Many of us would like to be the hostess with the mostest, welcoming dinner guests with open arms and cheerful salutations. However, thoughts of slaving over a hot stove, scrambling to orchestrate multiple dishes that need to be synchronized to finish at the same time, and missing the whole party in the process are enough to make even experienced cooks take pause.



There are a few simple rules that will cut the fuss and make entertaining at home approachable and easy for even novice cooks:

1. Choose dishes that can be made ahead, and ideally ones that can be served cold or at room temperature. Why set yourself up for unnecessary anxiety, trying to cook a meal that needs to prepared on the spot, and served immediately? Not only will you work up a sweat and ruin that nice shirt, but you also need to consider that your guests may not arrive exactly when you expect or hope. By having the food prepared ahead of time and waiting on the table, you can relax and truly enjoy your guests' company. A relaxed, worry-free host is the best kind.

2. Limit the dishes you serve to just one entrée and one or two sides. Gone are the days of serving multiple entrees to please picky eaters. Of course, dietary constraints and allergies should be taken into consideration, but don't feel obligated to offer more than one choice of entrée. Keep it simple and stick to just a couple of dishes. Simple is elegant.

3. Use ingredients in your recipes as table decorations. Don't bother trying to find the perfect table ornament or centerpiece. Keep it natural and use vegetables, herbs, or fruits. Using ingredients that are in your menu will tie everything together for a perfectly elegant spread. For example, if serving lemon linguine, consider scattering a few loose lemons on the table, or placing a heap of lemons in a bowl. Fresh items from the market look scrumptious and colorful. Best of all, you can use them afterward, so nothing goes to waste.

One of our favorite make-ahead dinner combinations is Soyaki Broiled Salmon and Peanutty Sesame Noodles. The salmon is a twist on Teriyaki salmon; adding Dijon mustard provides a zing that will make ordinary Teriyaki sauces seem rather run-of-the-mill. The noodles are fresh and tasty sesame peanut noodles you remember from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but these are made with regular spaghetti pasta. Both dishes can be made ahead of time and are wonderful served at room temperature. If you or your guests don't like salmon, serve the noodles with teriyaki chicken or tofu.

Soyaki Broiled Salmon

4 (6-oz) salmon fillets, preferably Wild Alaskan Salmon

½ cup Trader Joe's Soyaki, Veri Veri Teriyaki, or other bottled teriyaki sauce

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 green onions, chopped

1. Preheat oven broiler on high setting. Position rack on 2nd rung from the top, about 6 inches from heat.

2. Combine Soyaki and mustard. Pour over salmon and let it marinate for 10 minutes while oven is heating.

3. Place seasoned fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Discard used marinade. Broil salmon for 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

4. Top with green onions.

If you prefer to cook the fish on the stove, heat a grill pan over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serves 4

Peanutty Sesame Noodles

8 oz spaghetti noodles

1 cup shredded carrot, available pre-shredded in the produce section

1 cup peeled and sliced cucumber

2 green onions, chopped

¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.

2. Pour Easy Peanutty Sauce (recipe below) over noodles and toss until noodles are evenly coated. Add carrots and cucumber. Toss gently.

3. Top with green onions and crushed peanuts.

Easy Peanutty Sauce

¼ cup Trader Ming's Soyaki, Veri Veri Teriyaki, or other bottled teriyaki sauce

¼ cup creamy salted peanut butter

1 Tbsp sesame oil

¼ cup water

1. Whisk Soyaki, peanut butter, and sesame oil until blended.

2. Add water and mix well.

Serves 4-6

(Excerpt from Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati and reprinted with permission from the authors).

(Originally published at GoArticles and reprinted with permission from the authors, Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati).