Pesto Orzo with Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts + A Divine Fruit Salad + Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Warning: Do not read this post if you are hungry...your mouth will begin to water!

I have to give my very good friend and fellow shopping addict (turned chef!) credit for most of my amazing recipes.  

Let's just say she's turned me from a to-go girl into a potential contestant for Top Chef.

Thank you Nat!!!  

Pesto Orzo with Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A light and fresh recipe! I used less orzo because I wanted mainly sausage, veggies and pesto!

Ingredients:

-1 lb Brussels Sprouts  (cut in half)

-Olive Oil

-Sea salt

-Black pepper

-1/4 cup orzo

-5 sausage links 

(I meant to use chicken sausage- however when I asked the man at the grocery store for chicken sausage his response was "Who?")

-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

-1/2 cup pesto

-Fresh Parmesan cheese 

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees and put your brussels on a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Sprinkle olive oil, salt, and pepper over them and roast for 10-15 minutes. I like them crispy so I let them brown up a bit.
2. At the same time, cook the pasta according to the directions.  Use more orzo if you prefer this to be a pasta dish- I wanted mainly sausage and veggies so I used less orzo!) Drain all but a little bit of pasta water.
3. Cook sausage in a skillet according to directions.  Once it is ready, slice into thick coins. 
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook fresh garlic until fragrant and add in the sausage.
5. Combine orzo, brussels, sausage & garlic, & pesto.
I then added in more pesto because I LOVE PESTO.
6. Serve warm with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Brussels Bakin'

Orzo Cookin'

Sausage Poppin'

Sausage + Garlic Fragrantin'

Orzo, Sausage, Brussels Pesto'in

Fruit Salad 

(not your Grandmother's fruit salad!)

This will knock your socks off!!! 

Ingredients:

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup water

-Juice of 1 orange

-Zest of 1 orange 

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-Pack of Strawberries (halved)

-Pack of Blueberries

-Half of a bag of red grapes (halved)

-Half of a bag of green grapes (halved)

-Mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring to a boil the sugar, water, orange juice and orange zest for 15-20 minutes to thicken slightly.

2. Set aside to cool the syrup and then store in fridge until cold

(You could do parts 1 & 2 the night before)

3.  Cut and slice up your fruit in halves and mix all together.

4. Pour your syrup over the top and toss.

5. Garnish with mint leaves!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

this is my BFF Hannah (we prefer to call her Betty Crocker) recipe!

I'm the office favorite after bringing these in for breakfast!!! 

Muffin Ingredients:

-1/4 cup softened butter

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 1/3 cups flour

-4 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Streusel Ingredients:

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/3 cup flour

-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:

1. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and vanilla and mix well.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk.

3. Fold in Blueberries and fill 12 muffin cups 2/3 way full.

4. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly.  

5. Sprinkle the streusel over muffins and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until browned.

6. Serve warm!  

 Watch me put it all together...
 

Makin it look easy!

Make for friends and enjoy! Cheers!

XOXO

Little Miss Wade