The Anti-Freak-Out Entertaining Menu

Make Your Sides Work

Grain-based salads such as couscous, farro, lentils and wheat berries are side-dish multitaskers, combining starches and vegetables (and sometimes fruit too). Make them the night before; just hold off on adding garnishes such as basil, mint or parsley until dinnertime—those ingredients will get soggy if they sit for more than 40 minutes or so. Wedges of pita or thick slices of baguette help sop up any extra dressing and round out the meal.

Get the recipes: Grilled Squash and Orzo Salad with Pine Nuts and Mint, Farro Salad with Creamy Artichoke Dressing, and Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Salad with Chickpeas and Couscous