Easy Grilled Broccolini Recipe

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias 

It's December, so you know what that means: the holiday rush is on!  Since it's my first recipe this month, you are probably expecting an elaborate holiday dish... but truth be told, when things are so hectic, I hardly have time to cook!  That's why today, I'm sharing one of my favorite quick and easy recipes that I frequently use as an appetizer or side dish (my Easy Grilled Broccolini), along with one of my tried-and-true shortcuts.

I love how the broccolini is so flavorful and spicy, along with the nutty shavings of Pecorino Romano on top.  It also looks so green and gorgeous, don't you think?  There's also zero chopping involved and just a couple of ingredients needed to whip this up.  I think you'll be making this dish, even when you do have extra time to spare because it's just that delicious!

First of all, let me know if you can relate to any of these situations.  Work hours are even longer these days due to the upcoming holidays, so when I get home, I want to eat something super quick to prepare.  It's dark out so early, that I just can't wait to get right home after a long day and stay inside (so no eating out or grocery shopping).  Family and friends pop over during the week and expect to catch up over a little dinner, sometimes unexpectedly!

Well, I found the perfect solution to all of those holiday predicaments: pizza and broccoli!  Actually, it's not just ANY pizza and broccoli, it's kicked up a notch: the CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Crispy Thin Crust Oven Ready Pizza, Sicilian variety and my Easy Grilled Broccolini!  See, it sounds SO much better and grown-up, right?

Why do I rely on this delicious combo?  It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, including clean-up time, and it's so flavorful and fancy that no one will know how easy it was to get everything cooked up.

Step 1 of being prepared is to head to Walmart and get a CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Crispy Thin Crust Oven Ready Pizza, Sicilian or two.  It'll last in the freezer until you need it, so keep at least one on hand for emergencies!  While you're there, pick up the broccolini ingredients below!  Another reason this is a great dish is that you can buy the ingredients even a week beforehand, and they'll keep.  There's nothing worse than having your vegetables go bad before you have a chance to cook them!

Step 2 is to follow the easy directions on the back of the package.  While your pizza cooks for 16 - 17 minutes, that's when you get to make the recipe.  Let's get to it!

Easy Grilled Broccolini
A Vintage Zest original recipe

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Spicy Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MejoresRecetas #CollectiveBias

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only eight days away?!?  I am so excited for one of my favorite holidays, partially because it's all about the food.  :)  As you know from my previous Thanksgiving posts, I am in charge of certain dishes including stuffing!  This year, I decided to do something a bit different and boost the spiciness and Latino sabor (that's flavor in Spanish).  ;)

For my Spicy Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing recipe, I made a few swaps to my regular recipe.  First of all, I substituted the breakfast sausage for spicy chorizo!  Actually, for the version I photographed below, I used soyrizo so I could taste test it.  So if you actually want to make this a vegetarian recipe, it's totally doable!  Then, I made sure to include two special ingredients: La Morena Jalapeño Peppers and Chipotle Peppers for a more authentic taste.  The jalapeños give a bit of a kick (which you can adjust the levels of) and the chipotle peppers have a smoky, earthy flavor.  Comfort food to the max!

Lastly, I decided to serve up the stuffing in individual ramekins.  I love individual portions, and my family thought they were pretty fun too!  Of course, you can bake it in a regular-sized baking dish so it's even quicker and easier to make.  I'll include a link to the instructions for the alternate cook times below, if you decide to go with one big dish.  Actually, the dish is so simple to make, you might want to make it a regular weeknight dish throughout the year!

Wondering where to get La Morena products?  At my local Northgate Market, I found them in the aisle of Jalapeño Peppers and Hispanic Products.  Seriously, it says Jalapeños on the sign!  While I was at the store, I decided to pick up some Coca Cola in order to take advantage of their in-store offer: Buy (1) 7.5oz Mini Can or 6 pack PET bottles of any Coca-Cola brand + La Morena product and receive $0.50 off.  Sounds like a refreshing deal to me!

Spicy Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
A Vintage Zest original recipe (inspired by this recipe)

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Korean Bean Sprouts Salad (Sukju Namul Muchim)

This week, I am bringing you another healthy side dish, perfect for summer time!  I don't know about you, but when I eat Korean BBQ, I am all about the side dishes.  I already shared this pickled radish recipe, and this one is another favorite!

I searched everywhere for a good bean sprout (AKA mung bean sprout) salad recipe that did not use too many specialty ingredients, which would require a trip to the grocery store.  Initially, I wanted to make a Japanese bean sprout salad to accompany my sushi, but each one had an unusual ingredient.  Instead, I ended up with Sukju Namul Muchim (숙주나물 무침), which is pretty similar and uses only the most basic ingredients.

As I said before, I didn't need an extra trip to the grocery store because I already bought the bean sprouts on sale earlier that week.  It is possible to find them in a regular grocery store, but they will most likely be a little pricy.

My suggestion is to either grab them when they go on sale, or visit your local Korean/Asian market.  They sell huge bags there for an insanely cheap price.  Believe me, once you try the recipe, you will want more than a few sprouts for your second go around.

Now, let's get cooking!

Korean Bean Sprouts Salad (Sukju Namul Muchim)
Adapted from My Korean Kitchen

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Plátanos Maduros (Sweet Cuban Plantains)

Well, I'm down to the last plantains post!  If you have ever had Plátanos Maduros at a Cuban restaurant, you might just agree that I saved the best for last.  :)  I do love the Tostones (Fried Green Plantains) from last week, but there's a reason why everyone eyes the last Cuban plantain at the table...  Yes, these are sweet, but they are commonly served as a side dish.  In fact, they go wonderfully with my favorite Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja, hint hint.

If you thought last week's recipe was easy, this one is even easier.  REALLY.  Just make sure to check out my tips for picking and prepping plantains to make sure you get just the right plantain for this recipe.  By far, the hardest part is going to the grocery store.  I promise!

Plátanos Maduros (Sweet Cuban Plantains)
Adapted from Three Guys From Miami

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Golden Sweet Corn Bread Mini Muffins

I am a corn bread snob.  If I have the option to order corn bread at a restaurant, I never choose it save for one exception.  Now, you might think that it means I have lukewarm feelings towards corn bread if I never have it, but definitely not!  If you hand me a perfectly sweet, golden, slightly toasted piece of corn bread, I will devour it in a flash.  There's a reason that my favorite stuffing is corn bread and sausage stuffing!

Years ago, when I went searching for corn bread recipes, I made sure to look for a recipe that was sweet and moist.  There's nothing worse than taking a bite out of a piece of cornbread and finding out that it is bland and crumbly.  Also, I like a bit of golden color instead of a pale, sad looking bread.  I found a recipe and made a couple of tweaks including adding whole corn kernels and turning the large loaf into mini muffins!  The result is a sweet little corn bread muffin that my entire family loves.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Golden Sweet Cornbread Mini Muffins

From All Recipes

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Mustard-Roasted Potato Wedges

On my Thanksgiving Menu Ideas post, I mentioned that we love a good roasted potato around here!  So far, I have shared a plum crumble, sweet potato souffle, and corn bread stuffing that I make for the holiday.  Since my share of the recipes has started to grow so much, my mom has taken over the potatoes, but I used to make these potatoes using this recipe which I love!

By the way, this is the recipe that I made way back in March for the holiday before my Europe trip, which I promised to share.  In May, I did post the recipes for the Raspberry Coconut Macaroons and the Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes & Basil.  With other posts popping up, I did not have the time to share the final recipes with you, but I finally have these wonderful potatoes today and the delicious brisket here.  Promise kept!

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes
Adapted from Gourmet, December 2007 via Smitten Kitchen

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