STYLEMOM

If you live in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic U.S. corridor, this past weekend was the first fantabulous weekend of weather this year. With warm weather also comes a plethora of seasonal delights to enjoy during outdoor dining, and I couldn’t wait to get outside!

So JR and I headed over to our new favorite seafood spot on the Hudson, the Crab House. (Part of the Spectacular Waterfront division of the Landry’s Restaurant Group, there are five (5) Crab House Restaurants in the U.S. total – four in Florida and luckily, one in the NJ/NY area). My absolute favorite dish is a signature Landry Waterfront creation: the Crab/Mango/Avocado Stack – hmmm hmmm hmmm!

Crab, Avocado and Mango Stack. Jumbo lump crab meat tossed in remoulade over layers of fresh avocado and mango. Drizzled with chive oil.

1 lb. Lump Crab meat (Fresh from Blue Crab) mixed with ¾ cup Remoulade Sauce*

* Chart House’s Remoulade sauce is a special blend of seasoning that and their Secret House Recipe. However Remoulade can be created using mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, special seasonings, cayenne pepper, capers, garlic powder, sweet pickle relish, salt & black pepper.

Mango Mix*:
2½ cups mango, ripe, peeled and diced ½ inch
1 c. red bell pepper, diced ¼ inch
1 tbsp. jalapeno, seeded, diced 1/8 inch
¼ c. red onion, diced ¼ inch

2 large ripe avocados (chop in chunks)*

*Chive Oil:      1 bunch of chives                1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a saucepan of boiling water blanch chives 10 seconds and drain in a sieve. Immediately plunge chives into ice water to stop cooking. Remove chives from ice water, squeezing out excess water, and drain on paper towels. Chop chives and in a blender purée with oil until smooth. Transfer chive oil to a bowl. Chill oil, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Pour oil through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on solids

Toss mango & avocado chunks with Chive Oil

Place a long layer of plastic wrap in a large cylinder mold, and spoon the crab mixture into the mold, then add the mango mix layer, and then add the avocados. Cover with the ends of the plastic wrap. Lightly press down. Open up the ends of the plastic wrap, invert mold onto a platter, and remove the mold and plastic wrap.

So with Mango on our minds, our stylish foodie, Meal Planning Mom, put together this super fab Spring menu to help you style up simple, delicious and healthy recipes for warm weather gatherings:

When the weather warms up, the first thing I want to do is head outside and start grilling. I love to have company over and spend the entire day outside eating and drinking fruity margaritas The men grill and the women chat, while the kids run around free at last from a long winter inside.

I like for my Spring food to be colorful, fruity and fun, exactly how all of the flowers in bloom make me feel. So what’s on my menu this season? Now that the weather has finally warmed up, here is what I will be serving:

Mango Guacamole

Mandarin Orange Salad

Lime Cilantro Chicken Fajitas

Strawberry Margaritas on the Rocks

(My husband claims this is “chic” food. I think winter is for hearty “man” meals such as chili and stew, so it’s only fair that we ladies get a food season too – Dawn)

Download the Recipes:

[scribd id=14671279 key=key-1qa1l6i5vksxdow5nie0]

Dawn Billesbach, mother of 2 and owner/creator of menufortheweek.com, is a contributing writer to STYLEMOM. Born and raised in South Louisiana where food is at the heart of the culture, she had a passion for cooking at a very early age. Dawn currently lives in Denver, Colorado; but remains grounded by her Louisiana roots. Check out Dawn at MenufortheWeek.com or follow her on twitter @MealPlanningMom