We had an “Under the Sea” birthday party for my daughter when she turned three. The party theme was in honor of her favorite Disney Princess, Ariel, also known as “The Little Mermaid”. My daughter absolutely loved her party and both the kids and the adults loved the food. This theme allowed us a variety of easy to fix foods, so we were able to really enjoy the party and the special time with our Florida family and close friends.

The “King Triton’s Seafood Salad” was, by far, the star of the show for the adults while the girls all really enjoyed “Ursula’s Octodogs” (pictured below). However, both the kids and the adults alike were drawn to the starfish PB&J sandwiches (see pic below)! Of course, no “Under the Sea” party would be complete without a Sand Castle Cake or Rainbow Fruit Kebabs.

As for the seafood salad, I never follow a particular recipe. I go by what I know to be in a deli seafood or Neptune salad and look to mimic for those textures and flavors. I assembled this salad the evening before the party and put it in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to develop and re-tested it in the morning. Upon re-tasting, we felt it had perfect flavor and balance and did not need any further adjustments. On top, I carved a crab out of a red bell pepper with green olive eyes.

This Seafood Salad comes together quite easily and makes an elegant first course to a fancy meal and a delicious Po Boy sandwich, which is my favorite way to eat it. Enjoy