm just now sharing the recipe with you - eeep! Sorry, life just kinda got in the way (you know, I jetted off to Iceland and all) and I selfishly kept these cookies all to myself.

Today I'm FINALLY sharing the recipe and you definitely do not want to miss out on these Vanilla Protein Cookies!

Admittedly, when I first set out to make these cookies I was actually attempting to make an edible cookie dough. Well, it was a bit of a flop and it just didn't have the texture I wanted. However...I added a few additional ingredients, threw them on a cookie sheet then into the oven and....voilà! COOKIES!

The texture of these kind of remind me of those pillowy soft sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles that are sold in almost every major grocery store. You know the ones I'm talking about? The texture of these cookies is kind of dense yet also very soft. 

There are only 9 ingredients in these cookies and they are gluten and egg-free! The main ingredient is Vanilla Pea Protein Isolate and I wouldn't recommend substituting this with any other type of protein. This definitely gives the cookies their soft, pillowy texture and that is what MAKES these cookies. Pea protein gives your batter a thickness you just can't get with whey protein. 

If you've never tried pea protein I highly recommend you give it a taste! Use the code 'MYENG' for 5% off your order at True Nutrition! 

Vanilla Protein Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 16-18 minutes

Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 c. coconut palm sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 scoops vanilla pea protein (3/4 c)
• 1/2 c. all-purpose baking flour (I used gluten free Bob's Redmill 1-to-1 Flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. nondairy milk (cashew, almond, etc.)
• Sprinkles!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookies sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine butter and coconut palm sugar. Using the stand mixer or a hand electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar. Add applesauce and vanilla, mix to combine.
3. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until well incorporated. Add nondairy milk and mix until a thick cookie doughforms.
4. Roll dough into 16 equal balls and space out evenly on the cookie sheet. Take each ball and small flat between palms or you can use your thumb and press down each ball to a flat cookie. Because of consistency of the dough these cookies don't spread larger than what they go into the oven as. Add sprinkles at this point should you want them!
5. Place in oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before eating. 

Nutritional Information (1 cookie)

77 calories - 5 g Protein, 9.5 g Carbohydrates, 2.3 g Fat

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my announcement a few weeks back that I'm now an Affiliate for BreadSRSLY!! Y'all know how much I love their gluten free sourdough. It's frequently featured in my daily meals (like this, or this, DEFINITELY this or that) and in past recipes like my Parmesan Garlic Croutons, Mom's Caesar Salad and this Ham, Leek & Sourdough Dressing. I can't wait to start dreaming up even MORE delicious ways to enjoy this bread. First up: this creamy, crunchy Brussels Sprouts Gratin!

I actually first made this back in December for my 30th birthday weekend trip to Sonoma. I made this up as I went that weekend and after tasting the result, I knew it was only fair to you to recreate the recipe (and this time take notes). 

 'Gratin' is a French technique that simply means a dish with a browned crust of breadcrumbs. You know what makes a breadcrumb topping even better? Bacon. That's the start of this magical dish. 

The brussels sprouts are first roasted and then tossed in a bechamel sauce. Keeping with French techniques (they sure know what they are talking about), a bechamel is simply a white sauce made from a roux and milk. Don't let the fancy French words scare you! Roux = butter and flour. I'll break it down for you in the recipe, don't you worry.

To bring it all together the brussels tossed in the bechamel go into a baking dish and then are topped with breadcrumbs and bacon. Is your mouth watering yet? After a quick pop in the oven this side dish is ready to enjoy!  

Would you like to give BreadSRSLY a try? Use the code 'myengineerednutrition' with your order on their website and receive 10% off your order! 

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 

Bechamel:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp gluten free flour, Bob's 1-to-1
• 1 c reduced fat milk, 2%
• Salt & Pepper

Gratin:

• 6 oz BreadSRSLY sourdough bread, 3 slices toast
• 6 cups brussels sprouts, cut into quarters 
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 slices bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. While the oven is preheating, toast your bread and prepare brussels sprouts by cutting them into quarters. Toss sprouts with 1 tsp olive oil, juice of one lemon and salt. Roast on a baking sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes, giving them a toss halfway through roasting. This will give the sprouts a nice roast, but won't cook them all the way through.
2. While the brussels are roasting, put the toasted bread into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form. I personally like my breadcrumbs on the larger side, but you can go as large or small as you choose. On a different baking sheet, spread the breadcrumbs out in an even layer and toast in the oven (at the same time as the sprouts is fine) for about 5 minutes, just so they become a bit more dried out. 
3. Remove breadcrumbs and brussels sprouts from the oven and set the aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Cook 3 slices of bacon until crisp. I fried my bacon in a skillet on stove top, but you can also do this step in the microwave. Blot with paper towels to remove excess grease and chop into smaller pieces. Combine breadcrumbs, bacon and remaining 1 tsp of olive oil in a bowl and toss.
5. Next we make the béchamel! Warm your milk in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. While that is warming, in a sauté pan or a separate sauce pan (something with taller sides so that the sauce doesn't slop all over your stove!) melt the butter over medium high heat. Once melted add the flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to bubble. We want the butter+flour mixture to become a golden color, which will happen after about 2-4 minutes of cooking, but we don't want to let this burn. Pour in warmed milk and continue to stir the sauce. Raise to high heat and bring sauce to a boil. Lower heat and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes while stirring. 
6. In a large bowl combine roasted brussels sprouts and béchamel sauce. Toss so that the sprouts are evenly coated. Transfer into baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. To finish the gratin, raise heat and broil for 5 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (1 serving):

180 calories - 6.5 g Protein, 24 g Carbohydrates, 7.5 g Fat

Vanilla Chai Protein Granola

Yum

Rarely do I ever eat granola or oatmeal, for that matter. I don't see it as a health food as most store-bought brands are loaded with sugar. No thank you! 

Recently, however, I've seen more and more Instagram posts on homemade granola and I got a hankering for some! I'd never ventured to make my OWN granola. Truthfully, the thought never even crossed my mind. But I found myself with a serious craving for some and set out to make a healthier alternative to what you find on the shelves of your supermarket. First step: obtain oats.

The inspiration for this granola came from my Custom Oatmeal Mix I'd gotten a while back from True Nutrition, Chai Latte flavored. Remember, I rarely eat oatmeal so I hadn't really made a dent in this mix.

I then thought about when I would eat granola and most likely it would be after a workout, meaning I would also prefer some protein. This recipe includes both oats AND whey protein from True Nutrition. Talk about one-stop-shopping for your ingredients! (Pssst...remember you can save 5% off your order when you use the code 'MYENG' at True Nutrition)

This granola is surprisingly easy to make! On top of that, it is a much better option than what you find store bought. The only sweetener is pure maple syrup and the sweetness that comes from the vanilla whey protein. This granola is definitely going to become one of my go-to post-workout snacks...I hope you do the same!

Vanilla Chai Protein Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8 servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, original or gluten free oats
  • Optional: You can make your own Custom Oatmeal Mix with True Nutrition! You can omit the Chai Spice Mix below if you opt to use the 'Chai Latte' Custom Oats.
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1/3 cup almonds, raw/unroasted
• 2 scoops True Nutrition Vanilla Whey Protein (1/2 cup, 60 g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp water
• Chai Spice Mix:
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Baking Accessories:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine oats, coconut flakes, almonds and Chai Spice Mix. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Stir until the coconut oil has melted. Turn off heat and add protein powder, mixing continuously until incorporated. It is important to make sure you turn OFF the heat before adding the protein as to not over cook it and make the mixture too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to thin mixture. 
4. Pour wet mixture into mixing bowl with dry. Stir with spatula until the oat mixture is covered with the wet mixture, ensuring no clumps have formed.
5. Dump mixture onto baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Place into oven.
6. Bake for 35 minutes. To ensure an even toasting, give granola a stir every 10 minutes or so the oats do not burn. Once granola is golden brown remove from oven and allow to cool before eating and/or storing. Granola keeps well for a week if stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. 

Nutritional Information (1 serving, 1/2 cup):

215 calories - 11 g Protein, 23 g Carbohydrates, 9 g Fat