Alcohol on the Paleo diet: Good or Bad?

Is alcohol Paleo? Most people would say no, it's not. Though, fermented drinks have been traced back to the Neolithic time period so it's quite possible that the Paleolithic man did drink some type of fermented drink. Probably because, without refrigeration or preserving mechanisms, things will ferment on their own :)

But some alcohols are actually quite good for you in small doses. Red wine for example. It's high in antioxidants and has been proven to lower your risk for heart disease and prevent blood clotting (which can lead to strokes). Just like the saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", a glass of red wine a day keeps death at bay. Not really :) But that would be cool! Wish I wasn't allergic to alcohol.

I know you're thinking, "what did she just say?!". Yep, totally allergic to alcohol. In the same way people are lactose intolerant, my body doesn't process ethanol. It's actually fairly common in Asians. My mother and brother both have the same condition. I have it to a lesser degree than both of them. I can have maybe 1/8 cup of wine or beer and be ok. Most days. If I'm tired or not feeling well to begin with, alcohol will exacerbate that. But I can cook with it because when you cook alcohol at a high temperature, you'll burn off the alcohol.

So here's a new recipe for you. I kinda took the Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites recipe and revamped it. I struggled with what to pair this recipe with. In the end, I decided on mashed cauliflower (potatoes for my dad, as he has not gotten on board with the whole Paleo thing and won't eat mashed cauliflower!) but I considered noodles. I think egg noodles would be good with this if you're not eating gluten free. Or quinoa pasta if you are.

Meal total: For steak bites, $4.85. I added peas and mashed cauliflower which adds $2 to the meal. $6.85 total

P.S. I just remembered that peas are not strictly Paleo either. Oh well, I already ate them :) But if you're wanting a truly Paleo meal, try come carrots or green beans instead. But might I add, those peas (Green Giant's select baby peas) were probably the best peas I have ever eaten! They fairly exploded in my mouth! They weren't mealy or mushy at all! Maybe that was due to my extraordinary "cooking" skills. And by cooking, I mean boiling them in the microwave. Probably not.

Steak Bites in a Red Wine Reduction

1-2 lbs sirloin steak, cut into cubes
4 T butter
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 T honey
1/2 cup beef broth
Fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste

-Heat a large skillet on high. Add butter and heat it till it's slightly browned
-Add cubed sirloin to butter and sear until nicely carmelized on one side. Flip bites over and sear again, maybe 3-4 minutes. Cook these on high so that they brown quickly without fully cooking the insides. That's the secret to cooking sirloin. Don't overcook sirloin or it'll be chewy.
- Remove meat to a bowl.
-Add more butter to pan if necessary and saute garlic and shallots together till translucent.
-Pour wine into pan to deglaze the pan. Cook for a few minutes.
-Add broth and honey to pan and cook on high for several minutes until sauce starts to reduce. Add meat back in and serve immediately.