Did anyone else wake up today in need of some carbs? Yesterday afternoon, fueled by election-related anxiety, I put together one of the most delicious and comforting meals I've ever had at home. I spiralized a white potato into spaghetti-like noodles, which were slow-cooked in a skillet and then topped with beautiful sautéed cremini mushrooms in lots of butter and garlic.

Normally, when I'm really in the mood for pasta I'll just buy a pound of gluten-free penne or something, but lately I've been flirting with the idea of making noodles out of a potato. Zucchini noodles are great and everything but let's face it--sometimes you just need real carbs. You can decide for yourself whether or not white potatoes are Paleo, but in 2014 the Whole30 team did include them in their program. And hey, if it's good enough for Whole30, it's good enough for me.

I thought I'd have to add some coconut cream or even egg yolk to the noodles to create a sauce, but when you cook them in a pan the starches create this really beautiful, creamy sauce--all you need to add is a little water (although I think some broth would be great for adding even more flavor). We added some shaved parmesan before serving, but you don't even need it--it's that good on its own.

This is grain-free comfort food at its finest. I hope you love it as much as Rob and I did.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 1 large potato
• 8-10 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4-5 leaves of fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 1 1/2-2 cups of water or broth 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions: 

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir. Add the garlic. Stir occasionally as you spread the mushrooms out so they're all making even contact with the pan. Allow to cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Chop up 3 of the sage leaves and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
2. Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Spiralize the potato and add it to the pan. Add another tablespoon of butter. Cook for 5-7 minutes and add water or broth to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, transfer potato noodles into bowls and add the mushrooms on top. Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a garnish of sage, if desired.

This post was originally published in September of 2013 and is one of my most popular Paleo recipes here on Freckled Italian. I decided to update the photos and re-publish it in case any newer readers may have missed it. These eggplant fries are just as delicious as they were the first time. I also included my (not so) super secret spicy mayo recipe at the end, because what's the point of having fries if you don't have something to dip them in?

I am so not a fan of eggplant. It's just not my thing. What I am a fan of, however, are French fries, and while they aren't very Paleo, they are delicious. I bought an eggplant the other day because it was on sale and I was like, well why not? I usually roast them up in big slices and just can't handle the texture. So I cut them into fry-like strips and baked them at a high heat and what I got was pretty close to French fries. They're also kind of fall-y, which I know we all love. You're welcome.

Ingredients:

• One medium to large eggplant
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut eggplant into medallions, then stack medallions and cut into French fry-like strips.
3. Place eggplant strips onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season lightly with a bit of salt and pepper.
4. Pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the majority of them are browned and crispy. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

These are incredibly delicious. I promise. 

And they were even better with a bit of spicy aioli I whipped up. It's super easy--just mix about a tablespoon or two of mayo with one or two teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. I used a mix of Sriracha and some leftover chili oil from the Chinese place we order takeout from.

As the weather is cooling down, I find myself craving soup more often. I picked up a butternut squash and some gorgeous carrots at the grocery store the other day so I could roast them and throw them in a pot with some onions and coconut milk--seriously, it's so easy and totally delicious. 

I've been out of town for a few days and didn't have any stock on hand (chicken or veggie would have been perfect for this), so I added some bacon to the pot first and voila! Bacon Butternut Squash Soup was born.

Ingredients: 

• 1 large butternut squash
• About a tablespoon of olive oil
• 5-6 large carrots
• 4-5 strips of uncooked bacon, diced
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 3-4 cups of water (or chicken/veggie broth)
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully peel and cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
2. On the same baking sheet, add the carrots. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender. (You might need to remove the carrots before the squash.)
3. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from pot and place on a paper towel.
4. Reduce heat to low and add the onions. Give it a stir, add the garlic, and let them both cook down for about 10 minutes. Add water and simmer on low. Season with cayenne powder, sage, paprika, and some salt and pepper.
5. Add the carrots and squash to the pot and bring to a low boil. Allow to cook for another 15 or 20 minutes and then carefully blend. (I like to use an immersion blender but you could put it in a regular blender, just don't fill it too much or it'll explode). 
6. Once the soup is smooth, add the coconut milk and stir. Serve hot with crispy bacon on top.

I finished it off with a drizzle of truffle oil because sometimes I'm fancy like that.