For years, my mom has been making the best Paleo blueberry muffins. I think I made them with her one time, but they were a treat she always had, either freshly baked or maybe just in the freezer, ready to be defrosted and served hot with a generous dollop of butter on top.  

I've been in a bit of a breakfast rut lately (I'm currently in the Can't Look At Another Egg stage, maybe you're familiar with it), and there were some gorgeous blueberries at the grocery store on Tuesday morning, so I decided I wanted to whip up some grain-free blueberry muffins, just like the ones my mom used to make for me. I couldn't find the recipe anywhere, but I finally tracked it down--it's these Paleo Blueberry Muffins from Paleo Cupboard. Seriously, the best.

They're so great with coffee, and even better with the windows open and birds chirping away outside. Spring, man--it's magical. Especially with a muffin.

For the longest time I was trying to make Paleo muffins with coconut flour (see these) and it just wasn't quite right--since switching to almond flour I've had much better results. This recipe is seriously the best, and I'm so happy to have found it after all these years!

Well guys, it's a new year, and I'm doing some experimenting with my diet and giving keto a try. I really love Paleo a lot, and I would say what I'm doing right now is just a Paleo-friendly version of keto (but at the same time I'm eating quite a bit more dairy than I usually do, so we'll see how that goes). Over the past few months I've been all over the place with my eating habits, so I'm looking forward to reigning it in and really cutting out grains and sugar again.

I came up with this Paleo recipe before the holiday break, and yesterday I made it again for lunch with some cheddar cheese. If you don't do dairy or simply want to keep this Paleo, you can just skip the cheese. Or, you can do half and half--I put cheese on Rob's and left mine dairy-free. Do whatever works for you! I think this would be awesome with a squeeze of lime juice and some sliced avocado, but it's really delicious on its own.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Bake

Ingredients: 

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Half of a yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts (you could also use thighs)
• About a tablespoon of taco seasoning (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper)
• About 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Enchilada sauce (use one with little to no added sugar)
• 1-2 handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 2 tablespoons of chopped lettuce and 1/8 of a diced red onion, for garnish

Instructions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. In an oven-safe skillet, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently and add the garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.
3. Move onions to the side of the pan and add chicken (season first with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper) to the pan. Move the onions so that they're surrounding the chicken. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes on one side and then flip. Add the chopped Brussels sprouts and mushrooms, then drizzle more olive oil over the vegetables and chicken. Season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine everything. Pour enchilada sauce over the whole thing.
4. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are crispy and the chicken is cooked through. (Add cheese a few minutes before serving if desired.) Garnish with chopped lettuce, raw Brussels sprouts, and diced red onion.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not usually a big fan of Paleo treats, but dammit if this Paleo chocolate mousse isn't downright decadent. The secret to the texture is avocado, if you can believe it, and it's sweetened with some agave syrup and topped off with a pinch of salt to balance it in a truly delicious way.

My current favorite way to enjoy this is with a sliced banana on top and a cup of coffee on the side--talk about a nice change of pace from scrambled eggs. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Paleo Salted Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup raw agave syrup (plus or minus a tablespoon, depending on your preference)
• a pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor.
2. Combine until smooth (about two minutes or less).
3. Place the mousse into a piping bag (if you don't have one of these you can just use a plastic bag and cut a corner off) and pipe into individual dishes.
4. Serve immediately or place into the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!