Chocolate Cherry Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

I can’t believe January has come and gone in 2018. But here we are, right in the swing of things with February. And wouldn’t you know it, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! I’ve teamed up with my friends over at Arctic Zero to bring you a Valentine’s dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth, but in true My Engineered Nutrition fashion, will still keep you on track with your nutrition goals!

I have been a supporter of Arctic Zero for quite some time. It is my go-to dessert when I have a sweet tooth for ice cream but don’t want something that will derail my nutrition. This has been especially true during times of figure prep and cutting weight for a weightlifting meet. Even though I’m not training for any specific contest right now, I still want to keep my nutrition in check and opt for lighter alternatives when it comes to desserts.

In my mind, Valentine’s Day is everyone’s “Treat Yo Self Day” (where my Parks and Rec fans at?), and if you ask me there is no better treat yo self pairing than chocolate and cherries. When I was thinking about what Valentine’s treat I could make with Arctic Zero I IMMEDIATELY knew I wanted to use the Chocolate Cherry Chunk. This flavor is hands down the best, with chunks of cherry and chocolate swirled throughout. Added bonus? Only 4 grams of fat in the entire pint! Wowza! Not only did Arctic Zero provide me with some delicious frozen desserts, they also challenged me to include their secret ingredients of chocolate chips and cherry preserves. It was all too perfect to pass up.

When I was thinking about what to create, my mind kept coming back to ice cream sandwiches. Not the fancy gourmet kind with large chewy cookies. No, the ones you ate in the summer time as a kid with the thin chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, wrapped in a bit of wax paper. The kind that stuck to your fingers while you at them and you got to lick the chocolate off your fingers at the end. Yes, those.

Now, those obviously weren’t the healthiest of sandwiches, which is why I knew I could make them better. I created chocolate cherry protein brownies to pair with the chocolate cherry chunk Arctic Zero. These take a little extra time in assembly but the result is so worth it. You bake two separate pans of brownies and then after they are cool, you spread a layer of the ice cream over top of the first layer of brownie and then sandwich this with the other layer on top. Just a little extra time to freeze together and voila! Ice cream sandwiches!

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Prep Time: 1 hour

Bake Time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: 9 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 pint Cherry Chocolate Chunk Arctic Zero
• 1/4 cup chocolate pea protein powder
• 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (I used Bob’s 1-to-1 GF flour)
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vanilla Icelandic yogurt (skyr)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup cherry preserves
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Baking Accessories

• Two 8x8 aluminum baking pans
• Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two baking pans by lining with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients: pea protein powder, flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In a smaller bowl combine all wet ingredients: eggs, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla. Mix these wet ingredients into the larger mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
4. Fold in cherry preserves and chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Remove brownies from the oven and allow to cool completely. While the brownies are cooling, remove the pint of Arctic Zero from the freezer and set on countertop to thaw for at about 15 minutes.
6. To assemble the sandwiches: Once the Arctic Zero has thawed completely and can be easily scooped and spread, layer on top of one of the brownies while still in the pan with the parchment paper. After the Arctic Zero is in an even layer, remove the remaining brownie from its pan and parchment paper and place on top of the ice cream. Replace the remaining parchment paper back on top of the top layer brownie and place the second baking tin on top. Press down slightly and place into the freezer to allow the sandwiches to set. When ready to serve slice sandwiches into 9 equal pieces and enjoy!

Chai Oat Protein Balls

Welcome to the first recipe of 2018!

I can't believe how fast 2017 flew by. But, here we are in January - a fresh start. I'm not really much for New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few this year that I've made for myself. Since I'm all about sharing goals and have no shame in doing so (HELLO Figure Prep) I will share one with you. One of my goals is to gain back my running endurance that I had at one time long ago and be able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes. Not only does this mean working up to running 3 miles consecutively with no walking breaks (something I currently can't do...whoops), but it also means running 10 minute miles (I currently am running about a 10:45 mile). This is coming from a gal who ran a 1/2 marathon at an average 10:00 pace 10 years ago. My, how things have changed...

What are your resolutions for this year? Do you have any? If one of your's happens to be eating healthier than you are in the right place!

Recently, I've been SUPER busy with all aspects of life: personal, social and career wise. I love it, I thrive off it actually. However, sometimes it does get the best of me and I don't have the time I'd like to prepare the meals I would like to be eating. I'm willing to guess that some of you struggle with the same problems I have. 

This is exactly why I created these Chai Oat Protein Balls! These are super easy to make (no bake!) and are great for on-the-go. These are made with just 4 major ingredients...FOUR! (OK so if you count spices and vanilla extract it is technically 6, but you should seriously already have those on hand) All you need for these balls are dates, cashews, chai oats and vanilla pea protein, plus a little extra cinnamon and vanilla extract. Not only are these tasty, they are also gluten free and dairy free!

I am using True Nutrition's Gluten Free Quick Oats, sweetened with monk fruit and the chai latte flavor. If you don't have these on hand (although I highly recommend their products!) you can substitute with your own chai spice blend. Each ball packs 4 grams of protein and just 2.5 grams of fat. 

I hope you gives these a try and let me know what you think!

Chai Oat Protein Balls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12 balls

Ingredients: 

• 6 Medjool dates, pitted
• 2 oz cashews
• 2/3 cup True Nutrition Chai Latte Gluten Free Quick Oats (sweetened with monk fruit)
  • If you don't have the TN oats, use plain quick oats and add 1 teaspoon of chai spice blend below and 1/2 tsp calorie free sweetener of your choice, i.e. monk fruit
• 1 scoop True Nutrition Vanilla Pea Protein (1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Water as needed

Chai Spice Blend (if substituting TN oats)

• I like this blend by Fit Foodie Finds (DIY Chai Spice Mix)

Baking Accessories:

• Food processor

Directions:

1. In your food processor, combine pitted dates, cashews and 1 tbsp water. Pulse on high until a smooth paste of dates and cashews forms. 
2. In a medium bowl combine oats, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla and date/cashew paste. Mix with a spatula to combine all ingredients. You should have a dough like consistency. If it is too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time to reach the desired consistency. We want the dough to hold and shape into balls so don't add too much liquid.
3. Place into the freezer for about 15 minutes for the dough to cool and come together. 
4. Remove from freezer and roll into 12 equally sized balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutritional Information (1 ball):

95 calories - 4 g Protein, 13.7 g Carbohydrates, 2.6 g Fat

Pumpkin Pecan Protein Cake

I don't know what it is about this time of the year, but without fail it always seems to FLY by. Back in October I looked at my calendar and saw that my project deadlines were nicely spaced out and would carry out between November and December, all wrapping up conveniently in mid-December prior to my holiday time at home. Well wouldn't you know, ALL of my projects decided they wanted to move up the deadlines and get things completed before the end of November. 

(Cue madness and insane amounts of work to be completed in half the time)

I had every intention of posting this recipe for you a few weeks ago, but then my day job called and I had to work around the clock just to finish those deadlines, leaving zero time for My Engineered Nutrition. No good! I just couldn't WAIT to share this with you. I know that most of you who follow my recipes like protein powder recipes that are quick and on-the-go. Since it is the holiday season, this is a bit of a special treat:

Pumpkin Pecan Protein Cake!

The holidays are filled with gatherings of family and friends, which are great, but usually they are also filled with decadent foods and sweet treats. Don't get me wrong, I love it as much as the next person, but I'd also love to be able to lighten things up if I can. This cake is the perfect treat! I bet you wouldn't even guess it was made with protein powder unless someone told you, it's that good! 

Compared to most sweets, it is low in fat, carbohydrates and sugar. What's not to love about that? As an added bonus, I'm also going to go out there on a limb and say you can eat this as breakfast cake as well. No judgement here.

I hope you give this a try and let me know how you like it. Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Pecan Protein Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients: 

• 2 scoops True Nutrition Cinnamon Bun Whey Protein (1/2 cup)
• 1-1/2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Gluten Free Baking Flour but typical all-purpose flour will work as well)
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 3/4 cup lowfat Greek yogurt (2%)
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup light cream cheese (2 oz)
• 3/4 cup lowfat Greek yogurt (2%)
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup

Baking Accessories:

• 13 inch x 9 inch baking pan
• Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake pan by greasing with coconut oil or butter and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Toast pecans 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! Once toasted, roughly chop pecans. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients: whey protein, flour, coconut palm sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
4. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, combine your wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, egg, melted butter and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, mixing at medium speed until incorporated. 
5. Fold pecans into batter with a spatula until evenly mixed in.
6. Pour batter into baking pan. Bake for 20 - 25 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 icing. 
7. While the cake is cooling, combine light cream cheese, Greek yogurt and maple syrup in small bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Once cake has cooled, ice with cream cheese frosting and slice into 16 pieces and enjoy! Store remaining cake in refrigerator to keep fresh.

Nutritional Information (1 slice):

145 calories - 8 g Protein, 14 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Fat

Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake

Yum

As far as recipes with protein powder go, I feel like I've practically tried my hand at everything. Plenty of pro-nuts, cakes, brownies, muffins, pancakes and more...but no protein shakes. Truthfully, I hardly ever drink them (gasp!). If I'm honest, I can't stand the taste of a simple protein shake made from whey powder and water. Bleh. I just would much rather eat something with protein than drink it. My secret is out. This is why I haven't ever once done a recipe for a smoothie or shake.

Well, today that changes. I may not love basic protein shakes, but you know what I do love? MILKSHAKES. Who doesn't? If you also don't like protein shakes (or maybe you do) and get down with some milkshakes, then you are going to love this Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake. 

The base of this shake is Chocolate Fudge Micellar Casein. If you are like me, you like your milkshakes as a dessert after dinner - or maybe you like them for breakfast, which is totally fine, no judgment here. Casein is a "slow" protein, meaning you absorb it much slower than whey protein. Slow rate of protein breakdown is great for muscle recovery, aka when we are sleeping.

But don't let this shake foul you, it may taste like a milkshake but it is actually packed with antioxidants! First, it has cacao powder, not to be confused with cocoa. Cacao is made from un-roasted raw cocoa beans, high in antioxidants, no sugar, and even some fiber. I also snuck in some spinach to provide an extra boost of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, plus you won't even know it's there.  Last but certainly not least, let's not forget about the cherries which are also packed with antioxidants, contain cancer-preventative compounds and also naturally contain melatonin which aids in sleep! 

This shake is thick and creamy and you will hardly believe it yourself that it is actually SO GOOD for you! I may just have to start making this a nightly routine... 

Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Chocolate Fudge Brownie Micellar Casein Protein Powder
• 1 cup frozen Dark Sweet Cherries (140g)
• 1 handful spinach (25g, about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of your choice (I used unsweetened cashew milk)*
• 2 tbsp cacao powder (10g)

*This makes for a very thick shake. If you prefer a thinner consistency, simply add more milk to your liking!

Directions: 

1.  Add all ingredients to blender and blend until creamy!

Nutritional Information (1 shake)

305 calories - 34.5 g Protein, 31 g Carbohydrates, 4.8 g Fat

Lemon Pistachio Protein Donuts

Yum

Oh.

My. 

Goodness.

These donuts. I just don't even have the words.

Let me try and find them: LEMON. PISTACHIO. PROTEIN. DONUTS. 

Even though I made them myself, it is hard to believe how amazing these taste when they are made with protein powder. I mean, let's not fool ourselves - baking with protein powder is GREAT, but its never quite the real deal. But I swear to you, if you didn't know how these were made you would think I picked them up from a near by donut shop. 

I will admit that I had my doubts I could ever get this recipe exactly spot on like I wanted it. The first attempt the batter had too much liquid and they baked flat and rubbery. The second attempt I almost had but it they were a little dry, however, still definitely edible, I just wasn't sold on the glaze. This third attempt I was determined to nail it and boy did I. 

I will say I tried so hard to make a "healthy" glaze for these donuts by using minimal sugar and even some whey protein powder in the mix, but it just wasn't the consistency I wanted. So I compromised and made a traditional glaze with powdered sugar and milk...but used it oh-so-sparingly. I try my hardest to steer clear of refined sugars but you know what, sometimes you gotta give a little.

Aside from the glaze these are incredibly healthy donuts! The lemon zest and lemon juice make these the ideal summertime donut as their flavor is bright and bursting with with citrus. Each donut packs 8 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of fat. It is hard to believe something that taste THIS good is actually healthy. Don't believe me? You'll just have to see for yourself!

Lemon Pistachio Protein Donuts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 8 minutes

Servings: 6 donuts

Ingredients:

Donuts

• 1/4 cup  vanilla whey protein powder (I use Whey Protein Isolate from True Nutrition)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose)
• 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar 
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Zest of 1 lemon (approx. 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Glaze

• 3 tbsp powdered sugar, loosely measured not hard packed
• 2 tsp milk (or nondairy milk of your choice, I used cashew)

Additional Toppings

• 2 tbsp pistachios, toasted

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease donut pan with coocnut oil (just so the donut don't stick to pan) and set aside. 
2. Mix all dry ingredients (protein powder, flour, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt) together in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients (butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, yogurt, egg and vanilla) and whisk together. Add wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until well incorporated. 
3. Transfer batter to a large Ziploc bag - we will use this as a piping bag. Snip a very small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag and evenly pipe batter into donut pan. I like to tab the pan on my counter top to level out the batter and ensure there are no air bubbles. 
4. Transfer donuts to oven to bake for 8 minutes or until a toothpick in inserted into the donut and comes out clean. Make sure not to over bake since we are using whey protein and over baking and make your donuts dry and rubbery!
5. After the donuts have finished baking, remove pan from oven and remove donuts from pan for cooling. 
6. While donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl add 1 tsp of milk at a time to the powdered sugar, stirring after each tsp of milk. If you haven't already toasted your pistachios, now would be the time to toast them. Once cooled, chop the pistachios finely.
7. With a spoon, drizzle equal amounts of glaze over the tops of the cooled donuts. Sprinkle chopped pistachios over each right after the glaze.
8. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, placed in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information (1 donut)

145 calories - 8 g Protein, 17.5 g Carbohydrates, 4.7 g Fat